Lyrics Breakdown: Leave (Get Out) or Finally, Beethoven Has Found His Rival

One of the biggest problems in our society is assuming that things were better when we were growing up. Let me make one thing clear – it wasn’t. Things suck now, but that doesn’t mean things didn’t suck back then as well. Things always suck, and that’s just how it goes.

Taken for instance pop stars. Most people believe that popular music was better back in their day as opposed to now. I won’t pretend that today’s stars are anything great. Taylor Swift writes every song about a different Ex boyfriend, and she sure has had a lot of those. Katy Perry is currently in the middle of a huge meltdown, having shaved off most of her hair and joining American Idol. Ed Sheeran turned his fame into an appearance on Game of Thrones, where he may or may not have been responsible for a dragon’s death. Remember, you made him popular America. It’s your fault.

But this doesn’t mean the stars from the late 90s-early 2000s were any better. Take a look at five of the biggest pop stars we had growing up and tell me with a straight face that things were better.

Britney Spears – Probably the most successful female pop artist of the period, Britney Spears wasn’t just a hit making machine but her posters were taped by many a young teenage boy’s wall.

She managed to stay relevant for way longer than most pop singers do, although some of her relevancy was due to going insane. She shaved her head and flashed her bits to ever member of the paparazzi who’d look. She married a man who probably isn’t fit to operate a toothbrush without supervision. Then she had a second marriage that lasted about as long as it took me to construct this paragraph. She made out with Madonna on stage of an award’s show and once danced mostly naked with a snake. That’s quite a resume.

Today, Britney Spears is mostly respected as a judge on some vocal show that I couldn’t tell you the name of. Despite having a good three to five-year period of being bat shit insane, she’s remembered fondly. It could be because her songs were extremely catchy. It could also be because she was mostly naked a lot of the time. Either way, I think she reigned as queen of pop for a long time.

Also she made Justin Timberlake write a song about her being a hussy. That’s relevance.

Mariah Carey – Carey was a huge superstar, working with Jay-Z and singing classics like “We Belong Together”. Her rendition of “All I want for Christmas is you” is permanently engraved into our consciousness, whether we want it to be or not. She lasted in the limelight for over two decades, even though she married Nick Cannon. Nick Cannon? I mean, how did Nick Cannon weasel his way into that marriage? What Mariah did have that a lot of pop singers don’t is having a real voice. She could truly carry a note.

Today, Carey is the resident Diva, accusing everyone is sabotaging her whenever she has a live performance. During most New Years, Carey is requested to actually sing, when she’d prefer to lip sync. Since the network is paying her to sing, they don’t enjoy this. Instead of singing, which is still her profession, Carey insults the network and says she’s been set up to fail. No, that’s fine. Sadly, the network was forced to bring back Mariah Carey because nobody was more willing to accept a paycheck for little effort.

Carey remains, aging, bitter, kind of a bitch, and very available for performances to this day.

P!nk – When Pink came out, she was full of attitude in a world where everybody was a perky, happy blonde. She wrote songs with lyrics about dating teachers, and being different. If I remember correctly, and in my mind I always do, her first song used a lot of hip hop slang that quickly vanished in any follow up singles. Her dyed hair was rebellious and the exclamation mark in her name shouted “Look at me! I’m cool!” It wasn’t cool Pink. It was never cool.

Pink ended up evolving into a calmer, gentler, family woman. Her most recent songs have lost their edge, which is either a good or bad thing, depending on how you look at it. Still relevant to this day, she most recently sang the super bowl National Anthem, which was ripped on y haters despite the fact she was sing when singing. Personally, I thought it was fine. It’s ironic she had the least controversal life out of everyone on this list.

Christina Aguilera- A former Disney Mouskeeter like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake, Aguilera was popular, but never reached that level. At her début, she was the wholesome girl who sang innocent songs. No, I’m just kidding, she talked about being a genie and needing to be rubbed the right way. I mean, they didn’t even try to hide the meaning there. Aguilera continued to tip toe the line between good and naughty. She sang a song for Mulan that everybody seemed to like, and it was assumed that Genie in a Bottle thing was a blip on the radar.

