Initiation by The Weeknd Lyrics Meaning – Peeling Back The Velvet Curtain of Desire and Excess
Lyrics
Got you drinking out them white cups, sodas
All this shit sounds foreign to you, thick smoke, chokin’
Baby get familiar with the order
Just crack it, then pour it, then sip slow, then tip low
My eyes red but my brim low, that XO, she climbing
Straight to the top, forgettin’ why she there in the first place
No more crying, heart rate slow, put that rum down you don’t wanna die tonight
I promise, when you’re finished we’ll head to where I’m living
The party won’t finish, it’s a fucking celebration, oh yeah
For my niggas out tonight
Ah, and they high off Shakespeare lines
There’s enough to pass around, you don’t gotta wait in line
And the clocks don’t work, you don’t gotta check the time
And the blinds don’t work, you don’t gotta check the sky
We be going all night, ’til light
I got a test for you
You say you want my heart
Well, baby you can have it all
There’s just something that I need from you
Is to meet my boys
You’ve been going hard, baby
Now you rolling with some big boys, baby
Got a lot you wanna show off, baby
Close that door before you take your fucking clothes off, baby
Don’t mind
All my writings on the wall
I thought I passed my peak, and I’m experiencing fall
And all I wanna do is leave ’cause I’ve been zoning for a week
And I ain’t left this little room, trying to concentrate to breathe
‘Cause this piff so potent, killing serotonin
In that two floor loft in the middle we be choking
On that all black voodoo, heavy gum chewin’
Go on if you testing, baby if you dancin’
Grab a cup of that XO, baby I been leanin’
Back from the come down, girl I been fiendin’
For another round, don’t you blame it on me
When you’re grinding up them teeth
And it’s fucking hard to sleep
I got a test for you
You said you want my heart
Well baby you can have it all
There’s just something I need from you is to meet my boys
I got a lot of boys
And we can make you right
And if you get too high
Baby come over here and ride it out, ride it out
Work that back till I tire out
Roll that weed, bring that fire out
Taste that lean when you kiss my mouth
Bed so wet when I eat you out
Girl’s friend screaming that I’m creeping out
If they’re not down, better keep ’em out
Ex-man hollering, keep him out
Hard to let go, I could teach you how
Take a puff of this motherfucking weed for now
Take a shot of this cognac, ease you out
Just one night, trying to fuckin’ leave you out
Baby, baby
I got a test for you
You said you want my heart
Well baby you can have it all
There’s just something that I need from you is to meet my boys
I got a lot of boys
And we can make you right
And if you get too high
Baby come over here and ride it out (ooh yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah)
Ooh yeah
Come over here and ride it out (ooh yeah, ooh yeah, ooh yeah)
Ooh yeah
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO) oh
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO) ooh
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO) ah yeah
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO) X-O
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO) ooh yeah
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO)
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO)
(That north north, that up top, that OVO and that XO, that)
The Weeknd, an artist synonymous with the seductive underbelly of nocturnal hedonism, lays bare a complex narrative of initiation in his darkly intoxicating track, ‘Initiation’. This isn’t just a song, but a voyage through the obscured rituals of belonging and the intoxicating, sometimes toxic, allure of a lifestyle that exists on the fringes of the daylight world.
Peering through the smoky haze of ‘Initiation’s’ lyrics, one connects with the haunting desperation of pleasure-seeking and the often isolating price of admission into an elite and enigmatic circle. The Weeknd’s poetic finesse, draped atop moody production, crafts a haunting atmosphere that both entices and warns, a siren’s song to the inner workings of a closed society.
A Faustian Bargain Set to Melody: The Allure of the Forbidden
The song opens with an invitation, presented as a seemingly innocuous offer to drink ‘from them white cups’ and lose oneself in the ‘thick smoke’ of rebel’s sanctuaries. Yet, as the beat unfolds, the listener quickly understands this is no simple party proposal. It’s a ritualistic offering into a world that’s enigmatic and dangerous, a Faustian bargain that promises the fulfillment of deep desires while threatening to consume one’s very soul.
Within the hypnotic cadence of The Weeknd’s tone, there’s a palpable tension; an awareness that the euphoria offered comes with a price – a sacrifice of innocence, or maybe, one’s previous identity. It’s all part of the initiation, the path to being reborn within his shadowy empire.
Beneath the Surface: The Song’s Hidden Meaning
‘Initiation’ at its core is an exploration of transformation. It’s not simply about the vices that the lyrics so vividly paint, but about the metamorphosis one undergoes in the pursuit of validation from those they revere. The Weeknd uses intoxication as a metaphor for the dizzying, sometimes disorienting journey towards acceptance in a group that values excess and loyalty above all.
By immersing oneself in the sensory overload that is The Weeknd’s hedonistic panorama, you emerge changed. This change, while on the surface may be laced with power and carnal liberation, carries undertones of submission and loss – the ‘meeting of the boys’ representing not just a physical experience but symbolic enlistment into his dominion.
Echoes of a Tortured Soul: Decoding the Metaphors
The lyrical journey through ‘Initiation’ is dense with metaphor, the ‘white cups, sodas’, ‘thick smoke’, and ‘blind eyes’ all serving as allegorical elements within this initiation story. At a glance, they are but props in a party scene, yet they serve a dual purpose, mapping out the psychological terrain The Weeknd cleverly conceals within.
The potent blend of substances carries larger implications of control and the willingness to be led astray, while the blindfolds and distorted perception of time reinforce the isolation from the outside world. Each line weaves a tapestry of dependence and the paradox of power, exposing the push and pull between vulnerability and control that characterizes the song’s essence.
Memorable Lines: The Hooks that Haunt
Fleeting moments within ‘Initiation’ burn themselves into memory with their raw evocativeness. In the declaration, ‘If they’re not down, better keep ’em out,’ The Weeknd draws a hard line between those willing to dive into the abyss with him and those who cling to the safety of the surface. His words are poignant reminders of the isolating nature of such initiation – demanding loyalty and daring participation.
Meanwhile, ‘My eyes red but my brim low, that XO’ is a line that resonates long after the song’s final notes fade. It paints a portrait of The Weeknd as the knowing puppeteer – aware of the destructive path he leads others down, even as he’s entrenched in it himself – perpetually shrouded in the mystique of his own making.
The Venom and the Veneer: A Dichotomy Drenched in Rhythm
Ultimately, ‘Initiation’ is a masterclass in seductive contradiction. Underneath its velvet veneer lies a potent venom – a commentary on the perils of excess and the seductive deception of belonging. The Weeknd’s ability to juxtapose pleasure with poison, to make us dance to the rhythm of a deeper despair, is a testament to his musical prowess.
It challenges listeners to look beyond the immediate gratification of the beats and the intoxication of the chorus, to the cautionary tale that thumps in the heart of the track. It is here, in this liminal space between the danceable and the melancholic, that The Weeknd’s ‘Initiation’ reveals its true meaning – a dark hymn to the intoxicating cost of chasing shadows.
