the boy is mine (album version)
Lyrics
[Intro - futuristic Timbaland-style stutters, DJ scratches, deep male ad-libs, soft male echoes]
Yeah, uh-huh,
We both know the name,
We both know the game,
Ooh, ooh, yeah.
[Verse 1 - deep male voice, sparse kick-snare, rubbery synth bass, soft male harmony]
He comes to me when the city goes low,
He lays in my bed when the night won’t let go,
I cook him a plate, let the candles glow,
You got him at dawn, but I’m the one he knows.
You got his laugh in the morning light,
I got his secrets when the stars burn bright,
You say you got time, but I got his heart,
Still, you keep pulling him back to the start.
[Pre-Chorus - tension rising, chopped vocals, DJ scratches, layered male harmonies]
Oh, we both feel it,
We both see the signs,
He’s split in two,
And he’s crossing the line.
You say he’s yours,
I say he’s mine,
But he keeps on choosing
Every single time.
[Chorus - explosive R&B/krunk hook, heavy 808s, crowd chants, deep and soft voices trading lines]
He stays with me at night, stays with you in the morning,
I cook for him with love, you cook for him with warning,
I know he loves me more, yeah, I feel it when he’s calling,
But he really likes you better when the sunlight’s falling.
He stays with me at night, stays with you in the morning,
I hold him when it’s cold, you hold him when he’s soaring,
I know he loves me more, but the truth keeps on performing,
He really likes you better when the daylight’s dawning.
[Verse 2 - faster beat, harder drums, more aggressive synths, two male voices battling back and forth]
You say he needs your fire, I say he needs my peace,
You give him that loud, I give him release,
You flex in the club, I’m the one at home,
He calls me when he’s lonely, then he leaves you on the phone.
Deep voice: I know his lies, I know his ways,
Soft voice: I know his smile in the early days,
Deep voice: He runs to me when the night gets cold,
Soft voice: He runs to me when he wants control.
You got the shine, I got the soul,
You got the rush, I got the hold,
He keeps on sliding between our hands,
Like a broken heart with a hundred plans.
[Bridge - stripped-back keys, distant scratches, vulnerable duet, airy harmonies]
Maybe he don’t know what he wants tonight,
Maybe he loves the dark and the morning light,
Maybe we’re both just losing this fight,
To a man who leaves us both behind.
Deep voice: Still I feel him breathe in my chest,
Soft voice: Still I hear him say I’m the best,
Both: But the truth don’t care who loves him more,
When he’s walking out the door.
[Final Chorus - biggest drop, distorted bass, hype ad-libs, call-and-response vocals]
He stays with me at night, stays with you in the morning,
I cook for him with love, you cook for him with warning,
I know he loves me more, yeah, I feel it when he’s calling,
But he really likes you better when the sunlight’s falling.
He stays with me at night, stays with you in the morning,
I hold him when it’s cold, you hold him when he’s soaring,
I know he loves me more, but the truth keeps on performing,
He really likes you better when the daylight’s dawning.
[Outro - DJ scratches, fading synths, deep male spoken line, soft male echo]
Deep voice: He stays with me…
Soft voice: He stays with him…
Both: But he never stays the same.