Kendrick Lamar & Swimming Pools Lyrics, Meaning & Videos

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Pour up (Drank) Head shot (Drank)
Sit down (Drank) Stand up (Drank)
Pass out (Drank) Wake up (Drank)
Faded (Drank) Faded (Drank)

Now I done grew up 'round some people livin' their life in bottles
Granddaddy had the golden flask, backstroke every day in Chicago
Some people like the way it feels, some people wanna kill their sorrows

Some people wanna fit in with the popular, that was my problem
I was in a dark room, loud tunes, looking to make a vow soon
That I'ma get fucked up, fillin' up my cup, I see the crowd mood
Changin' by the minute and the record on repeat
Took a sip then another sip, then somebody said to me:

Nigga, why you babysitting only two or three shots?
I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor, I'mma dive in it

Pour up (Drank) Head shot (Drank)
Sit down (Drank) Stand up (Drank)
Pass out (Drank) Wake up (Drank)
Faded (Drank) Faded (Drank)

Okay, now open your mind up and listen me, Kendrick
I am your conscience, if you do not hear me, then you will be history, Kendrick
I know that you're nauseous right now and I'm hopin' to lead you to victory, Kendrick
If I take another one down, I'ma drown in some poison, abusin' my limit
I think that I'm feelin' the vibe, I see the love in her eyes, I see the feelin'
The freedom is granted as soon as the damage of vodka arrived
This how you capitalize, this is parental advice
Then apparently I'm over influenced by what you are doin'
I thought I was doin' the most 'til someone said to me:

Nigga, why you babysitting only two or three shots?
I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor, I'mma dive in it

Pour up (Drank) Head shot (Drank)
Sit down (Drank) Stand up (Drank)
Pass out (Drank) Wake up (Drank)
Faded (Drank) Faded (Drank)

I ride, you ride, bang
One chopper, one hundred shots, bang
Hop out, do you bang?
Two chopper, two hundred shots, bang

Nigga, why you babysitting only two or three shots?
I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock
All the girls wanna play Baywatch
I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Pool full of liquor, I'mma dive in it

Pour up (Drank) Head shot (Drank)
Sit down (Drank) Stand up (Drank)
Pass out (Drank) Wake up (Drank)
Faded (Drank) Faded (Drank)

(Sherane)

Aw man... where is she taking me...
Where is she taking me...

All I have in life is my new appetite for failure
And I got hunger, pain, that grow insane
Tell me, do that sound familiar?
If it do, then you're like me
Makin' excuse that your relief
Is in the bottom
Of a bottle
And the greenest indo leaf
As the window open I release everything that corrode inside of me
I see you jokin'
Why you laugh?
Don't you feel bad?
I probably sleep
And never ever wake up
Never ever wake up, never ever wake up
In God I trust, but just when I thought I had enough

They stomped the homie out over a bitch?
K-dot, you good, blood?
Now we can drop, ye we can drop you back off
That nigga's straight man, that nigga ain't tripping
We gon' do the same ol' shit
I'mma pop a few shots, they gon' run, they gon' run opposite ways
Fall right in ----'s lap
And he gon' tear they ass up, simple as that
And I hope that bitch that set him up out there, we gon' pop that bitch too
Wait hold up, aye I see somebody
(Car door opens and gunshots are fired)
Aha! Got them niggas, K-dot, you good?
L----, you good?
Yeah blood, I'm good, Dave, you good?

Dave? Dave, say something - Dave?
These bitch ass niggas killed my brother!

Overall Meaning

The song "Swimming Pools" by Kendrick Lamar is a track that deals with alcoholism, its effects and the dangers it presents. The first verse of the song describes Kendrick's anxiety as he regards the drinking habits of those around him. He wonders why they drink so much and why they seek to escape their problems through alcohol. Kendrick Lamar is noticing the excess in his drinking and hoping that he can change his behavior soon. At a party, he's encouraged to drink more by some partygoers and decides to go with their water. He's finally peer-pressured into drinking more than he wanted to and he feels it. The hook, which is repeated throughout the song, references the different stages of drunkenness, climaxing in the word 'faded.' Though the song has a catchy beat, it sends a powerful message through its lyrics.

The second verse of the song "Swimming Pools" focuses on Kendrick Lamar's battle with addiction itself. Kendrick speaks about the internal conflict between wanting to be a role model and wanting to indulge in his alcoholic habits. He is struggling to resist the urge to sip another drink or to take another shot. He's being pushed to do something he knows is wrong, a common thread that runs through the song. Finally, he reveals his fear of dying due to his addiction and realizes that he must do better.

Line by Line Meaning

Pour up (Drank) Head shot (Drank)
Take a drink and take a shot of alcohol

Sit down (Drank) Stand up (Drank)
Drink while sitting down and then drink more while standing up

Pass out (Drank) Wake up (Drank)
Drink to the point of passing out and then wake up to drink more

Faded (Drank) Faded (Drank)
Being heavily under the influence of alcohol and feeling its effects

Now I done grew up 'round some people livin' their life in bottles
I grew up among people who heavily depend on alcohol to live their lives

Granddaddy had the golden flask, backstroke every day in Chicago
My grandfather drank heavily and even had a special flask for it

Some people like the way it feels, some people wanna kill their sorrows
Some people may enjoy the effects of drinking while others do it to numb their emotional pain

Some people wanna fit in with the popular, that was my problem
I used to drink to fit in with the popular crowds and made it my problem

I was in a dark room, loud tunes, looking to make a vow soon
I was in a dark place, surrounded by loud music, and looking to make a vow to drink more alcohol

That I'ma get fucked up, fillin' up my cup, I see the crowd mood
I planned to get heavily intoxicated, filling my cup with alcohol, while observing the atmosphere of the crowd

Changin' by the minute and the record on repeat
The atmosphere of the crowd and music kept changing every minute

Took a sip then another sip, then somebody said to me:
I kept taking sips of my drink until someone spoke to me

Nigga, why you babysitting only two or three shots?
Why are you only drinking a few shots instead of enjoying more drinks?

