The Roots
The Roots & Nate Ruess & Joell Ortiz & Busta Rhymes
Nas & Lin-Manuel Miranda & Aloe Blacc & Dave East
USHER
Watsky & ShockWave
Sia & Queen Latifah & Miguel
Regina Spektor & Ben Folds
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Kelly Clarkson
Alicia Keys
K’naan & Residente & Riz Ahmed & Snow Tha Product
Jimmy Fallon & The Roots & Jimmy Fallon & The Roots
Ashanti & Ja Rule
!llmind & Phillipa Soo
Jill Scott
Dessa
Andra Day
J. Period & Stro Elliot & Phillipa Soo
Lin-Manuel Miranda
Wiz Khalifa
John Legend
The Roots & Ingrid Michaelson & Common
Chance the Rapper & Francis and the Lights
[Intro: Ja Rule]
Yeah
I like the way I came in
Rule
Ashanti
Lin
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Baby, I'm helpless
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
[Verse 1: Ashanti]
I ain't ever been the type to try and grab the spotlight
We were at the revel with some rebels on a hot night
Laughin’ at my sister as she dazzling the room
Then you walked in and my heart said [snap]
Tryin’ to catch your eye from the side of the ballroom
Everybody’s dancin’ and the bass top volume
Grind to the rhythm as we wine and dine
Saying to myself, "Baby, this one’s mine.”
[Pre-Chorus: Ashanti]
Shorty made her way across the room to you
And I got nervous, thinking “What’s she gonna do?”
She grabbed you by the arm, I’m thinkin’ “I’m through”
Then you look back at me and suddenly I’m
[Hook: Ashanti]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
[Verse 2: Ashanti]
One week later, I’m writin’ a letter nightly
Now my life gets better, every letter that you write me
Laughin’ at this girl, 'cause she wants to form a harem
Naw, I ain't sharin'
Two weeks later, in the living room stressin’
My father’s stone-faced while you’re asking for his blessin’
I’m dying inside, as you wine and dine
And I’m tryin’ not to cry
‘Cause there’s nothing that your mind can’t do
[Pre-Chorus: Ashanti]
My father makes his way across the room to you
I panic for a second, thinking “we’re through”
But then he shakes your hand and says “be true”
And you turn back to me, smiling, and I’m
[Chorus: Ashanti]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, (so helpless) baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
[Verse 3: Ja Rule + Ashanti]
Ashanti, I ain't got a dollar to my name
An acre of land, a troop to command, a dollop of fame
All I have’s my honor, a tolerance for pain
A couple of college credits and my top-notch brain
Insane, your family brings out a different side of me
Peggy confides in me, Angelica tried to take a bite of me
No stress, my love for you is never in doubt
We’ll get a little place in Queens and we’ll figure it out
I’ve been living without my family since I was a child
My father died, my mama cried, I grew up buckwild
But I’ll never forget my mother’s face, that was real
And long as I’m alive, Ashanti, swear to God
You’ll never feel so… (Baby, I'm...)
[Chorus: Ashanti & Ja Rule]
Helpless, yeah
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
Helpless, yeah (I'm so helpless)
Look into your eyes, and the sky’s the limit I’m
(Cause you know that I'm)
Helpless, baby
Down for the count, and I’m drownin’ in ‘em
Baby I'm
Yeah
Mm, so into you
So into you
Hahaha
Helpless was written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Helpless was produced by Frequency.
From Entertainment Weekly:
“Ashanti and Ja Rule were in my head when I was writing ‘Helpless,’” Miranda says. “It has the structure of an Ashanti-Ja Rule song: two verses, two choruses, a guest rap feature, then back to the chorus and around.” Thompson knew “Helpless” was based on one of their late...