People make Mistakes

Do you think it is it necessary to make mistakes to become a better person?

First and for most everyone makes mistakes and will continue to make mistakes. I don't think that it is necessary to make mistakes to become a better person. I do however find it very important to learn from your mistakes to become a better person. If you go through life repeating your mistakes then what good is that to you. It is essential to learn from the mistakes you make so you wont repeat them. There is a old saying "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me" simpling meaning if you don't learn from what you did wrong then it is your own fault. If you learn from what you did wrong you wont repeat these wrongs and can become a better person. Many people don't learn from their mistakes, and continue to make the same ones time after time. How can you better yourself if continue to commit the same ones repeatedly. After all that's part of growing up, making oneself better. I am not saying that as you grow older you don't make mistakes. I am saying that as you grow older you learn from the mistakes that you are destine to make, and make yourself better because of them. Some of the greats things happen by mistakes, Christopher Columbus was looking for a trade route to China and made the mistake of accidentally bumping into America. There is a lesson in every mistake. When you make a mistake, it is important that you accept it, and learn from it. It is when you refuses to accept that you have made a bad decision and prolong it, that a mistake becomes hurtful. It is also hurtful when you make these mistakes and refuses to learn from them. After you make a mistake the first thing you should do is define the problem or mistake clearly, and ask yourself what you can do to solve so you wont repeat it. You want to use your mistakes to your advantage. It is not the mistakes that you make but how you learn and react to them. No one is perfect, so learn from your mistakes and you learn to minimize them.

I make mistakes, I learn from everyone And when its said and done I bet this Brotha be a better one~Tupac Shakur

Videos

This is the official video for Jay-z's lost one
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5giXBzAv3NA


This is a video I made. Enjoy!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfyVZOYa_oY

The Hook

• Left one, lose some to win some (You lost one) Story of a champion, sorry I'm a champion You lost one

In this whole song Jay-z is rapping about all the bad things that happen to him in 2006. Three to be particular his split with Dame Dash, his relationship with Beyoncé Knowles, and the death of his nephew Colleek. So by saying lose some to win some he is saying by going through these things they are going to make him a better man. He is not going to dwell on the past, but look to the future. People say that a champion (sport team) learns from every game they lose. Jay is saying that he is a champion. Jay is saying I make mistakes but i learn from every one, and because of this i am better then i was before i made them

Personal Experiences

• Does he (Jay-z) bring his personal experiences into a lot of his songs?

• Yes Jay-z dose bring a lot of his own experience in to his music. That is what most of his songs are about. Either his past experience, or what he is going thought at the present time. I think this is one of the reasons that he is considered to be one of the best rappers of all time. Yes he is the top grossing rapper of all, and is in the top three in records sells. To me what sets him apart from other rappers is how he speaks from the heart. He dose not go out there and talk about just sex, drugs, and violence. He dose incorporate these things in his music but you also get more then just that. You get it in a different form then most mainstream rapers deliver it in.

Thrid Stanza

My nephew died in the car I bought
So I'm under the belief it's partly my fault
Close my eyes and squeeze, try to block that thought
Place any burden on me, but please, not that lord
Time don't go back, it go forward
Can't run from the pain, go towards it
Some things can't be explained, what caused it?
Such a beautiful soul, so pure, shit
Gonna see you again, I'm sure of it
'til that time, little man I'm nauseous
Your girlfriend's pregnant, the lord's gift
Almost lost my faith, that restored it
It's like having your life restarted
Can't wait for your child's life, to be a part of it
So now I'm child-like, waiting for a gift
To return, when I lost you, I lost it
Lose one, let go to get one

The first part of the stanza is about the death of Jay-z nephew Colleek , who died in a car accident in a car that Jay-z bought him for a graduation present.

"So I'm under the belief it's partly my fault" Jay is saying that he feel bad that it happen and in some way it is he fault that it did happen.

"Some things can't be explained, what caused it?" Jay is saying no one know why it happen, shit just happens.

"Such a beautiful soul, so pure, shit Gonna see you again, I'm sure of it" Jay is saying that Colleek was a great kid and he is going to see him again( in Heaven).