I'mma show you how to turn it up a notch
I will show you how to drink more heavily and enjoy it

First you get a swimming pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
One way to drink heavily is to fill a pool with alcohol and dive into it

Pool full of liquor, then you dive in it
Reiterating on how to enjoy heavily drinking by diving into a pool filled with alcohol

I wave a few bottles, then I watch 'em all flock
I show off my multiple bottles of alcohol, then watch people flock towards me and the drinks

All the girls wanna play Baywatch
Girls are attracted to my display of alcohol and want to participate in a Baywatch-like scenario

I got a swimming pool full of liquor and they dive in it
Referring to the scenario of women diving into a pool of alcohol

Pool full of liquor, I'mma dive in it
I will also dive into the pool of alcohol

Okay, now open your mind up and listen me, Kendrick
Appealing to Kendrick Lamar to open his mind and listen to his message

I am your conscience, if you do not hear me, then you will be history, Kendrick
He is Kendrick's conscience and warns him that if he does not listen, he may end up doing things he will regret.

I know that you're nauseous right now and I'm hopin' to lead you to victory, Kendrick
Acknowledging that Lamar might be in a bad state of mind and offering guidance to be successful

If I take another one down, I'ma drown in some poison, abusin' my limit
If he consumes more alcohol, he is abusing his limit that could lead to poisoning

I think that I'm feelin' the vibe, I see the love in her eyes, I see the feelin'
He senses the atmosphere and the positive feeling he can sense from those around him

The freedom is granted as soon as the damage of vodka arrived
The feeling of freedom and lack of inhibitions that comes with alcohol use

This how you capitalize, this is parental advice
Advising on how to take advantage of the atmosphere to have a good time

Then apparently I'm over influenced by what you are doin'
Lamar's actions are influencing him to do the same

I thought I was doin' the most 'til someone said to me:
He thought he was drinking heavily until someone pointed out he wasn't

I ride, you ride, bang
Imagining a scenario where guns are used in specific ways to solve problems

One chopper, one hundred shots, bang
Fantasizing about using strong weapons to handle issues

Hop out, do you bang?
A rhetorical question related to gang use of guns and violence

Two chopper, two hundred shots, bang
The fantasy of using even more lethal weapons

(Sherane)
Introducing the antagonist of the song, Sherane

Aw man... where is she taking me...
Realizing he has followed Sherane somewhere he may not want to be

All I have in life is my new appetite for failure
His appetite for getting drunk and the poor decisions that come with it has become his sole identity

And I got hunger, pain, that grow insane
His hunger and the emotional pain he is experiencing is becoming unbearable

Tell me, do that sound familiar?
Questioning whether or not anyone can relate to his situation

If it do, then you're like me
If you can relate to his struggles, then you are like him

Makin' excuse that your relief
Using alcohol as an excuse for stress relief

Is in the bottom
Finding relief in the bottom of a bottle

Of a bottle
His relief comes from the bottom of a bottle

And the greenest indo leaf
His relief also comes from smoking the greenest indo leaf

As the window open I release everything that corrode inside of me
He uses this time to release everything that has been corroding inside of him

I see you jokin'
Someone is mocking him for using alcohol and drugs as an escape

Why you laugh?
Questioning the person's laughter

Don't you feel bad?
Asking the person if they feel bad for him

I probably sleep
Acknowledging that he may pass out from his heavy drinking

And never ever wake up
He may pass out from drinking and never wake up again

In God I trust, but just when I thought I had enough
Despite his religious beliefs, there is only so much he can handle when it comes to drinking

They stomped the homie out over a bitch?
Asking if his friend was attacked because of a woman

K-dot, you good, blood?
Asking Kendrick if he is doing okay

Now we can drop, ye we can drop you back off
They can drop Lamar off if he has had enough of the partying and drinking

That nigga's straight man, that nigga ain't tripping
He is fine and not bothered by the situation

We gon' do the same ol' shit
They will continue with their previous activities

I'mma pop a few shots, they gon' run, they gon' run opposite ways
He will shoot at people, and they will run in the opposite direction

Fall right in ----'s lap
They will fall right into someone's trap and be ambushed

And he gon' tear they ass up, simple as that
Someone will attack them and defeat them with no difficulty

And I hope that bitch that set him up out there, we gon' pop that bitch too
He hopes to take revenge on the person that set his friend up, by harming them

Wait hold up, aye I see somebody
Noticing someone in the vicinity

(Car door opens and gunshots are fired)
Gunshots are fired and mayhem ensues

Aha! Got them niggas, K-dot, you good?
Confirming they have defeated their enemies and checking if Kendrick is safe

L----, you good?
Confirming if the other person is fine

Yeah blood, I'm good, Dave, you good?
The people involved in the situation are all okay

Dave? Dave, say something - Dave?
Looking for confirmation that everyone is okay and people are responding to him

These bitch ass niggas killed my brother!
Discovering that his brother was killed during the violent altercation

Contributed by Annabelle H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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