Poetic Justice Lyrics

Lyric discussion by andwinsome 

Cover art for Poetic Justice lyrics by Kendrick Lamar

You need to listen again if you think Drake did a better job...

Kendick's first verse is about him expressing his emotion of love physically. "If I told you that a flower bloomed in a dark room would you trust it?," speaks to him showing physically that he loves her.

His second verse talks about love being not just a verb, something that can be shown, or an action, it's a feeling. Love starts with you caring for yourself, looking in the mirror and loving what you see.

But also step back and realize there are "gold mines in these lines." "Every time I write these words they become a taboo," because he is talking about a lot more than just feeling a girl, and the fact that he is is taboo in rap (speaking deeply, that is). The whole song is a metaphor for how he approaches his craft (ie rapping, music). He's talking to the people who can read between the lines, "you need to hear this." "A fatal attraction is common, and what we have common is pain." The people who need to hear it, who do hear it, have felt pain in their lives.

Poetic Justice is a concept that you get your due. You're going to get out of this song is what you put into it, or what you bring to it. The song is a litmus test, and what you get back out is Poetic Justice, because it is related to your own interpretation and 'conduct' in listening to the song.

So if you think Drake has the better verse, that's poetic justice, and you're destined to let the nuance of life pass you by. Don't worry, you won't be alone.

Song Meaning