Crown by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – Unveiling the Burden of Expectations and Fame
Lyrics
Favor come with favors and you can’t say no
Go out the way to make the coin available
That’s what I call love
The closest ones afraid to say they need some time
The turnaround is life or death, but you don’t mind
Go out the way to say you made the compromise
That’s what I call love
But the time, it’ll come, to not be there when somebody needs you
You say no and all you’ve done gives them amnesia
One thing I’ve learned, love can change with the seasons
And I can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody
Wait, you can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
They idolize and praise your name across the nation
Tap the feed and nod the head for confirmation
Promise that you keep the music in rotation
That’s what I call love (that’s what I call love)
But the time, it’ll come (but the time, it’ll come)
To not be there when somebody needs you (when somebody needs you)
You say no and all you’ve done gives them amnesia (they don’t remember)
One thing I’ve learned, love can change with the seasons
And I can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody
Wait, you can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody
And I can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody
Wait, you can’t please everybody
No, I can’t please everybody
Heavy is the head that chose to wear the crown
To whom it’s given, much is required now
Heavy is the head that chose to wear the crown
To whom it’s given, much is required now
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
Love gon’ get you killed (love gon’ get you killed)
Uh, I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
Uh, I can’t even please myself (I can’t even please myself)
Uh, I thought a new car would help (I thought a new car would help)
Uh, but when that new car get old (but when that new car get old)
Uh, I’m sure to want something else, I-I-I
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
I can’t please everybody (I can’t please everybody)
Can’t please
In a musical landscape rich with storytelling and complex themes, Kendrick Lamar emerges again with ‘Crown,’ a track that bristles with introspection and the weight of responsibility. This song delves into the delicate balance between love, obligation, and the artist’s own sense of self, unwinding the threads of Lamar’s relationship with fame, his audience, and his personal aspirations.
Layered over a moody, contemplative beat, the track oscillates between Lamar’s internal monologue and his observations of the world around him, capturing the persistent tug-of-war between societal expectations and personal satisfaction. The chorus’s haunting mantra, ‘I can’t please everybody,’ becomes a lens through which to understand the song’s core dialogues.
The Paradox of Popularity: Admiration Entwined with Obligation
Kendrick Lamar captures the trappings of fame through poignant lyrics that suggest admiration comes at a steep cost. The opening lines, ‘You walk around like everything is in control, favor come with favors and you can’t say no,’ reveal a paradox that those in the spotlight often face. With popularity comes the pressure to maintain it— a cycle of continual reciprocation and the inability to refuse the demands that fame imposes.
When he speaks of making ‘the coin available,’ Lamar is alluding to the artist’s hustle, the push to capitalize on success while the opportunity is ripe. However, this constant engagement in transactional relationships is what he qualifies as a warped definition of love, one conditioned by what one can provide rather than genuine connection.
The Ephemeral Nature of Love and Success
In the realm of Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Crown,’ love is fickle and fair-weather, shifting with the success of the season. As he reflects on love’s capacity to ‘change with the seasons,’ Lamar underscores the mercurial nature of relationships built on the foundation of fame. It’s not just personal relationships Lamar is scrutinizing, but also the connection with his audience—fans who may turn their backs the moment he stops fulfilling their needs.
This transactional take on love sets the stage for Lamar’s recognition of the limits of his influence and the inevitability of disappointment. It’s a stark reminder of the transient nature of success, where all one’s efforts can swiftly fade from memory in the absence of immediate benefit to others—the ‘amnesia’ that follows the denial of a favor.
A Heavy Head and a Heavier Crown: The Burden of Leadership
In a direct nod to the aphorism ‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown,’ Lamar lays bare the intense scrutiny and high standards that leaders must endure. The weight of the crown represents the pressures faced by those in positions of influence and authority, where much is required from them. This is not just a comment on the state of leadership but also a self-reflection of Lamar’s role as a cultural icon.
By choosing to ‘wear the crown,’ Lamar acknowledges the responsibilities and expectations thrust upon him not only as an artist but as a figure looked up to by countless fans and emerging artists. In this stance, he grapples with the duality of his position— where the honor of influence is met with the relentless demands for his time, talent, and attention.
The Endless Chase for Satisfaction in a Material World
Beyond the central motif of inescapable expectations, ‘Crown’ also touches on the hollow pursuit of happiness through material means. When Kendrick muses, ‘I thought a new car would help,’ only to realize that soon ‘I’m sure to want something else,’ he’s speaking to the insatiable nature of human desire, particularly amplified by the lifestyle that accompanies fame.
This endless chase, as Lamar eloquently frames it, illuminates the Sisyphean struggle for contentment within the constructs of modern-day success. Despite gaining all the trappings that are supposed to signal victory, Lamar suggests that fulfillment remains elusive, reinforcing the song’s overarching theme that no amount of external validation can appease the internal quest for purpose and self-acceptance.
Memorable Lines That Echo the Human Condition
‘And I can’t please everybody, No, I can’t please everybody,’ Kendrick Lamar’s repetitive invocation embodies a universal struggle. These lines resonate deeply, speaking to the core conflict that pervades much of human endeavor. It is a recognition that, despite an individual’s best efforts, it is impossible to live up to every expectation set by others.
Yet, it is in these lines that Lamar finds the semblance of a liberating truth. While he may not be able to please everyone, there is a sense of release in acknowledging this limitation. It is a call to prioritize personal integrity over the incessant demands of others—a call that is at the heart of the song’s narrative and its compelling appeal to listeners grappling with similar reconciliations.