"Your girlfriend's pregnant, the lord's gift" Jay is saying after Colleek died he was sad then he found out that his Colleek's girlfriend was pregnant. He says its the lords gift because he lost his nephew but in a way he will "still have part of him here. Almost lost my faith, that restored it It's like having your life restarted" Jay is saying he almost lost his faith in God but after finding out the news he regained it. By having his nephew's child it is like stilling having a piece of him here. "Can't wait for your child's life, to be a part of it So now I'm child-like, waiting for a gift" Jay is saying that he cant wait to have the kid that it just like he is having a baby himself. Jay dose not have any kids but he has a lot of nephews and nieces that he treats like his own. I think by saying all this Jay is getting a lot of his chest. He had a hard time dealing with the death and by rapping about it the accident it really helped him deal with the whole thing.

Reply to comments

• Is jay-z saying Beyonce lost him that he has moved on? And that he can't wait for her? And what do u think he means by that now he is a champion?

• I don't think Jay-z is saying he moved on. I think he is trying to say that he has to let her be her at this stage in her life. When two celebrities data they often has different schedules. Most celebrities have schedules that keep them away from their families. So two celebrities have an even harder time. By say he is a champion i think he is saying even thought the would song is about loosing he is still a winner, because he understand you cant win them all.

• Do you think he lost in faith that she would marry him, or that he always new they eventually would?

• I do think that Jay-z always knew that they would get married. He is not trying to say that they are broke up or anything like that. He is simple saying that because she is so focused on her work that they cant really be together like the were at one point in time.

Audio Clip

Second Analysis

I don't think it's meant to be, be
But she loves her work more than she does me
And honestly, at twenty-three
I would probably love my work more than I did she
So we, ain't we
It's me, and her

'Cause what she prefers over me, is work
And that's, where we, differ
So I have to give her
Free, time, even if it hurts
So breathe, mami, it's deserved
You've been put on this earth to be
All you can be, like the reserves
And me? My time in the army, it's served
So I have to allow she, her, time to serve
The time's now for her
In time she'll mature
And maybe we, can be, we, again like we were
Finally, my time's too short to share
And to ask her now, it ain't fair
So yeah, she lost one
Lose one, let go to get one
Left one, lose some to win some (Oh yeah, she lost one)
Story of a champion, sorry I'm a champion
You lost one

The second stanza is all aboutJay-z relationship with Beyoncé Knowles. He is trying to say that he wants to asks her to marry him but he don't think she will say yes. Jay-z is almost 40 and Beyonce is 23 so there is an age difference. Jay is saying that she is focused on her work and not their relationship. That's not a bad thing because when Jay was 23 he was the same way. "So we, ain't we It's me, and her' Cause what she prefers over me, is work And that's, where we, differ" means that he want to be with her but he cant because she like to work and make money. "So I have to give her Free, time, even if it hurts So breathe, mami, it's deserved" means that he understands that he has to let her do want she wants even if its not what he wants. In the lines "You've been put on this earth to be All you can be, like the reserves And me? My time in the army, it's served So I have to allow she, her, time to serve The time's now for her In time she'll mature" Jay is trying to say that she needs to do what she want when she is young just like he did. He already did his time soon she will, and then they can be together. Finaly Jay says that it would not be far to her to ask her to marry him. This song came out two years before they got married.

First Analysis

I heard motherfuckers saying they made Hov

Made Hov say, "OK so, make another Hov"

Niggaz wasn't playing they day role

So we parted ways like Ben and J-Lo

I should've been did it but I been in a daze though

I put friends over business end of the day though

But when friends, business interests as they go

Ain't nothing left to say though

I guess we forgot what we came fo'

Should've stayed in food and beverage

Too much flossing

Too much Sam Rothstein

I ain't a bitch but I gotta divorce them

Hov have to get the shallow shit up off him

And I ain't even want to be famous

Niggaz is brainless to unnecessarily go through these changes

And I ain't even know how it came to this

Except that fame is

The worst drug known to man

It's stronger than, heroin

When you could look in the mirror like, "There I am"

