Purple Hearts by Kendrick Lamar Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Deep-Seated Messages of Love and Existence
Lyrics
Rollin’ sevens, I ain’t ready for no coffin
I know y’all love it when the drugs talkin’, but
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
If God be the source then I am the plug talkin’
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
This my undisputed truth, uh-huh
My life is like forbidden fruit, my bitch know better than I do
A woman’s worth, I barely went to church
I’d rather fast with you than fuck it up
Fuckin’ with skirts ’cause I’m rational
A nigga still gon’ be a nigga, emoji heart, my family pictures
Two-steppin’ away from rappers, I don’t trust their true intentions
I’m not in the music business, I been in the human business
Whole life been social distant, hoes like, “When you not trippin’?”
I duck the party, who said they saw me?
Crown on Bob Marley, wrist on Yo Gotti
They gon’ judge your life for a couple likes on the double tap
Them hoes is sorry, they all get bodied
I bless it that you have an open heart, I bless that you forgive
I bless it that you can learn from a loss, I bless it that you heal
I bless one day that you attract somebody with your mind exact
A patient life, flaws, bless ’em twice and they’ll bless you back
Tippy-toein’ and I’m mud-walkin’, hmm
Rollin’ sevens, I ain’t ready for no coffin
I know y’all love it when the drugs talkin’, but
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
If God be the source, then I am the plug talkin’
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah
How’s love (how’s love) when it’s heart to your soul?
But my nigga, left his ass on the road
Gossipin’ ’bout some shit you don’t know
Oh, you ho (yeah, yeah, yeah, fasho)
I hate it here, baby daddy still on my phone
I hate it here, askin’ if I been on the pole
I hate it here
If you keep lurkin’ on the low
If you a fan, just let me know
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (yeah, yeah)
Now if it’s love, I deserve to get some head on a balcony sometimes, sometimes
And if I feel where your heart can be, you’ll still be a part of me
I love mine, love mine (love mine, love mine)
Summer in the storm, I cannot conform
(I cannot conform, I cannot conform)
I just might love you still, just think I love me more
It ain’t love if you gon’ judge me for my past
No, it ain’t love if you ain’t never eat my ass
It ain’t love if you just only tie me down because you seen me in my bag
That’s why I’m anti-everyone before this mask
Mmm, tippy-toein’ and I’m mud-walkin’, hmm
Rollin’ sevens, I ain’t ready for no coffin
I know y’all love it when the drugs talkin’, but
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
If God be the source, then I am the plug talkin’
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah
Yo, yo
Telekinesis, I’m purifyin’ these D speeches
While I’m cryin’, I clean the feet of the sweet Jesus
Dreams, visions get blurry of the Elohim, it’s light
It’s known to tear retinas in a single gleam
Shut the fuck up when you hear His love talkin’
To the mind, it’s God’s cypher divine in a small portion, uh
Faded pictures, this global madness, the intervention
This world’s in The Twilight Zone, this is the fifth dimension
God, please blow the whistle, we need a intermission
My good deeds in front of your door, I’m standin’ by the entrance
With heavy baggage, my brother’s ashes
I seen tragic, I did dirt, smacked death and held it to that nigga cabbage
Love, we killin’ greed, we killin’ homelessness
And I don’t give a fuck about this land, I want ownership
Bow your head for just God’s sake
Listen what the stars say when I say it’s God’s way
Tippy-toein’ and I’m mud-walkin’, hmm
Rollin’ sevens, I ain’t ready for no coffin
I know y’all love it when the drugs talkin’, but
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
Shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin’
If God be the source, then I am the plug talkin’
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
Yeah, baby
In a world saturated with tracks that superficially graze the surface of human experience, Kendrick Lamar delivers a masterpiece that demands a deeper dive. ‘Purple Hearts,’ a song about profound introspection, vulnerability, and the rawness of love and life, sees the poetic giant inviting us into a world painted with nuanced strokes of his lyrical brush.
Lamar’s complex symbology and unapologetic delivery carve out a space where listeners are challenged to peel back the layers of their own perceptions and emotions. The track isn’t just a song; it’s an odyssey through the human spirit—the thumping heartbeat of love’s many dimensions.
A Tapestry of Love and Mortality Woven with Lyrical Genius
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘Purple Hearts’ unfolds as a rich tapestry where the threads of love and mortality are intricately woven together. His verbal dexterity carries us through the valleys of the human condition, where Lamar confronts his impermanence with a stoic readiness. Rolling sevens, a metaphor drawn from the game of chance, implies a life lived at the cusp of risk, eschewing the finality of the ‘coffin’ for a heart still beating, still loving.
In the ebb and flow of melodic currents, Lamar speaks to the soul’s hunger for genuine connection amid the cacophony of superficial indulgences. The insistence to ‘shut the fuck up when you hear love talkin” suggests a reverence for the sacredness of sincere emotion, a call to silence the distractions and listen to the divine frequency of love.
Piercing Through the Social Fabric with Wounds and Wisdom
Lamar doesn’t tread lightly when it comes to dissecting the social fabric that shapes our interactions. His admission of a life like ‘forbidden fruit’ and reluctant acknowledgments of a woman’s worth are confessions littered with the pain of growth. He unpacks his struggles with faith, the allure of temptation, and the weight of family expectations—a familial narrative encapsulated in a single emoji heart.
He distances himself from the falseness of the ‘music business,’ affirming his place within the ‘human business.’ This poignant distinction speaks volumes of his purpose as an artist: to navigate the treacherous waters of human complexities, rather than simply to entertain.
The Art of Blessing: Kendrick’s Sermon on Forgiveness and Healing
Kendrick Lamar becomes a preacher of sorts, his verses unfurling as benedictions to the listener. He imparts a series of blessings, advocating for an open heart, forgiveness, and the transformative power of learning from loss. In Lamar’s world, love is not just a feeling but an active agent of change—one that requires patience, acceptance of flaws, and a reciprocal exchange of virtues.
It’s a sermon that calls into question the motives behind love—are we attracted to the essence of a person, or is it their success, their ‘bag,’ that draws us in? Lamar challenges us to consider the purity of our intentions and the depth of our own capacity to love and be loved.
Love’s Currency: Intimacy and Acceptance in the Spotlight
As the track shifts perspectives, the lyrical exploration of love delves into the complexities of romantic entanglements. Lamar’s collaborators provide verses that dissect the expectations and judgments woven into relationships. They suggest an economy of love where intimacy should not come with conditions or be relegated to moments of convenience like ‘sometimes’.
It’s a narrative that dares to confront what it means to love fully and unconditionally. There is a rawness to the lines that insist love must endure beyond surface judgments, accepting both the sultry and unsightly aspects of our partners—a call for a love that respects both the spirit and the flesh.
Divine Discourse: The Celestial and the Street-Savvy Merge
In a crescendo of divine imagery, Lamar elevates his message beyond earthly confines. He references telekinesis, the feet of ‘sweet Jesus,’ and the stars that speak of God’s way. This seamless integration of street-savvy vernacular with celestial visions paints Lamar as a modern-day prophet whose verses link the sacred and the profane.
With a finale that invokes an apocalyptic appeal, Lamar pleads for a respite from the chaos—a ‘whistle’ from God to signal a pause in the madness. The longing for ownership of land is not just a material aspiration but symbolizes the search for identity and permanence in a fleeting world.
