Posted by At the midnight of Jun 16th Drake unexpectedly released his new album, Honestly Nevermind, a set of 14 new songs that will of course satisfy the hunger for new music on all his fans. It’s the 7th album of the Canadian rapper and of course it drove the excitement of the entire music community all over the world: the lyrics have been analysed already by many listeners, looking for their real meaning. In this article we will focus on Falling Back, the song placed right after the intro, the first official single of the album.
You can find the official video of the song here below.
Honestly Nevermind: the meaning of the album presented by Drake
When the album landed on Apple Music, it was accompanied by a long message by Drake, presenting the record his own way and giving many hints about the general mood and meanings of the tracklist. You find his presentation below:
I let my humbleness turn to numbness at times letting time go by knowing I got the endurance to catch it another time
I work with every breath in my body cause it’s the work not air that makes me feel alive
That’s some real detrimental shit but that’s that shit my perfectionist mind doesn’t really mind because no one knows whats on my mind when I go to sleep at 9 & wake up at 5 – unless I say it in rhyme
I can’t remember the last time someone put they phone down, looked me in the eyes and asked my current insight on the times
But I remember every single time someone shined a light in my eyes
I purposely try to forget what went on between some ppl and I because I know I’m not a forgiving guy even when I try
My urge for revenge wins the game against my good guy inside every single fckn time
I got plans I can’t talk about with more than like 4 guys because the last time I shared em with someone on the outside…well that’s another story for another night
I was tryna get thru that statement to get to saying I’m not @ a time in my life where pats on the shoulder help get me by
I’ll take loyalty over an oh my & emoji fire
I know if it was a dark night where all the odds were against my side & my skill went to whoever took my life they’d done me off with a big smile & maybe evn post it for some likes
I know everyone that tells me they love me doesn’t love me all the time especially when im doing better than alright & they have to watch it from whatever point they at in their life
I got here being realistic
I didn’t get here being blind
I know whats what and especially what and who is by my side
Honestly…Nevermind.
DEDICATED TO OUR BROTHER V
—Drake
Reading his words, we can all sense Drake’s anger against the world, for many reasons. He feels he’s lacking true bonds with others, he feels his rap is the only way people can know what’s in his mind. There is disappointment in the way many people are not loyal to him, and there is also the awareness that forgiveness is not his best skills. So this is the true force that moves his rap: showing his frustration against all the people who disappoint him.
Including romantic relationships, of course. We had already a hint about the way Drake feels on his last romantic relationship in Wait for U, the song he released recently with Future. Not every time somebdy says they love you, they actually do. And it’s time to be realistic about it. On this point of view, the new album released by Drake is the way he copes with all the disappointments of his life. In a fluid way, trying to not care too much. “Honestly, nevermind”.
Falling Back: the meaning of the lyrics
Falling Back is definitely one of the main songs through which Drake elaborates his disappointment. What he feels is strong. It’s most likely related to a break up, since the words he mentions in the lyrics are the typical ones people say when you end a romantic relationship. “Time heals”. Except that it’s not really felt this way by Drake: as time pass by, Drake feels even more disappointment. And realizes additional truths.
How do I, how do I feel? How do I feel?
How do you say to my face, “Time heals”?
Then go and leave me again, unreal
I see us fadin’ away
“Time heals” can be something annoying to hear when you are trying to process a breakup. Even thought it can be true, it’s not what you want to hear in that moment. In that moment, you want to feel that pain, and understand the message he brings with it. That’s what Drake does in Falling Back, and that’s the true meaning of the lyrics: it’s not time to rest on the hopes that things will be better soon. In this moment the priority is recognizing what happened, and what’s happening inside me.
How can you say you know what I’m feeling? Wait
Know what I’m feeling, wait
You don’t feel nothing, wait
Nothing is healing, wait
Time is just killing, wait
And if you go deeper on your feelings, you realize that there is a phase in every healing process where you don’t actually feel better. You feel worse, because of the new awarenesses you gain. Therefore, wait. You know nothing about the way I feel. Time is just killing me. And that brings us to the end of the song, where Drake understands what’s happening inside him and accuses his interlocutor to not understand him.
Time isn’t healing, wait
Time is revealing, wait
How are you feeling, wait
You don’t feel nothing
It’s actually a healthy way to process a break up and any disappontment: Drake is not refusing his sadness, but he rather lives and experience his emotions fully, knowing that they will help him to elaborate what happened. After all, on this point of view, Falling Back is a big lesson Drake teaches us about managing our emotions. And expressing them, eventually. Meaningfully, in the official video Drake gets married with a bunch of girls at the same time, and that represent a strong message: no girl right now deserves an exclusive commitment.
In the end of the song, Drake starts singing in a different way. He says that the person he’s talking to is now falling back on him. Like she’s now actually seeking his help, trying to process her part of the break up? The song doesn’t give explicit explanations for this. Drake was doing his part, and his attention was focused on that. The rest of the album can help understanding what’s going on, eventually.
Read more lyrics of Drake songs on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
Finding myself showing myself finding a way to stay outta the way
Holding me back supposed to come right back
Guardin’ myself while I’m out on display
I know you know all about it
I know, deep down, you feel the same
I know you know how I feel
I know you know how I feel
How do I, how do I feel? How do I feel?
How do you say to my face, “Time heals”?
Then go and leave me again, unreal
I see us fadin’ away
I’m still holdin’ my breath for the day that you will
See that the effort I make is too real
How can you say that you know I feel?
Ayy, whee
How can you say you know what I’m feeling? Wait
Know what I’m feeling, wait
You don’t feel nothing, wait
Nothing is healing, wait
Time is just killing, wait
How can you say, wait
You know what I’m feeling, wait
You know what I’m feeling, wait
You don’t feel nothing, wait
Time isn’t healing, wait
Time is revealing, wait
How are you feeling, wait
You don’t feel nothing
Just like I expected, falling back on me
Falling back with I, falling back on me
Falling back on me, falling back on me
Falling back on me, falling back on me
What would you do without me?
What would you do without me?
I think you would lose everything
Fallin’ back on me
Wherever you are, you don’t test
