Childish Gambino - "3005" Lyric Analysis

Childish Gambino - 3005

Childish Gambino is an American Hip-hop rapper, singer and producer. The song 3005 is from Gambino's sophomore album "Because The Internet", his debut album being "Camp". Childish Gambino, whose real name is Donald Glover, also made a film called "Clapping for the Wrong Reasons." It closely parallels 3005.

I chose 3005 because the song expresses some of the same feelings I have and had for some people and for points in my life. Many of the points are expressed strikingly close to how they feel for me personally.

If you would like to listen to the song, click here.

[Hook]

No matter what you say or what you do

When I'm alone, I'd rather be with you

Gambino starts the song by expressing his love to his partner. Regardless of her actions, he would still rather be with her.

Fuck these other niggas, I'll be right by your side

Till 3005, hold up

None of these other niggas are worth it and he’s is not afraid of commitment. "Hold up" is, I believe, is his way of saying “wait, let's not make the same mistakes again.”

[Verse 1]

Hold up, wait a minute, all good just a week ago

Crew at my house and we party every weekend so

Gambino is referencing one of the more known lines, “Hold up, wait a minute” from 20 Minute Workout by DJ Kool. Involving Donald Glover short film “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons” He is always surrounded by his crew and having parties every weekend, even though he doesn’t always like it.

On the radio, that's my favourite song

This line references Chance the Rapper’s song, "Favourite Song," in which Gambino is a featured rapper. This is also being one of the few songs by Gambino to actually be played on the radio.

Made me bounce around, like I don't know, like I won't be here long

“Bounce/Bouncing” is slang for leaving a party or area early. Gambino is not interested in any certain part of the party; he’s always moving to keep interested.

Now the thrill is gone

During the "Because the Internet" era when this song was released, Gambino had become very expressive about his disinterest with fame. He expresses this in his music, open letters to the world and in his short film. Fame isn’t really all its made up to be.  

Got no patience, cause I'm not a doctor

A play on the patience/patients homophone. He is saying he doesn’t have time for anyone's problems, as he doesn’t have enough patience for his own.

Girl why is you lying, girl why you Mufasa

Homophone playing the sound of how Gambino pronounces “lying” (Mufasa being a lion for the Disney movie, "The Lion King".)

Yeah, mi casa su casa, got a stripper like Gaza

“Mi casa su casa” is Spanish for “My house is your house.”

Got so high off volcanoes, now the flow is so lava

Gambino is talking about getting high off weed vapour by his Lava Vaporizer. He is also complimenting himself and his rap flow.

Yeah, we spit that saliva, iPhone got message from Viber

“Spitting” is slang for rapping. Viber is a free messaging app. Gambino would get messages from all over the world, most likely what he would regard as “fake praise.”

Either the head is so hydra, or we let bygones be bygones

“Hydra” is a mythical creature from Greek mythology. When it's head is cut off, two more grow from it's place, thereby creating a larger problem than what it used to be. Gambino is saying that is you don't leave what’s in the past, stay in the past, it will become a lot worse than what it was.

"My God, you pay for your friends?" I'll take that as a compliment

“My God, you pay for your friends?” can be taken two ways, but Gambino chooses to see it as he pays for his friends needs. Not that he pays for his friends.

Got a house full of homies, why I feel so the opposite?

This line references the entire point behind “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons”: He is surrounded by homies but his house doesn’t feel “homey.”

Incompetent ain't the half of it

Partially insulting his friends for being incompetent.

Saturdays we Young Lavish-ing

Saddest shit, is I'm bad as it

Young Lavish-ing is a reference to 17-year old Instagram user “@itslavishbitch”, who uploads only photos of how unbelievably rich he is. Gambino is bad at showing off and being cocky. Gambino doesn’t care about his amount of cash or anything along those lines. He cares more for things that can’t be measured: Love, acceptance, respect. Gambino has said that this view is from living poor and struggling in “The Projects.”

