Ivy by Frank Ocean Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling Nostalgia in a Modern Love Ballad

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Frank Ocean's Ivy at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

I thought that I was dreamin’ when you said you love me
The start of nothin’
I had no chance to prepare
I couldn’t see you comin’
The start of nothin’
Knew I could hate you now
It’s quite alright to hate me now
When we both know that deep down
The feelin’ still deep down is good

If I could see through walls, I could see you’re fakin’
If you could see my thoughts you would see our faces
Safe in my rental, like an armored truck back then
We didn’t give a fuck back then
I ain’t a kid no more
We’ll never be those kids again
We’d drive to Syd’s, had the X6 back then
Back then
No matter what I did
My waves wouldn’t dip back then
Everythin’ sucked back then
We were friends

I thought that I was dreamin’ when you said you love me
The start of nothin’
I had no chance to prepare
I couldn’t see you comin’
The start of nothin’
Knew I could hate you now
It’s quite alright to hate me now
But we both know that deep down
The feelin’ still deep down is good

In the halls of your hotel
Arm around my shoulder so I could tell
How much I meant to meant it sincere back then
We had time to kill back then
You ain’t a kid no more
We’ll never be those kids again
It’s not the same, ivory’s illegal
Don’t you remember?
I broke your heart last week
You’ll probably feel better by the weekend
Still remember, had you goin’ crazy
Screamin’ my name
The feelin’ deep down is good

I thought that I was dreamin’ when you said you love me
The start of nothin’
Had no chance to prepare
Couldn’t see you comin’
And we started from nothin’, ooh
I could hate you now
It’s alright to hate me now
We both know that deep down
The feelin’ still deep down is good

All the things I didn’t mean to say
I didn’t mean to do
There were things you didn’t need to say
Did you need to? Need to?
I could dream all night
Dream all night
I could dream all night
Dream all night
I’ve been dreamin’, dreamin’

Navigating through the deep layers of Frank Ocean’s ‘Ivy,’ we encounter a sophisticated tapestry woven with the blues of bygone youth, unspoken emotions, and the complex reality of growing apart. This song, a standout track from his critically acclaimed 2016 album ‘Blonde,’ draws listeners into a reflective journey that is as much about personal growth as it is about the endearing pain of lost love.

With a masterful blend of dreamy melodies and poignant lyrics, Ocean leads us through his introspections and invites us to peer into the windows of a past relationship, examining the delicate unraveling of connections that once seemed indestructible. This article aims to dissect ‘Ivy’ and shed light on the lyrical genius of Frank Ocean, providing insights into one of contemporary R&B’s most haunting and memorable songs.

The Haunting Nostalgia of ‘Ivy’ – A Look Back at Love Lost

The opening of ‘Ivy’ greets us with a sense of suddenness and unpreparedness, setting the tone for a narrative that is centred around the unexpected twists of youth and love. Ocean’s reference to the ‘start of nothin” suggests a delicate beginning, built on emotions so sudden and overwhelming they can hardly be believed. Yet, these emotions form the foundation of a memory that the artist revisits throughout the song.

Delving deeper into this haunting nostalgia, the melancholic tempo and Ocean’s somber vocal delivery craft an ambiance of longing and retrospection. It is in this soundscape that listeners find themselves remembering their own ‘start of nothin’,’ the moments that, while insignificant at the outset, become cornerstones of who we are and how we love.

The Dichotomy of Growth and Loss: Coming of Age with Frank Ocean

In ‘Ivy,’ Frank Ocean not only sings about love but also weaves a poignant theme of growth and maturity. By reflecting on the carefree days with lines like ‘We didn’t give a fuck back then’ juxtaposed with the present ‘I ain’t a kid no more,’ Ocean points out the inevitability of change. The song becomes a metaphor for the coming-of-age process where ‘We’ll never be those kids again,’ capturing the emotional transition from adolescence to adulthood.

This bittersweet recognition that echoes through the lyrics underlines one of life’s more painful truths: that growth often involves loss. As we mature, we shed layers of our former selves, along with the relationships that once defined us. Ocean’s narrative is a resonate echo of this universal experience, highlighting the duality of development and the melancholy that often accompanies it.

An Armor of Sarcasm: Dissecting ‘Ivy’s’ Most Memorable Lines

‘It’s quite alright to hate me now,’ sings Ocean, delivering one of ‘Ivy’s’ most memorable lines. Here, the songwriter confronts the post-relationship phase, where animosity and residual affection coexist in a confusing emotional mix. There is an understanding in these words, a reluctant permission given to his past lover to feel anger as a way to process the fracture between them.

Ocean’s songwriting genius shines through as he paints the complexity of human emotions. His use of sarcasm layered with sincerity juxtaposes the outer facade of indifference with the ‘feelin’ still deep down is good,’ suggesting that beneath the bitterness, the genuine love they shared remains, perhaps imperishable, a testament to the enduring nature of true connections.

The Hidden Meaning Behind ‘Safe in my rental’ and ‘Ivory’s Illegal’

With his poetic choice of words, Frank Ocean adds layers of hidden meaning that require a discerning ear to unpack. ‘Safe in my rental,’ for instance, might not only talk about a physical space but also a metaphorical one where, in the temporariness of the moment, they felt untouchable, protected from the world and its impending changes.

Similarly, the phrase ‘It’s not the same, ivory’s illegal’ is laden with symbolism. It’s a stark reminder of how times change and how something once cherished and legal, like ivory, becomes forbidden, paralleling how the pure, untouched love they shared becomes something different, complex, and laden with the passage of time and the imprint of reality.

The Ethereal Dream-Space of ‘Ivy’: A Realm of What Ifs

In the haunting refrain ‘I could dream all night,’ Ocean creates an ethereal dream-space that listeners are invited to inhabit. This space is not only a refuge from the pains of growth and loss but also a plane of existence where the ‘what ifs’ and dreams of an alternate reality where the relationship might have survived thrive.

The repetition of this line towards the end of the song encapsulates the heavy-hearted desire to return to a simpler time before the complexity of emotions took hold. It stands as a poetic sigh, a yearning for the carefree nature of youth, and a lament for the love that while it has transformed, remains an intrinsic part of who we are and who we will become.