Oh, and then she had a music video with Redman. Dirty, and that’s an apt description, might have been the not so well kept secret raunchiest song that wasn’t recorded on the 7^th floor of an Apartment Building*¹. It was also about as naked and sexualized as a woman could be without actual penetration. And honestly, there might have been some during the second verse in the music video. I feel like this decision cost Aguilera.

Today, she, like Britney Spears, is also a judge on some voice show. She seems to always have the look of the bronze medalist Mousketeer. But hey, at least she had a couple of albums and reinvented herself as a non hussy. That’s pretty good.

Jessica Simpson – This sounds silly, but for a time, Jessica Simpson was the world’s most popular pop star. No really. Think about it. While all the other pop stars were making stripper themes like Dirty and Toxic, Simpson was singing normal, pop songs. She was growing in popularity, and you know what, she didn’t seem like a stripper. People respect that. I mean, maybe not people in a strip club, but outside of it? People respect that. Simpson got so big, she got a reality show with Nick Lachey, who new husband at the time.

What an absolute PR train wreck that was.

The show either proved, or portrayed, Simpson as an utter moron. She didn’t know what animal buffalo wings were from, nor understand that tuna was the chicken of the sea. I guess outside of chicken related food products, she was ok. She tried to own these foolish mistakes, making a music video that referenced them, but by that time, the damage was done. The couple ultimately divorced. Simpson dated Tony Romo for a bit, and I feel like Cowboy fans blame her for their shortcomings in the playoffs. To think Dallas would hate a shapely blonde. According to Google, Simpson judges reality shows too, but they could have made that up and I wouldn’t have a clue. Or give a damn while we’re at it.

Of course, there was one other artist who should have been bigger. One that might have changed this perception. One who made music that didn’t just move your feet, but also moved your heart.

Jojo’s debut single, Leave (Get Out) is of course why we’re here today, but there’s so much more to the story. Sure, there were a few other songs, like the follow-up single, Too Little, Too Late, which is kind of the same song, but not as good. Unlike a lot of young stars, Jojo didn’t go crazy and start showing her parts off to get attention. She tried to make it as an artist. Obviously, us Americans hate that. However, the biggest problems Jojo had was having standards as well as a poor label.

Foolishly, Jojo was paired with Lil’ Bow Wow for a song – Baby It’s you. No, Jojo, this isn’t you. You’re so much better than this. The only thing Lil Bow Wow ever did right in his professional “career” was dropping the Lil when he turned 27. Jojo was at her best when she sung tunes that pulled on our heartstrings. Instead, she was forced to listen to Bow Wow verbally puke on a recording for four minutes. The fact that she didn’t go crazy after this is a testament to her greatness.

Did you know Jojo was offered a role on Hanna Montana back in 2005? It’s true. No, she wouldn’t have been the star, but would have had a prominent role on a series that was designed to churn out a star. Disney loves taking teen idols, overexpose them, and let them to go crazy.

Jojo however, refused the role, saying she intended to be an artist and not an actress. How blessed would we be if more no talent hacks did this instead of trying to trying to cash their check before signing the contract. Jojo took the high road, and probably lost money, fame and fortune because of it. Yet she stayed true to her roots.

Jojo has tried to make comebacks, most notably her remix of the Drake Single, Marvin’s Room. In it, she talks about a lot of mature subjects that are weird coming from her. It discusses taking Adderall, and a lot of sex. Like a lot of it. I mean, the song was great, but it wasn’t innocent. It didn’t get the recognition it deserves, except from Drake. He loved it apparently. And he’s a great judge of talent.

Still, 14 years after the release of her first single, Jojo failed to capture the excellence of her first single Leave (Get Out) isn’t just an underground song that Blogging Hood enjoys. It was once the #1 song in the entire country. But what was it about this song that captured America’s heart?

I thought this was the perfect time to have another lyric breakdown. Remember, not all rants need to be angry. Some can celebrate true joy.

Jojo was only 13 at the time this song was released, so the odds of her writing it are actually less than 0. Some corporation thought a 13-year-old singing a long of a failed relationship, cheating and heartbreak was appropriate. When I was 13, I was worried about my braces, acne and sports. I probably spend more time with Mario than talking to a girl. In fact, I don’t think I spoke to women until I was 17. You know, like a real man.

So no, these lyric were definitely written by the studio, but oh man, did that nail it.  This is the best thing a company has done since they decided to start selling the Cadbury Cream Egg throughout the year.

