Posted by LOVE. is the song by Kendrick Lamar released in his 2017 album DAMN. Out as a single in October 2017, it’s still one of the most streamed tracks of the American rapper. The lyrics show his perspective about love in his life, and people always wanted to know more about the song’s real meaning. This article will reveal all answers.
You can find the official video of the song below.
LOVE.: inside the lyrics and their meaning
LOVE. is a heartfelt love letter by Kendrick Lamar to his fiancée Whitney Alford, who will later become his wife and the mother of his children. The song’s title, stylized upper case with a final period like all other songs in DAMN. album, creates a contrast with LUST., another track in the same record, where the rapper deals more with the physical desire behind love. On the other side, the lyrics of this song show Kendrick’s pure emotion for his girl.
Most of the song safely expresses what Kendrick Lamar wants: he loves her, wants her, and has no doubts about it. In the central parts of the lyrics, the rapper says it with no confusion:
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Just love me, just love me, just love
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Love me
I wanna be with you
Love me, just love me
However, although he knows for sure what he wants, in LOVE lyrics Kendrick Lamar reflects on the nature of his relationship, where he wants it to go, and how his girl may feel about it. His sensitive side lets him wonder more about her feelings and thoughts, and this often emerges in the song.
I’m on the way
We ain’t got no time to waste
Poppin’ your gum on the way love me
Am I in the way?
I don’t wan’ pressure you none
I want your blessing today love me
Kendrick is going to meet his girl, and he’s happy about it. The romantic image of the popping gum symbolizes his girl’s youth and innocent beauty. But at some point, the rapper questions himself: am I putting some pressure on her? I don’t want to force her to do or be anything for me. I just want her to love me naturally.
From this point of view, Kendrick’s love is not aggressive. He sees his girl as a blessing in his life, and he tries to be the best he can to make it work. At the same time, he hopes that love is sincere and authentic also on her side, and he wonders if she would still love him if something went different in their relationship.
If I didn’t ride blade on curb, would you still love me?
If I minimized my net worth, would you still love me?
Keep it a hundred, I’d rather you trust me than to love me
The two met when the rapper was already rich and famous, so he now wonders how that influenced the way their relationship went.
The song also takes its time to remember what Kendrick did for her in the past and how he loves all sides of her personality: the attitude and the body, the engagement ring he gave her (the “big one”), and the day he stole the car of his studio in Gardena, near to Compton, to go see her, knowing that they will be mad at him.
Bad attitude from yo’ nanny
Curves and your hips from yo’ mammy
Remember Gardena, I took the studio Camry
I know Top will be mad at me
I had to do it, I want your body, your music
I bought the big one to prove it
Look what you made
The proof that his love is deep and pure comes when he talks about being together for their whole life. He even tries to joke about it saying “only for the night,” but they both know it’s a joke. He feels great next to her, and he uses the image of Mike Tyson to describe that feeling.
Feelin’ like Tyson with it
Knock it out twice, I’m with it
Only for the night, I’m kiddin’
Only for life, yeah, homie for life, yeah
Only for life, let’s get it
After all, LOVE is the song where Kendrick Lamar shows the purity of his feelings, the lyrics reflect mainly on the emotional part of himself and keep the physical sensations in the background. The two married and had kids, confirming their feelings were going in the right direction.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
Damn, love or lust
Damn, all of us
Give me a run for my money
There is nobody, no one to outrun me
(Another world premiere)
So give me a run for my money
Sippin’ bubbly, feelin’ lovely, livin’ lovely
Just love me
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Just love me, just love me, just love
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Love me
I wanna be with you
Love me, just love me
If I didn’t ride blade on curb, would you still love me?
If I minimized my net worth, would you still love me?
Keep it a hundred, I’d rather you trust me than to love me
Keep it a whole one hund’, don’t got you, I got nothin’ (Uh, uh)
Ayy, I got somethin’
Hol’ up, we gon’ function, ayy, no assumptions, ayy
Feelin’ like Tyson with it
Knock it out twice, I’m with it
Only for the night, I’m kiddin’
Only for life, yeah, homie for life, yeah
Only for life, let’s get it
Hit that shoulder lean
I know what comin’ over me
Backstroke oversea
I know what you need
Already on ten, all money come in
All feeling go out, this feeling don’t drought
This party won’t end
If I didn’t ride blade on curb, would you still love me?
If I minimized my net worth, would you still love me?
Keep it a hundred, I’d rather you trust me than to love me
Keep it a whole one hund’, don’t got you, I got nothin’ (Uh, uh)
Give me a run for my money
There is nobody, no one to outrun me
So give me a run for my money
Sippin’ bubbly, feelin’ lovely, livin’ lovely
Just love me
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Just love me, just love me, just love
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Love me
I wanna be with you
Love me, just love me
I’m on the way
We ain’t got no time to waste
Poppin’ your gum on the way love me
Am I in the way?
I don’t wan’ pressure you none
I want your blessing today love me
Oh, by the way, open the door by the way
Told you that I’m on the way love me
I’m on the way, I know connection is vague
Pick up the phone for me, babe
Dammit, we jammin’
Bad attitude from yo’ nanny
Curves and your hips from yo’ mammy
Remember Gardena, I took the studio Camry
I know Top will be mad at me
I had to do it, I want your body, your music
I bought the big one to prove it
Look what you made
Told you that I’m on the way
I’m like a exit away, yep
If I didn’t ride blade on curb, would you still love me?
If I minimized my net worth, would you still love me?
Keep it a hundred, I’d rather you trust me than to love me
Keep it a whole one hund’, don’t got you, I got nothin’ (Uh, uh)
Give me a run for my money
There is nobody, no one to outrun me
So give me a run for my money
Sippin’ bubbly, feelin’ lovely, livin’ lovely
Just love me
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Just love me, just love me, just love me
I wanna be with you, ayy, I wanna be with
Love me
I wanna be with you
Love me, just love me
