Chancelor Johnathan Bennett famously known by his stage name Chance the Rapper, is an American rapper, singer-songwriter, producer and social activist. Chance the Rapper is one of the major breakout stars from the last decade. He attained popularity and success in an unconventional way – by steering clear of big labels that wanted to sign him. He’s built a passionate fan base that loves his fierce independence and eloquence. Chance is also adored by the public for his collaborations with the likes of Kanye West, Justin Bieber, Lil Wayne, Childish Gambino, Ty Dolla Sign and Anderson .Paak.
Starting his career with the release of his mixtape 10 Day in 2012, he gained wider recognition when he dropped his second mixtape Acid Rap in 2013. His third mixtape Coloring Book exemplified new wave gospel themes and catapulted him to further mainstream attention and critical acclaim in 2016. He got his first three Grammy wins for the album including the Best Rap Album category. It made history by becoming the first album to win a Grammy Award that was released on streaming-exclusive basis. It peaked in eighth place on the Billboard 200 chart. In 2019, he released his first full-length album The Big Day which boasted an eclectic selection of collaborations with John Legend, Megan Thee Stallion, Nicki Minaj, Death Cab for Cutie and Shawn Mendes.
Chance is known for his political involvement, philanthropy and activism in Chicago including promoting initiatives to curb homelessness and holding concerts to spotlight gun violence. He donated $1 million to Chicago public schools, earning praise from Michelle Obama on Twitter. He played a crucial role in the anti-violence campaign #SaveChicago to bring down the concerning murder rate in the city. Chance was even named Outstanding Youth of the Year in 2014 by the Chicago mayor in 2014.
His music style has combined Hip-Hop and R&B/Soul through the years. In 2016, he was dabbling in spiritual choir-style music and rapping about his city. His style evolved to blend a myriad of genres in The Big Day focusing on his romantic journey with the universal sentimentality of a lover. His song Same Drugs is one such artistic exploration about the loss of youth. Read on to know more about Same Drugs lyrics meaning.
What does the title mean
Same Drugs by Chance the Rapper featuring vocals from Eryn Allen Kane is a song from Chance’s Grammy-winning album Coloring Book. Chance has said on Reddit and Twitter that Same Drugs lyrics meaning might superficially seem like it’s referring to narcotic abuse but it’s not related to it. The subject of “Same Drugs” is the relationship Chance had with a girl in childhood. The song employs the story of Peter Pan and Wendy as an allegory. It is filled with nostalgia as the two drift apart and don’t share the same interests anymore. Let us take a look at Same Drugs lyrics meaning.
What does the Chorus mean
“We don’t do the same drugs no more
We don’t do the, we don’t do the same drugs, do the same drugs no more
‘Cause she don’t do the same drugs no more
We don’t do the, we don’t do the same drugs, do the same drugs no more”
Chance uses the metaphor of drugs to represent the various things that they don’t have in common anymore. He yearns for their shared goals and experiences in childhood but also feels the loss of growing up and realizing they don’t have the same connection anymore. From two kids who were very close to adults who ended up on opposite wavelengths, Same Drugs lyrics meaning captures the very different people they end up becoming.
Verse 1 – what does it mean
“When did you change?
Wendy, you’ve aged
I thought you’d never grow up
I thought you’d never
Window closed, Wendy got old
I was too late, I was too late
A shadow of what I once was”
The “Wendy” being referenced here is the one from Peter Pan’s story. The shadow and window are significant symbols that connect the realms of both characters. It is when Peter comes looking for his lost shadow through the window that they embark on their adventure to Neverland. In the end, Wendy asks for Peter to stay with her but he refuses as he does not want to grow up. Similarly, Chance says the magical episode of their life has ended and the window has been closed forever, though he hoped things would never change. They are not the same people they used to be when they met and “Wendy” has grown up, so their connection has been severed.
Verse 2 – what does it mean
“Where did you go?
Why would you stay?
You must have lost your marbles
You always were so forgetful
In a hurry, don’t wait up
I was too late, I was too late
A shadow of what I once was
‘Cause we don’t, we don’t do what we say we’re gonna
You were always perfect, and I was only practice
Don’t you miss the days, stranger?
Don’t you miss the days?
Don’t you miss the danger?”
To “lose your marbles” idiomatically means to go insane. Same Drugs lyrics meaning makes another reference to Peter Pan where a Lost Boy called Tootles loses his memories after growing up. In the 1991 adaptation Hook, the same character is always looking for his lost marbles. Chance implies that the memory of this woman who moved on and forgot about him “stayed” behind with him. They planned to go to many great places together but people never commit to the thoughts they have as children. Chance plays with the phrase “practice makes perfect” to say he was never a match for her. Calling her a “stranger” he no longer recognizes, he asks if she misses the daring days of adventure they shared together much like Peter Pan and Wendy.
What does the Outro mean
“Turn it around
I remember when
This age of pathetics
Don’t forget the happy thoughts
All you need is happy thoughts
The past tense, past bed time
Way back then when everything we read was real
And everything we said rhymed
Wide eyed kids being kids”
Chance recalls the halcyon days of childhood he spent with her when all the stories and fantasy worlds they read about were real. Same Drugs lyrics meaning once again alludes to Peter Pan telling the children that all they needed to fly was happy thoughts. This refers to how people grow up and forget happiness favors those who are optimistic and curious about everything around them. When they were young, they used to be in perfect sync or “rhyme”.
“Why did you stop?
What did you do to your hair?
Where did you go to end up right back here?
When did you start to forget how to fly?
It’s so natural
Tastes like Juicy Fruit
Works like a magic trick
Please give me half of that
We don’t, we don’t, we don’t
Don’t you color out
Don’t you bleed on out, oh
Stay in the line, stay in the line
Dandelion”
In Hook (1991), the children lose their power of flight when they begin to grow up. Chance asks this woman when she gave up on everything they believed as children. He wants to know when she prioritized the responsibilities of adulthood over the infinite imagination and possibilities life had promised them when they were young. There is a reference to a popular chewing gum, Juicy Fruit which is interestingly also a magic card trick popularized by Jay Sankey, the Canadian magician.
The song concludes with Chance talking about staying in “line” without coloring out or bleeding out. This is often a metaphor for how society teaches kids to follow rules or stay within lines that restrict their creativity. It mourns the death of our unfettered childlike curiosity. Perhaps Chance and the woman he doesn’t vibe with anymore were also victims of a society that reinforced their “normal” behavior and sucked the fascination for life out of them. Dandelions represent innocence and playfulness, two things they sacrificed growing up.
Conclusion
Same Drugs is a melodious hip-hop anthem that cloaks adolescent themes under lyrics that appeal to adults. It talks about the loss of love and interests between two people who are not on the same page anymore. The music video that accompanied the single release sees Chance serenading a muppet, reiterating the motifs of growing up and abandoning what we once loved. The relevance of Same Drugs lyrics meaning remains ubiquitous as it speaks to everyone’s inner desire for a second shot at being young, wild and free.
