Posted by NF is finally back with his fifth album, Hope, officially released on April 7, 2023. And we already saw it by analyzing the title track: the American rapper entered a new phase of his life, and a fresh optimism now guides most of his thoughts. Still, the old demons are not defeated yet, and you can feel them all in the single released with the album, Happy. Let’s analyze the song’s meaning – you’ll also find the complete lyrics at the end of this article.
You can watch the official video for NF’s Happy below.
Happy: the song lyrics and their meaning
Happy is an intense song about how used we are to live in sadness, so much so that when we feel happiness, we don’t feel comfortable with this sensation.
NF describes his sad feelings in a fascinating way, up to the point that he feels guilty for his relationship with sadness: the first lyrics of Happy represent an apology to God for his inability to enjoy and appreciate life.
Dear God, please
Hear me out, I know it’s been a couple years
Since I’ve reached
Out and said hello, I bet You’re wondering
Why I keep
Obsessing on and stressing all the little things
When I should be
Living life and soaking up the memories
The chorus talks about agony, meaning that NF is suffering and that fully emerges in the lyrics of Happy. Nevertheless, that’s just his identity ever since. And although NF knows he should work on appreciating life and being grateful for what he has, the truth is that he wouldn’t even recognize himself if he was a happy person.
Living in my agony
Watching my self-esteem go up in flames, acting like I don’t
Care what anyone else thinks
When I know truthfully that that’s the furthest thing from how I
Feel, but I’m too proud to open up and ask ya
To pick me up and pull me out this hole I’m trapped in
The truth is I need help, but I just can’t imagine (Who)
Who I’d be if I was happy
As a direct consequence of this mindset, NF is aware he needs help, but he also perfectly knows he will never ask for it. It’s like having constant resistance inside yourself: a part of you knows the path needed to fully enjoy happiness, but it will require a rebirth process, becoming someone else, enjoying life in a totally new way. And that’s scary because, for years, you know who you have been. Jumping into a future where you are a different person triggers many uncertainties. Happiness can still force you out of your comfort zone, and what would you do if your experience taught you how to survive in the path of sadness?
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a lonely soul
And the last to admit I need a hand to hold
Losing hope, heading down a dangerous road
Strange, I know, but I feel most at home when I’m
Living in my agony
This is, after all, the real meaning of the lyrics inside Happy: I know I deserve to feel good, but my life has been so hard for so long that I no longer feel comfortable in happiness. It’s a paradox, but feeling sad makes me feel myself much more than anything else.
Read other popular song lyrics and their meaning on Auralcrave
The complete lyrics
Dear God, please
Hear me out, I know it’s been a couple years
Since I’ve reached
Out and said hello, I bet You’re wondering
Why I keep
Obsessing on and stressing all the little things
When I should be
Living life and soaking up the memories
I know I’ve been selfish, I have no excuse to give You, it’s true
Hanging by a thread’s how I live
I don’t know why, but I feel more comfortable
Living in my agony
Watching my self-esteem go up in flames, acting like I don’t
Care what anyone else thinks
When I know truthfully that that’s the furthest thing from how I
Feel, but I’m too proud to open up and ask ya
To pick me up and pull me out this hole I’m trapped in
The truth is I need help, but I just can’t imagine (Who)
Who I’d be if I was happy
Yeah, been this way so long, it feels like something’s off when I’m not depressed
I got some issues that I won’t address
I got some baggage I ain’t opened yet
I got some demons I should put to rest
I got some traumas that I can’t forget
I got some phone calls I’ve been avoiding
Some family members I don’t really connect with
Some things I said, I wish I woulda not let slip
Some hurtful words that never shoulda left my lips
Some bridges burned I’m not ready to rebuild yet
Some insecurities I haven’t dealt with, yes
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m a lonely soul
And the last to admit I need a hand to hold
Losing hope, heading down a dangerous road
Strange, I know, but I feel most at home when I’m
Living in my agony
Watching my self-esteem go up in flames, acting like I don’t
Care what anyone else thinks
When I know truthfully that that’s the furthest thing from how I
Feel, but I’m too proud to open up and ask ya
To pick me up and pull me out this hole I’m trapped in
The truth is I need help, but I just can’t imagine (Who)
Who I’d be if I was happy
Don’t know what’s around the bend
Don’t know what my future is
But I can’t keep on living in—
Living in my agony
Watching my self-esteem go up in flames, acting like I don’t
Care what anyone else thinks
When I know truthfully that that’s the furthest thing from how I
Feel, but I’m too proud to open up and ask ya
To pick me up and pull me out this hole I’m trapped in
The truth is I need help, but I just can’t imagine (Who)
Who I’d be if I was happy
