Blue Lights by Jorja Smith Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Lyrical Depth of Social Commentary
Lyrics
Not blue flashing lights, maybe fairy lights
Those blue lights into strobe lights
Maybe even fairy lights, not blue flashing lights
Don’t you run when you hear the sirens coming
When you hear the sirens coming you’d better not run
‘Cause the sirens not coming for you
What have you done? You went to school that day
Was a bit late, but it wasn’t Monday
Kept after class for answering back
You apologized, ain’t no harm in that
(I wanna turn those blue lights) What have you done?
(Into strobe lights) There’s no need to run
(Not blue flashing lights) If you’ve done nothing wrong
Blue lights should just pass you by (maybe even fairy lights)
Gun crime into your right ear
Drugs and violence into your left
Before white headphones flooding
The auditory subconscious waves you accept
You’re sitting on the 4 back home
(Where you’re at G answer your phone?)
Pause the poison to answer his message
Your boy sounds rush, fears for his adolescent
(I wanna turn those blue lights) What have you done?
(Into strobe lights) There’s no need to run
(Not blue flashing lights) If you’ve done nothing wrong
Blue lights should just pass you by (maybe even fairy lights)
Tall black shadow as you’re getting off the bus
Shadow shows no emotion, so what’s even the fuss?
But the face of your boy casts a darker picture
Of the red handed act he’s gonna whisper
Look blood, I’m sorry ’cause I know you got my back
He was running, I couldn’t think I had to get out of that
Not long ago, you were miming to the “Shook Ones”
Now this really is part two, ’cause you’re the shook one
Hands you the tool as you question your friendship
How’s man like you gonna make me a convict?
Level of a felon when I’ve done nothing wrong
Blood on my hands, but I don’t know where it’s from, oh
You got blood on your hands, but you don’t know where it’s from
You’d better run when you hear the sirens coming
When you hear the sirens coming
Better run when you hear the sirens coming
‘Cause they will be coming for you
Run when you hear the sirens coming
Better run when you hear the sirens coming
When you hear the sirens coming
The blue lights are coming for you
(I wanna turn those blue lights) What have you done?
(Into strobe lights) There’s no need to run
(Not blue flashing lights) If you done nothing wrong
Blue lights should just pass you by hmm (maybe even fairy lights)
Run when you hear the sirens coming
Don’t you run when you hear the sirens coming
Run when you hear the sirens coming
Don’t you run when you hear the sirens coming
What have you done
Don’t you run
Don’t you run
Don’t you run when you hear the sirens coming
The haunting tune of ‘Blue Lights’ by Jorja Smith isn’t just another addition to the British singer-songwriter’s discography; it’s a piercing social commentary wrapped in a velvet voice. Released in 2016, the song marks Smith’s debut single—a powerful entry into the music scene that instantly positioned her as an artist with something substantive to say.
Through her storytelling, Smith kindles a dialogue around stereotyping, police brutality, and the internal conflict experienced by young people of color. The duality in her call for ‘blue lights’ to transform into something less ominous is a metaphor that unfolds layers of nuanced societal critique as the track progresses.
A Siren’s Lament: Beyond The Blue Lights
At a surface level, ‘Blue Lights’ could be misconstrued as a simple warning against the perils of urban youth. However, Smith plunges deeper, questioning the instinctual fear of police sirens bred into communities where they’re seen more as heralds of oppression than protection.
By suggesting blue lights be replaced with ‘strobe lights’ and ‘fairy lights,’ Smith symbolically points toward an alternative reality—one where lights signal celebration and safety rather than danger and discrimination. It becomes clear that Jorja Smith’s call for a fantastical transformation is a profound plea for profound societal change.
When Music and Message Collide
Musically, ‘Blue Lights’ utilizes minimalistic beats and stripped-back production that let the lyrics carry the weight of the message. The blending of genres harnesses the gravitas of hip-hop influences with the soulful timbre of R&B—serving as a reminder that the issue is both age-old and contemporary.
The song’s production, therefore, doesn’t just frame Smith’s voice, it amplifies the urgency and contemplation in her message. It is the musical embodiment of walking through a world that is out of step with you, one where your narrative is pre-written in a societal script you never agreed to.
The Narrative of Inner Conflict
In detailing a scene where a young person receives a distressing phone call, Smith translates the inner turmoil that arises when one is forced to confront potential complicity in violence. This scene illustrates the realization that even indirect association can put an individual on the wrong side of those blue lights.
The internal narrative questions loyalty, friendship, and morality, positioning listeners behind the tempted eyes of youth forced to choose between solidarity and self-preservation. The stakes are high, the situation is nuanced, and judgment is not simple—mirroring the complexities of the society we navigate.
Unpacking the Cultural Ripple
Smith’s narrator, tangled in this web of moral ambiguity, also finds themselves bluntly interrogating the legality and legitimacy of how they ended up with ‘blood on my hands.’ It’s a cultural ripple effect, where the circumstances of one’s environment are inseparable from the predicaments faced.
In a system seemingly rigged against them, the song’s protagonist questions their place in a narrative spun out of their control. The ‘auditory subconscious waves’ refers to the insidious manner in which society feeds expectation and prejudice that shape the lived experiences of its youth.
‘Run When You Hear The Sirens Coming’ – A Line Unforgotten
Among the most memorable lines of the song, ‘Run when you hear the sirens coming’ becomes a double-edged sword. It’s an invocation to flee from harm, yet also a defiance—challenging the notion that flight should be the natural reaction to law enforcement.
In its repetition, the phrase transforms, questioning itself and the listener; do we run from the sirens,or do we stand against the tide of fear they represent? It echoes through the song not as a statement, but as a question pondered in the heavy silence following its articulation.