And still not see, what you've become

I know I'm guilty of it too but, not like themYou

lost one

The first stanza of Lost one is about Jay-z’s break up with long time friend and business partner Dame Dash. It is about how Dame change after getting famous and money, and because of this they had to go their speared ways. When Jay says “I heard motherfuckers saying they made Hov, Made Hov say, OK so, make another Hov" he is talking about when Dame said that he made Jay-z. Hov is a nick name for Jay-z. When Jay says “too Sam Rothstein” he is referencing to Robert De Niro’s character in the movie Casino. Sam loved his friend Nicky Santoro, and would do anything for him. Nicky would latter be Sam’s downfall. Jay’z is trying to say he was too much like Sam.He is calling himself Sam and Dame Nicky. He also talks about how the fame and money changed everything in their relationship. This is a lot like many other music groups such as The Fat Boys, The Fugees, 'N Sync or even The Beatles. It is simply about the changes that happen to him and his one time good friend after they became famous.

Student Project

This blog is a student run project to delve intoLost One written by Jay-Z and sung by Jay-Z The posts that follow will contain a textual and contextual analysis of the lyrics, the writer’s word choice, how the music emphasizes certain lyrics, and how those lyrics function in the world.

I am particularly interested in seeing what responses, memories and feelings these lyrics evoke in myself as I continue to peel back the layers of meaning. And less interested in interviews given by the artist on the lyrics, although I may include some of those later on in my project.

Later, this blog will also feature an analysis of the official music video associated with the song.

Side Bar Links:
Other song analysis blogs I follow:
-
-
-

[list song titles and link to their blogs]
[these are your classmates’ projects, a list will be emailed to you after you email me your URL and blog title/song title]

Lost one lyrics

"Lost One"

(feat. Chrisette Michele)

Uh, uh, uh, uh

It's not a dis song, it's just a real song

Feel me?

I heard motherfuckers saying they made Hov

Made Hov say, "OK so, make another Hov"

Niggaz wasn't playing they day role

So we parted ways like Ben and J-Lo

I should've been did it but I been in a daze though

I put friends over business end of the day though

But when friends, business interests as they go

Ain't nothing left to say though

I guess we forgot what we came fo'

Should've stayed in food and beverage

Too much flossing

Too much Sam Rothstein

I ain't a bitch but I gotta divorce them

Hov have to get the shallow shit up off him

And I ain't even want to be famous

Niggaz is brainless to unnecessarily go through these changes

And I ain't even know how it came to this

Except that fame is

The worst drug known to man

It's stronger than, heroin

When you could look in the mirror like, "There I am"

And still not see, what you've become

I know I'm guilty of it too but, not like them

You lost one

[Chorus w/ Marsha (Jay-Z)]

Lose one, let go to get one

Left one, lose some to win some (You lost one)

Story of a champion, sorry I'm a champion

You lost one

I don't think it's meant to be, be

But she loves her work more than she does me

And honestly, at twenty-three

I would probably love my work more than I did she

So we, ain't we

It's me, and her

'Cause what she prefers over me, is work

And that's, where we, differ

So I have to give her

Free, time, even if it hurts

So breathe, mami, it's deserved

You've been put on this earth to be

All you can be, like the reserves

And me? My time in the army, it's served

So I have to allow she, her, time to serve

The time's now for her

In time she'll mature

And maybe we, can be, we, again like we were

Finally, my time's too short to share

And to ask her now, it ain't fair

So yeah, she lost one

Lose one, let go to get one

Left one, lose some to win some (Oh yeah, she lost one)

Story of a champion, sorry I'm a champion

You lost one

My nephew died in the car I bought

So I'm under the belief it's partly my fault

Close my eyes and squeeze, try to block that thought

Place any burden on me, but please, not that lord

Time don't go back, it go forward

Can't run from the pain, go towards it

Some things can't be explained, what caused it?

Such a beautiful soul, so pure, shit

Gonna see you again, I'm sure of it

'til that time, little man I'm nauseous

Your girlfriend's pregnant, the lord's gift

Almost lost my faith, that restored it

It's like having your life restarted

Can't wait for your child's life, to be a part of it

So now I'm child-like, waiting for a gift

To return, when I lost you, I lost it

Lose one, let go to get one

Left one, lose some to win some (Colleek, I lost one)

Sorry I'm a champion, Colleek, you're a champion

You lost one

Lyrics by Shawn Corey Carter (Jay-z)

Produced by Andre Romelle Young(Dr. Dre) and Mark Batson

http://www.azlyrics.com/

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/jayz/lostone.html