You can hear it in the last few verses of the song. Brothers and sisters, pay attention to the last few verses of the song because it is why I sincerely believe the song is a masterpiece.Ĭleopatra is being pimped by a man that clearly still loves her. She went from ruling an empire which was the home of some of the greatest pyramids to being just a cheap thrill at cheap hotel shaped like a pyramid only to ride a hard shaft which resembles a pyramid when under the sheets. However, modern day Cleopatra is merely “working at the pyramid tonight”. I thought this part of the song was extremely clever because looking back at the real Cleopatra, she prostituted herself for the profit of her nation. We now meet a prostitute named Cleopatra. Yes, we have advanced in many ways but we (I’m looking at us Black folks) are still reaping what Cleopatra has symbolically sowed. Much like the transition in the beat, we have a transition in history from ancient Egypt to present day.
What does all of this have to do with anything? Well, this is when the beat changes and we get to the second half of the song. This is not the first time we have seen a serpent contributing to the downfall of a woman. Caesar and Antony must have had amazing serpents… I’m just saying. Ladies, how many times has a serpent in your bedroom caused you to go over the deep end? Think about it. Not only was the serpent the cause of her physical death, it was the cause of her emotional and spiritual demise as well. (<- If that is not an example of Black women being “ride or die” for their man, then I don’t know what is.) The serpent is VERY important here. She killed herself by snake bite after Antony commits suicide himself because he lost to the aforementioned Caesar Agustus. Finally, Frank Ocean gives up and tells us to get the cheetahs and head back to the tombs because Cleopatra is dead. Leave it to “historians” to try to paint Cleopatra as the downfall of Caesar and Antony… ::rolls eyes:: They ruined her! Sure, Cleopatra had some funky family issues going on (such as plotting against her brother/husband to get him off the throne so she can rule alone a child by Caesar that Rome would not acknowledge twins by Antony etc.), but at the end of the day she controlled a lot of the grain that was vital to the success and survival of the Roman empire (and cause for the final battle with Caesar Augustus). Similarly, we can argue that Cleopatra was destroyed at the hands of her western lovers Julius Caesar and Mark Antony who pretty much did the same thing as Delilah. I guess even back then, men didn’t realize that when you sleep with street cats you get fleas. If you don’t know the story, pick up a bible and check it out. We all know that Samson was destroyed at the hand of Delilah who betrayed him for money. Therefore, in my mind, Samson is symbolic of lust and its power to destroy. According to my research (and I could be off by a hundred years or so) but there is no way that Samson and Cleopatra would have ever crossed paths.
At this point, Frank Ocean mentions Samson. Now, this is where the first half of the song gets interesting. We soon see that Cleopatra’s image is tainted and is no longer viewed as precious. There is a battle cry to find her while trying to understand how she could leave or allow her self to be torn away from her rightful place as ruler especially after she worked SO HARD to gain the throne. The point is that she is missing no, she was stolen. Let us examine the beauty of this song as well as my interpretation. Some of the historical references don’t match, but the story is amazing nonetheless. The jury (my brain) is still trying to figure out if Frank Ocean actually comprehends what he created with this song. I will admit that I was blown away by subtle references that would only be understood by those who know their history and their biblical teachings. While “BGL” will always be a classic, “Pyramids” is far superior in content, delivery, imagery and production. Both songs allow us to hear the artist’s view of the modern day Black woman with feelings of sorrow and disgust. “Pyramids” is the modern day re-creation of Nas’ “Black Girl Lost”. He is a great artist, story teller and poet. After listening to Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids”, I realized that he is more than just a good musician.
#PYRAMIDS FRANK OCEAN LYRICS SONG MEANINGS FOR FREE#
As defenders of discourse, soldiers of self expression and fighters for free speech, the LSP understand the importance of releasing material that has a lasting impact. Let it be forever known and forever remembered that Frank Ocean’s “Pyramids” is a vital contribution to music, society, philosophy and our culture.Īs one of the founding members of the Left Side Poets, I humbly request that my fellow brothers and sisters embrace Frank Ocean after careful consideration of his latest song.
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