Lil Nas X 'Sun Goes Down' lyrics meaning explained
21 May 2021, 15:39
What do the lyrics to 'Sun Goes Down' by Lil Nas X really mean?
Lil Nas X has dropped his new single 'Sun Goes Down', the follow-up single to this monster smash hits 'Montero (Call Me By Your Name)' and 'Holiday'.
The song, produced by Take A Daytrip, Omer Fedi, and Roy Lonzo, sees the rapper reflect on his teenage years and the struggles he faced during high school and college.
In the accompanying music video, Nas can be seen talking to his younger self, with his father R. L. Stafford making a cameo in the visual.
Let's take a deep dive into the lyrics to see what they really mean.
Don't wanna lie, I don't want a life / Send me a gun and I'll see the sun - In the chorus of the song, Nas reflects on the suicidal thoughts he experienced when he was younger. "In 2017 I became the first [in] my family to get into college," he recalled in a 2019 TikTok video, "During college, I was depressed, had no friends, and my grandmother passed."
I know that you want to cry / But it's much more to life than dyin' / Over your past mistakes / And people who threw dirt on your name - Here, Nas sends encouragement to his younger self to stay strong in the face of adversity. The rapper publicly came out as gay in 2019, and the entire song carries a message of hope.
Always thinkin', "Why my lips so big?" / Was I too dark? Can they sense my fears? - Nas recalls feeling conflicted about his physical appearance and the complexion of his skin.
Stanning Nicki mornin' into dawn / Only place I felt like I belonged - Nas has long been a fan of rap queen Nicki Minaj, even admitting to once running a fan account named 'nasmaraj'. He revealed he didn't tell anyone about the account because he didn't want anyone to know he was gay.
And I'm happy by the way / That I made that jump, that leap of faith - As previously mentioned, Nas came out as gay in 2019 to an overwhelming amount of support from his fans and fellow musicians, encouraging other young people to live their truth and be themselves.
Lil Nas X - SUN GOES DOWN (Official Video)
Check out the full lyrics to 'Sun Goes Down' by Lil Nas X below.
[Chorus]
I wanna run away
Don't wanna lie, I don't want a life
Send me a gun and I'll see the sun
I'd rather run away
Don't wanna lie, I don't want a life
Send me a gun and I'll see the sun
[Post-Chorus]
You need an instant ease
From the life where you got plenty
Of every hurt and heartbreak
You just take it all to the face
I know that you want to cry
But it's much more to life than dyin'
Over your past mistakes
And people who threw dirt on your name
[Verse]
Since ten, I've been feelin' lonely
Had friends but they was pickin' on me
Always thinkin', "Why my lips so big?"
Was I too dark? Can they sense my fears?
These gay thoughts would always haunt me
I prayed God would take it from me
It's hard for you when you're fightin'
And nobody knows it when you're silent
I'd be by the phone
Stanning Nicki mornin' into dawn
Only place I felt like I belonged
Strangers make you feel so loved, you know?
And I'm happy by the way
That I made that jump, that leap of faith
I'm happy that it all worked out for me
I'ma make my fans so proud of me (Oh)
[Chorus]
I wanna run away
Don't wanna lie, I don't want a life
Send me a gun and I'll see the sun
I'd rather run away
Don't wanna lie, I don't want a life
Send me a gun and I'll see the sun
[Post-Chorus]
You need an instant ease
From the life where you got plenty
Of every hurt and heartbreak
You just take it all to the face
I know that you want to cry
But it's much more to life than dying
Over your past mistakes
And people who threw dirt on your name
[Outro]
Ha-ah, ha-ah, no-ah
