On “WHY,” NF talks about the recent success on his hit single “Let You Down,” being an outcast, his aggression and wrestles with inner conflict. Following “NO NAME,” this is the second single NF has released in 2018.
Just like “NO NAME,” this track was teased on Twitter the day of the release with...
[Intro]
Too many faces, too many faces, too many faces
[Verse]
Yeah, what's your definition of success? (Ayy)
I don't trust the thoughts that come inside my head (Woo)
I don't trust this thing that beats inside my chest
Who I am and who I wanna be cannot connect; why?
Don't think I deserve it? You get no respect (Woo)
I just made a couple mil', still not impressed
"Let You Down" goes triple platinum, yeah, okay, okay, I guess (Ayy)
Smile for a moment then these questions startin' to fill my head, not again!
I push away the people that I love the most; why? (Woo)
I don't want no one to know I'm vulnerable; why? (Woo)
That makes me feel weak and so uncomfortable; why? (Ayy)
Stop askin' me questions, I just wanna feel alive
Until I die—this isn't Nate's flow (Woo)
Just let me rhyme; I'm in disguise
I'm a busy person, got no time for lies; one of a kind
They don't see it; I pull out they eyes; I'm on the rise!
I've been doin' this for most my life with no advice (Woo)
Take my chances, I just roll the dice, do what I like
As a kid, I was afraid of heights, put that aside
Now I'm here and they look so surprised, well so am I, woo
They don't invite me to the parties, but I still arrive
Kick down the door and then I go inside
Give off that "I do not belong here" vibe
Then take the keys right off the counter, let's go for a ride
Why do y'all look mortified? (Ayy)
I keep to myself, they think I'm sorta shy, organized
"Let You Down's" the only song you've heard of? Well then you're behind (Woo)
Story time; wish that I could think like Big Sean does, but I just can't decide (aah!)
If I should stick my knife inside of Pennywise
I, I don't care what anybody else thinks—lies (Haha)
I do not need nobody to help me—lies
I kinda feel guilty 'cause I'm wealthy; why?
I don't understand, it's got me questionin' like
"Why? Just tell me why"—not back to this flow
Inside I feel divided
Back when I ain't had a dime, but had the drive
Back before I ever signed, I questioned life, like, "Who am I, man?" Woo
Nothin' to me's ever good enough
I could be workin' for 24 hours a day and think I never did enough
My life is a movie, but there ain't no tellin' what you're gonna see in my cinema (No)
I wanna be great, but I get in the way of myself and I think about everything that I could never be
Why do I do it though? Ayy, yeah
Why you always lookin' aggravated?
Not a choice, you know I had to make it
When they talk about the greatest, they gon' probably never put us in the conversation
Like somethin', then I gotta take it
Write somethin', then I might erase it
I love it, then I really hate it
What's the problem, Nathan? I don't know!
I know I like to preach to always be yourself (Yeah)
But my emotions make me feel like I am someone else
Me and pride had made a pact that we don't need no help
Which feels like I'm at war inside myself, but I forgot the shells
I hold my issues up for all to see, like show and tell
A lot of people know me, but not a lot know me well
Hold my issues up for all to see, like show and tell
A lot of people know me, but they don't know me well
[Outro]
Too many faces, too many faces, too many faces
WHY was written by NF & Tommee Profitt & Saint X.
WHY was produced by Tommee Profitt & Saint X & NF.
Here is a list of things that were found spray painted on the walls of the music video:
NF’s logo
“$”
Normal smiley face “:)”
Face paint/can’t speak smiley face “:x”
Perception keys 2x
“Perception”
“TS”
“Why” 3x
“DON’T MESS WITH #REALMUSIC”
“TEXAS”
“NO MORE SCHOOL”
“HELP ME”
Alien/skull face above...
I feel like I am at a place in my life right now, which I’ve been at for a long time and I’m just trying to work through a lot of the problems I talk about. It sucks sometimes because I wish I could talk about how I got through it. “WHY” is just a song where I’m just asking myself a bunch of questio...
He is talking about his social anxiety. Nate has always been an introvert but he recently opened up about his social anxiety, using the picture of his numerous fans he sees in crowds performing his shows. He brings this up again later in “The Search.”
Yes. “WHY” was certified platinum by the RIAA on September 23rd, 2020.