Let’s celebrate the achievement of artistry by dissecting the lyrics.

[Verse]
I’ve been waiting all day for ya babe
So won’t cha come and sit and talk to me

Most people know when their significant other says they need to talk it’s not good. Obviously, this means he’s in some serious trouble. Typically asking to “talk” means the relationship is nearly over. Based on the direction this song goes in, it’s obviously deserved, but this dude could have used a little more tact. I mean, if you avoid Jojo, then she can’t break up with you. If you wait a week, she could forget about all the transgressions and everything could go back to normal.

Ok, probably not, but at least he’d have given it a shot.

And tell me how we’re gonna be together always
Hope you know that when it’s late at night
I Hold on to my pillow tight
And think of how you promised me forever

Well, whatever the dick did to poor Jojo couldn’t have been good. Typically when someone is clutching onto a pillow, it either means they are extremely upset and have no one to comfort them, or there’s some things going on in the bedroom we should not be privy too. I don’t think it was the latter. Remember, Jojo was just 14 at this time. She probably shouldn’t be doing freaky things in her room at her age.

(I never thought that anyone)
Could make me feel this way
(Now that you’re here boy all I want)
Is just a chance to say

Here is the first use of parenthesis. They are liberally applied throughout the lyrics. I don’t really see the need here. Sure, the words in the parenthesis are sung in echo, but they aren’t sang simultaneously so I mean, what’s the point?

As we lead into the chorus, I’d imagine the dumbass man in this scenario had no idea what Jojo is going to say. Does he know he’s going to be told to sit on a thumb tack? Or did he think she would say “Hey babe, let’s get naked and wrestle?” They could do an entire 30 for 30 on the matter.

[Chorus]
Get out (leave) right now
It’s the end of you and me
It’s too late (now) and I can’t wait for you to be gone

This is where the song can go from a solo to a duet if you’d like. It’s not just amazing, it’s also versatile. Three cheers to whoever wrote this for Jojo, because I’m pretty sure a 13-year-old should not be writing this song.

We also have no idea exactly why she’s breaking up with her boyfriend. It’s in the next line but this is like a Tarantino style of lyrics. Start at the climax and work your way back. Speaking of climax, it appears that’s the root of the problem.

Cause I know
About her (who) and I wonder (why)
How I bought all the lies
You said that you would treat me right
But you was just a waste of time
(waste of time)

And so we find out he’s been cheating. It’ not surprising, but it’s nice to have a confirmation to back up my theories.

What constitutes cheating in middle school, anyway? Did homie hold hands with a red-headed shank during recess? Or did he get to second base of the blonde during detention? Did he share a juice box with a 6^th grader in study hall? I must know! Somebody tell me!

Tell me why you’re looking so confused
When I’m the one who didn’t know the truth

Confusion is the natural reaction to any sort of accusation. It’s like when I leave the toilet seat up and Maid Megan asks if I did it. We both know the answer to the question, but I can’t just outright admit it. I have to feign confusion. “What is a toilet seat, exactly?” After my pretend ignorance, I will then blame the cat and run out of the room. It doesn’t get me out of anything, but it delays the inevitable.

Here, we see the same attempt although with much more serious accusations. I mean, there isn’t going to be a debate – either the guy cheated, or he didn’t.

Also, Maid Megan, if you’re reading this, note that the cat did actually leave up the seat. I told him not to, but he refused to listen.

How could you ever be so cold
To go behind my back and call my friend
Boy you must have gone and bumped your head
Because you left her number on your phone
Most cheaters are not exactly rocket scientists. It explains why they would be willing to ruin a good relationship to get some action for one night (or more). If people are not satisfied in a relationship, they should end it. No, that’s not easy, but it’s truthful and better than sneaking around. This is why people should be sure who they want to marry before doing so and having kids. Maybe if we thought about things as opposed to rushing into everything, the divorce rate wouldn’t be about 835%.

Now, Seymour Slick here didn’t just cheat on Jojo, but he did so with her friend, who we shall go Roro. That’s cold blooded. Did Roro ever top the charts? I doubt it. Then again, Jojo wouldn’t have been famous until she was cheated on and had a corporation write a song about it. Hmm. I feel like this is a paradox. Nevertheless, I’m pretty sure Roro sucks.