These beans they took from the cabinet (woah)

“Beans” are slang for ecstasy pills. His supposed “homies” stole drugs from his medicine cabinet and had a bad trip. During interviews, Gambino has talked about his love of different drugs, so having “beans”  wouldn’t be far out of the question in his life. "Woah" is realizing how much and what he's talked about and how crazy it might sound.

Sorry, I'm just scared of the future

Till 3005, I got your back, we can do this, hold up

He is apologizing for how crazy this verse was and how he’s really afraid of the future. In one of Gambino’s open letters, he expresses how fearful he is for the future and what it will hold. He ends by reassuring and reminding the persons he is rapping to that he’ll still be here and they can make it happen.

[Verse 2]

I used to care what people thought

But now I care more

With a start like “I used to care what people thought”, we might believe that he no longer cares about what others think. But really he cares even more now. 
In his debut album “Camp”, he talks about being the weird kid for a multitude of reasons and being picked by everyone from school kids to relatives, developing a self-conscious fear of what everyone thought of him in almost every area of his life. Now that he has risen to fame, with millions of eyes are on him (including the eyes that used to look at him), he cares even more. I believe he feels that those are some of the worst eyes to be looking at you.

Man nobody out here's got it figured out

Although other people may be pretending, no one has life fully figured out.

So therefore, I've lost all hope of a happy ending

Seeing there are really no concrete answers to the deeper questions in life, we can’t count on it turning out any particular way.

Depending on whether or not it's worth it

With the “realization” that there could be no concrete chance for a happy ending, he questions whether he should even try to work for a happy ending.

So insecure, no one's perfect

Gambino is a very insecure person and he believes that everyone isn’t perfect in one way or another, especially himself.

We spend it, with no shame

We blow that, like Coltrane

We in here, like Rogaine

Or leave it, like Cobain

Gambino and others like him blow their money on useless things like how John Coltrane (the jazz musician) used to blow into a saxophone (who later became addicted to cocaine, otherwise known as “blow”.)

Rogaine refers to the product for treating hair loss. Gambino is commenting on the fact that he believes that he has a messed up hairline.

“It” refers to Life. Kurt Cobain committed suicide. Gambino has a quick slight thought about suicide.

And when I'm long gone, whole crew sing a swan song

If he were to die/kill himself, his crew would give him some form of a performance.

Cause we all just ticking time bombs

In the end, Gambino thinks we are just ticking away until the day of our death, having a very depressed view towards life.

Got a Lambo like Lebron's mom

Like the famous basketball player Lebron James’ mother, he too has a Lambo, short for the car Lamborghini.

And no matter where all of my friends go

Emily, Fam, and Lorenzo

All of them people my kinfolk

Quoting names of his actual friends; Fam is his manager, who also starred in and wrote the screenplay for his short film “Clapping for the Wrong Reasons”.

At least I think so

Can't tell

To some extent, Gambino has doubts, not fully trusting anybody.

Cause when them checks clear, they're not here

He believes the friends he “thought” he had are only there for the money he has. They’re fake.

Cause they don't care

It's kinda sad, but I'm laughing whatever happens

Gambino admits that it’s sad his family only cares about his money, but still wants to laugh anyway.

Assassins are stabbed in the back of my cabin

Honestly not sure about this line.

Labrador yapping

Gambino owns a Labrador.

I'm glad that it happened, I mean it

Throughout all this pain, sadness, depression and "fakeness", Gambino thinks it’s worth it.

Between us, I think there's something special

He’s hopeful that she isn’t another girl who means nothing. He feels that there is truly something special between the two of them.

And if I lose my mental, just hold my hand

Even if you don't understand, hold up

Even in the worst of times it may be for him, he just wants to know she’s there with him throughout it, even if she doesn't understand why. Hold up.

[Hook x2]

[Outro]

We did it! Yay!

Nigga you so thirsty