Song: “Bobby James”
Artist: N.E.R.D.
Album: In Search Of… (2002)
I discovered this song completely thanks to a good friend. It happened on a car ride to somewhere in Atlanta. At this particular juncture I cannot remember where. His iPod was hooked up and it was on shuffle. This song came on and I remember asking, “Whoa, who’s that?” The response was N.E.R.D. I hadn’t really listened to them that heavily but one song got me on board. The song was “Bobby James”.
Hi, I’m seventeen and my name is Bobby James
Everyday in school, all my classmates call me names
And so this pusher introduced me to this thing
He said it makes you forget pain and makes you sing
This song tells the story of Bobby James, a seventeen year old outcast. As with the archetype of a high school outcast he is mocked and called names. Unable to deal with that he is approached (or seeks out) a “pusher” who offers him drugs, promising that it will ease his stress and “make him sing”. I take this to mean it will make him happy (or give the illusion of it).
I got pushed at home, at school I was a wuss
Now my life’s a domino that pushers push
‘Cause I tried it once and I tried it again
Ran away, two weeks later I seen my friend
And I said
This also gives more of his back story, more of his motivation to the drugs. He is cursed with not only a horrible school life but a rough home life as well. The drugs put him at the mercies of the pushers, calling himself a domino. This sets up a play of words using the word ’pusher’ in two ways. The first hit makes him want more. All this leads to his running away and two weeks into it he sees that pusher and speaks to him.
Hey there, mister…give me some cash
I’m high as hell and I’m ready to dash
I’m just one hit away from being passed out
Young and assed out
The chorus is a newly addicted young kid asking for more while the whole time knowing what this drug was doing to him, leaving him ’young and assed out’. It is repeated to reaffirm this sentiment.
Man, this would be cute if this were just a dream
A lesson for you to learn except you’d learn through me
You know like in the movies when it ends with a scream
Well fuck face, I’ve got news; this is real and I did things
This speaks of how horrible his life is in comparison to where it was. He can say that it might be remotely funny if it wasn’t a harsh reality. It plays like a movie but he maintains its reality and the things that he’s done in the service of his addiction.
Traveling from Virginia to Cali broke
Hitchhike and ride me in my calico
Shoplift for food when it was desire
I miss my family, miss my friends
I’m so high and so tired
This speaks of his traveling the road with no money, having to hitchhike and steal food when he was actually hungry between hits. As he lives this life he begins to miss what he’d left behind, noting both how high and how tired he is.
Hey there, mister…give me some cash
I’m high as hell and I’m ready to dash
I’m just one hit away from being passed out
Young and assed out
Hey there…
Would you help me, please?
Could you spare some change for the world
For the world to see
This last bit is begging for a little change and a little help. Here I believe change is being used in two ways as both coins and something different happening in his life. As with the chorus it is repeated.
Hey there, mister…give me some cash
I’m high as hell and I’m ready to dash
I’m just one hit away from being passed out
Young and assed out
Courtesy of Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine
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