PAID MY DUES
NF * Track #10 On CLOUDS (THE MIXTAPE)
Download "PAID MY DUES"
PAID MY DUES by NF
Release Date
Performed by
NFAbout
“Paid My Dues” is a surprise single, following NF’s July 2019 album The Search.
On the track, NF talks about the critics bashing his album The Search, his burdens, and internal battles. It continues the themes of The Search, being lost and looking for hope.
PAID MY DUES Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Clicks, clicks, clicks, they'll do anything to get a few
Tick, tick, tick, that's the sound before my head explodes
Quit, quit, quit, look at you up on your pedestals
Quick, quick, quick, here the critics come, it's time to go
I read your article, it kinda hurt me
I don't know who hired you or what your friends say in your circle
But the fact that you released it tells me two things are for certain
They get paid for trashin' people, I get paid 'cause I stay workin' (Yeah)
Dropped The Search and they emerge up outta nowhere to the surface
Just to peek behind the curtain, throwin' salt at all my burdens
I'm aware I shouldn't give this my attention, life's a journey
I should just stay on my path and learn to laugh, you think they heard me?
Ears are burning, put 'em out, quiet, quiet, look around
Why don't they find someone way more interesting to write about?
Us, we're kinda boring, aren't we? All we do is whine and pout
It's confusing, so amusing how I argue with myself
Hello
I spit it with ease, so leave it to me
You doubt it, but you better believe
I'm on a rampage, hit 'em with the record release
Depend on the week, I'm prolly gonna have to achieve
Another goal, let me go when I'm over the beat
I go into beast mode, like I'm ready to feast
I'm fed up with these thieves, tryna get me to bleed
They wanna see me take an L, yep, see what I mean?
How many records I gotta give you to get with the program?
Taken for granted, I'm 'bout to give you the whole plan
Open your mind up and take a look at the blueprint
Debate if you gotta, but gotta hold it with both hands
To pick up the bars, you gotta be smart
You really gotta dig in your heart
If you wanna get to the root of an issue
Pursuin' the mental can be dark and be difficult
But the pay off at the end of it can help you to get through it, ayy
[Chorus]
Paid my dues, made it through (Woo, woo, woo)
Spread the news, I'm on the loose (Woo, woo, woo)
Makin' moves, I need some room (Woo, woo, woo)
Thought we's cool, well, don't assume, don't assume, ayy
I'm the truth, oh, they want some proof? Here, don't be rude
Somethin' new, even when I lose, I make it look cool
Do the show, then we hit the room, wife is lookin', oh
What to do? I don't need the shades up to like the view (Yeah)
[Verse 2]
It's time to get back in the swing of things
When my life crashes, I'm not the guy that'll flee the scene
I'll take ownership and own it and raise my hand if it's me
Just remember though, I'm only a man, I'm a human being
Don't they see? Shoot the breeze, I'd rather just stay discrete
People claim they're in your corner, but leave you in times of need
They don't listen, do they? (What?) They don't listen to anything
I'll accept advice if it's not presented ignorantly
Look, costs are high, they multiply
Then cause divides, I'm forced to fight
The poison I been sippin' on has quite the bite, it killed me twice
They rigged the lights so y'all can see
The parts of mine that aren't so bright
See, often I apologize, then authorize the awful times
To pop up (Nate!) like I'm right behind you
I'd advise you not to try to climb inside the mind like I do
Keep the rhyme book, expedite it, overnight it
Hold it tight and hope that time is on my side
'Cause if it's not, then I'll decide to override my own demise
I toe the line too close and I could improvise
I'd empathize, but recognize
The fact that I could jeopardize and wreck our lives
You better give me your attention, the undivided
[Chorus]
Paid my dues, made it through (Woo, woo, woo)
Spread the news, I'm on the loose (Woo, woo, woo)
Makin' moves, I need some room (Woo, woo, woo)
Thought we's cool, well, don't assume, don't assume, ayy
Paid my dues, made it through (Woo, woo, woo)
Spread the news, I'm on the loose (Woo, woo, woo)
Makin' moves, I need some room (Woo, woo, woo)
Thought we's cool, well, don't assume, don't assume, ayy
PAID MY DUES Q&A
Who wrote PAID MY DUES's ?
PAID MY DUES was written by NF & Saint X & Tommee Profitt.
Who produced PAID MY DUES's ?
PAID MY DUES was produced by NF & Tommee Profitt & Saint X.
When did NF release PAID MY DUES?
NF released PAID MY DUES on Tue Dec 03 2019.
How was this song teased prior to its release?
Just hours before the release, NF posted a video on social media, teasing the release at 1 PM Eastern Time. The initials for the song and the drawing of Nate’s signature black smile were teased way back on December 14, 2017:
How did this song chart?
During the week ending December 7, 2019, “Paid My Dues” debuted and peaked at #1 on the US iTunes charts, beating the likes of “Blinding Lights” by The Weeknd and “Dance Monkey” by Tones and I. It is the first time NF has held the #1 song ever.
The closest song before “Paid My Dues” was “The Search...
Was the song used in any promotional material?
Yes. It was used in various advertisements for the championship game facing LSU against Clemson on ESPN, most of which are unavailable to view now.
Another one that is now unavailable featured both “The Search” and “Options.”
What has NF said about the song ending up on the mixtape?
In an Instagram live NF said:
“PAY MY DUES” was supposed to just be a single. […] “PAY MY DUES” was not supposed to be on there and then I decided I’ll just put out a mixtape of some songs could have been on the record or wouldn’t have been on the record or whatever, I was like “I might as well put...