Does the friend get blamed on this cheating scandal? She’s never mentioned but, the last time I checked, it takes two to tango, unless your impressively skilled. Roro seems to get off without any scorn but she had to know who the guy is. She’s just as guilty as him. Let’s appropriate blame the right way people.

You know this song is dated because Jojo recognized who’s phone number it was on her ex’s phone. Today, the cheater could have written another person’s name and gotten away with it.

Also, does a phone call actually mean cheating? What if he was calling for Math help? There’s a lot of theories on this song. That’s way it’s the greatest of our generation.

(So now after all is said and done)
Maybe I’m the one to blame but
(To think that you could be the one)
Well it didn’t work out that way

I mean, Jojo would be the one to blame if the Math help theory ended up being true. Otherwise, I’m blaming 50% on Seymour Slick and 50% on Roro.

[Chorus]
Get out, (leave) right now
It’s the end of you and me
It’s too late (now) and I can’t wait for you to be gone
(You to be gone) cause I know
About her (who) and I wonder (why)
How I bought all the lies
You said that you would treat me right
But you was just a waste of time (waste of time)

I have to confess I’ve been singing the chorus while reading through the lyrics. It’s insanely catchy. Not only is it a deep philosophical song, it’s also great shower singing.

[Bridge]
I wanted you right here with me
But I have no choice you’ve gotta leave

Here is where the lyrics take an interesting turn and start going back to slang. Would it have been too much trouble to write out “got to”? I mean, it’s the same amount of letters. I really don’t think this choice was necessary. Even exception works have flaws. I mean, the Statue of David probably should have covered up the wang.

Because my heart is breakin’
With every word I’m sayin’
You know Jojo is getting passionate because she’s forgetting her g’s.

I gave up everything I had
On something that just wouldn’t last
But I refuse to cry
No tears will fall from these
Eyes (Ooooh, ooooh)

This is the emotional build up for the song. You can truly feel the passion Jojo has as she holds back any tears. She actually continues to sing Eyes instead of oooooh, but I mean, I guess true fans know the lyrics better than the author. It’s not a big deal.

Get out
You have to figure this is where Jordan Peele got his inspiration for his Oscar-winning screenplay.

[Chorus]
Get out, (leave) right now
It’s the end of you and me (you and me)
It’s too late (now) and I can’t wait for you to be gone
(You to be gone) cause I know
About her (who) and I wonder (why)
How I bought all the lies (how I bought all the lies)
You said that you would treat me right
But you was just a waste of time (waste of time)
Get out, (leave) right now
It’s the end of you and me (you and me)
It’s too late (now) and I can’t wait for you to be gone
(You to be gone) cause I know
About her (who) and I wonder (why)
How I bought all the lies
You said that you would treat me right (treat me right )
But you was just a waste of time (waste of time)

We’re kind of wasting a lot of time just repeating the chorus over and over. Maybe we can speed things up.

Get out leave
You and me
It’s too late (too late)
You ohh
‘Bout her
Who, why
Hey, thanks for speeding things up.

This is just the background repeating the chorus lines for a bit. It’s amazing. One of the highlights of the song.

You said that you would treat me right
(No) but it was just a waste of time
Waste of time

If anyone can possibly argue this isn’t the best song of the 21^st century, I’ll block the shit out of them on this site. True artists don’t come around very often and we were blessed to have Jojo in our lives.

Unfortunately, she never reached the heights she deserved, likely president of the United States. You might say that’s ridiculous – she’s not even 35 yet. But I say exceptions need to be made for every rule and this is one of them. She at least deserved to be more famous than Jessica frigging Simpsons.

Still, we’ll always have this one, perfect three minutes and thirty-second song to get us through the good times, the bad times, and everything in between. If the song wasn’t about cheating, it would make for a great first dance at a wedding. Sadly, it wouldn’t set the appropriate tone for a wedding. Unless it was European.

Now Leave (get out). This is the end of the blog this week.

 

1. *Of course I refer to the Miami Football Team’s classic – 7^th Floor Crew. Featuring such talents as TE Greg Olson, LB Jon Beason and McDonald’s enthusiast Holla Man, it is a 9 minute posse cut about having sex with women. If a censored version was ever made, it would be two minutes, maybe. It might be the most misogynistic song in history. I imagine it was what the Weinstein Studios were like. The song’s fantastic by the way.