Song: “He Say She Say”Artist: Lupe Fiasco (featuring Gemini and Sarah Green)
Album: Food & Liquor (2006)
When I first heard Lupe Fiasco I fell in love not with his delivery. It was the storytelling and the subject matter that most appealed to me. The first album, Food & Liquor, was a wonderful collection of social commentary and stories from an innovative hip-hop artist. The song that stuck with me the most was one I could relate to. That song was “He Say She Say”, a song about an absentee father.
I can’t, I won’t, I can’t, I won’t
Let you leave
I don’t know what you want
You want more from me?
This is a chorus that sounds like a miserable sort of plea. It could be a mother who still loves a man or a child who still wants to see his father despite everything that has happened.
She said to him
“I want you to be a father
He’s your little boy and you don’t even bother
Like “brother” without the R
And he’s starting to harbor
Cool and food for thought
But for you he’s a starver
Starting to red markers on his work
His teacher says they know he’s much smarter
But he’s hurt
Used to turn his homework in first
Like he was the classroom starter
Burst into tears
Let them know she see us
Now he’s fighting in class
Got a note last week that say he might not pass
Ask me if his daddy was sick of us
‘Cause you ain’t never pick him up
You see where his problem is?
He don’t know where his poppa is
No positive male role model
To play football and build railroad models
It’s making a hole, you’ve been digging it
Since he was old enough to hold bottles
Wasn’t supposed to get introduced to that
He don’t deserve to get used to that
I ain’t asking you for money or to come back to me
Some days it ain’t sunny but it ain’t so hard
Just breaks my heart
When I try to provide and he say, ‘Mommy, that ain’t your job’
To be a man, I try to make him understand
That I’m his number one fan
But it’s like you’re booing from the stands
I know the world’s out to get him
So why don’t you give him a chance?
The first verse is told from the mother’s point of view. She speaks of how his absence is showing in their son’s life. He’s doing badly in school and fighting. Their child also believes his father hates them. Without a positive male role model he starts doing the wrong things. Despite his mother’s love, he needs more. The verse is said not to draw him back into a relationship but to make him see his son needs him.
I can’t, I won’t, I can’t, I won’t
Let you leave
I don’t know what you want
You want more from me?
He said to him
“I want you to be a father
I’m your little boy and you don’t even bother
Like “brother” without the R
And I’m starting to harbor
Cool and food for thought
But for you I’m a starver
Starting to red markers on my work
My teacher say they know I’m much smarter
But I’m hurt
I used to turn my homework in first
Like I was the classroom starter
Burst into tears
Let them know he see us
Now I’m fighting in class
Got a note last week that say I might not pass
Kids ask me if my daddy is sick of us
‘Cause you ain’t never pick me up
You see where the problem is?
I don’t know where my poppa is
No positive male role model
To play football and build railroad models
It’s making a hole, you’ve been digging it
Since I was old enough to hold bottles
Wasn’t supposed to get introduced to that
I don’t deserve to get used to that
I ain’t asking you for money or to come back to me
Some days it ain’t sunny but it ain’t so hard
Just breaks my heart
When momma try to provide and I say, ‘That ain’t your job’
To be a man, I try to make her understand
That she’s my number one fan
But it’s like you’re booing from the stands
I know the world’s out to get me
So why don’t you give me a chance?
This verse is the son repeating the same thoughts of his mother to let his father know that her words, her appeals are shared by him. It is a powerful thing to hear this set of thoughts said by the son wondering over his father.
Courtesy of Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine
Courtesy of Lucius Black for Royalty Magazine
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