Posted by Call Me If You Get Lost: The Estate Sale is the new album released by Tyler The Creator in March 2023, a set of 24 tracks that conquered the undivided attention of his fans. So much attention has been driven towards the lyrics, up to the point that when we read that line on Dogtooth, we all wondered if Tyler has a daughter. But the most complex song of the set is Sorry Not Sorry, a descent into Tyler’s personality and all the reasons he should (or should not) feel sorry for what he is and he did. In this article, we will discover some hidden aspects of the lyrics, the underlying meaning, and the sample used in the song. You’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end.
You can watch the official video for Sorry Not Sorry below.
Tyler the Creator, Sorry Not Sorry: the lyrics, meaning, and sample
In the lyrics of Sorry Not Sorry, Tyler The Creator reflects on all the peculiarities of his character and behavior, apologizing sincerely when he feels he could have done better and confirming his personality when he believes he did nothing wrong. The song represents a long stream of consciousness where Tyler recaps all aspects of his persona.
There are many topics introduced by the lyrics that deserve a little explanation. Among the lines that caught more attention are the ones below, interpreted by fans as a confession about Tyler’s sexuality and how hard it has been for him to live it without hiding it:
Sorry to the guys I had to hide (Ooh)
Sorry to the girls I had to lie to
Who ain’t need to know if I was by the lake switchin’ tides, too (Tides)
According to many, the lines above are about the fact that Tyler is bisexual, and over the last few years, it was hard for him to interact with each sex: he felt he needed to hide his relationships with the guys and had to lie to the girls about it, following the stereotype of the heterosexual rapper that dominates the American perspective. By singing these lines, Tyler is probably inaugurating a new phase of his behavior, where he no longer wants to pretend and lie about his sexual preferences.
Tyler also talks about his family and his first musical experience in the rap band Odd Future. This part is placed at the song’s beginning. It is part of Tyler’s reflections on his relationships with others: his relationship with family is not as close and intense as it should be, which seems to give him sadness. He also regrets how it ended up with his “old friends” because of their egos, a reference to the way the project Odd Future finished because of the ambitions of its members. Tyler also mentions how he tends to get intimate with others, giving the impression of being serious about this bond. But Tyler doesn’t bond quickly and admits he “speeds off” after that.
I’m sorry, I’m sorry I don’t see you more
I’m sorry that the four minutes where you see your son could feel like a chore
Sis’, I’m sorry I’m your kin
Sorry we ain’t close as we should’ve been
Sorry to my old friends
The stories we coulda wrote if our egos didn’t take the pen
Sorry to the freaks I led on (Nah, for real, I’m sorry)
Who thought their life was gonna change ’cause I gave ’em head on
But instead, I sped off, yeah, I know I’m dead wrong
Among the other hot topics touched by Tyler The Creator in the lyrics of Sorry Not Sorry are the use of pronouns for inclusion and the care for the environment. In both cases, the rapper feels he wants to be free of acting according to his instinct, with no need to comply with the general position of society: he will use the correct pronouns after getting to know better the people asking for them, and he will prioritize the environment only if that doesn’t sacrifice the way he likes to enjoy life.
Sorry I don’t know your pronouns
I don’t mean no disrespect
But, damn, we just met, calm the f–k down
Sorry, Mother Earth
Polluted air with chemicals and dirt
These cars ain’t gonna buy and drive themselves
What the hell you think I work for?
Not to not explore and stay the same (I’m)
There is also space for another discussed aspect of being a famous black rapper in America: the industry requires you to show off your wealth by wearing expensive jewelry, but society remembers that buying those jewels support somehow the economic disequality in the world because they are a product of the Western domination over the third world. From that point of view, they are called “blood diamonds.” Tyler reassures he’s doing his best to solve the disequality issue at his roots through the lines he sings.
I’m sorry to my ancestors (I’m so sorry), I know I’m supposed to fight (I know)
But this ice shinin’ brighter than a black man’s plight, I’ma make it right
In the meantime, I’ll give some advice while these blood diamonds gettin’ cleaned off
We explained the most relevant aspects of this song’s meaning. Many other points are touched by Sorry Not Sorry and its lyrics, and we invite you to delve into each line autonomously. You can read the complete lyrics at the end of this article, and if you want, you can head to Genius, where fans have delved into more aspects of the lyrics, line by line.
What’s the sample used in the song?
Sorry Not Sorry by Tyler The Creator is based on a sample from an old funk/soul classic from the 70s, He Made You Mine by Brighter Side of Darkness. You can listen to the original song here on Youtube.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics of Sorry Not Sorry
I’m sorry, I’m sorry I don’t see you more
I’m sorry that the four minutes where you see your son could feel like a chore
Sis’, I’m sorry I’m your kin
Sorry we ain’t close as we should’ve been
Sorry to my old friends
The stories we coulda wrote if our egos didn’t take the pen
Sorry to the freaks I led on (Nah, for real, I’m sorry)
Who thought their life was gonna change ’cause I gave ’em head on
But instead, I sped off, yeah, I know I’m dead wrong
Sorry to the guys I had to hide (Ooh)
Sorry to the girls I had to lie to
Who ain’t need to know if I was by the lake switchin’ tides, too (Tides)
Anyway, I don’t wanna talk (Ooh)
Sorry if you gotta dig for info I don’t wanna give
So you stalk, make up fibs, just to talk about my private life ’cause you’re weird (Uh)
Met that girl this year (But), that’s none ya biz
Give enough with my art, know your place
My personal space, y’all don’t need to be a part
I’m sorry I don’t wanna link and small talk over dinner
I don’t even drink, can’t guilt trip me, I’m ice cold, roller rink
n–a-n–a-n–a, read the room
Don’t assume n–as is cool
Stay in your pocket, this is pool
Blah, blah, blah, blah ’bout trauma
You ain’t special, everybody got problems, uh
Sorry I’m not empathetic (Nah, I’m f–kin’)
Sorry you think I’m pathetic
Sorry I don’t wanna bro down
Sorry I don’t know your pronouns
I don’t mean no disrespect
But, damn, we just met, calm the f–k down
Oh, I’m out of touch and I’m a j–k?
A bank account could never match my worth (That n–a gettin’ money, he a d–k now)
Sorry, Mother Earth
Polluted air with chemicals and dirt
These cars ain’t gonna buy and drive themselves
What the hell you think I work for?
Not to not explore and stay the same (I’m)
Sorry to the fans who say I changed, ’cause I did
Sorry you don’t know me on a personal level to pinpoint what it is
I’m sorry to my ancestors (I’m so sorry), I know I’m supposed to fight (I know)
But this ice shinin’ brighter than a black man’s plight, I’ma make it right
In the meantime, I’ll give some advice while these blood diamonds gettin’ cleaned off
n–a, f–k the price, spend it then, then again, I can’t save n–as
I’m not Superman, but I could try
I’m sorry I’m pretentious
Sorry that the talent, knowledge, passion isn’t missin’
Sorry when I talk my s–t and I could back it up with confidence, it get you n–as trippin’, man
f–k the numbers, f–k a hook
You put me on a stage and I’ll show you the difference
Let me see y’all hit a stage (No, y’all can’t do it)
Let me see y’all write a page (Y’all not gon’ do it)
Let me see you make a decision I made
And claim that I don’t know about minimum wage or Section 8
Water in the ketchup bottle to stretch when n–as ate
Gettin’ pressed by n–as hoppin’ gates
Thinkin’ it’s normal ’cause you ain’t supposed to make it past eighteen or escape the Figure 8 cycle
And I promise this is like a diet, I’ma make a way and I did, did
Feel good, work paid off, now we gon’ celebrate
But n–as claim you arrogant when they can’t relate to moments of feelin’ great
So they aim, duck-duck-duck ’em
Shot right back, buck-buck-buck ’em
Sorry, not sorry (Buck ’em, buck ’em)
I got two words, f–k ’em
