How to Love

When you is just a young’un your looks were so precious

But now you're grown up, so fly its like a blessing

But you can’t have a man look at you for five seconds

Without you being insecure

You never credit yourself so when you got older

It seems like you came back ten times over

Now you’re sitting here in this damn corner

Looking through all your thoughts and looking over your shoulder

Lil Wayne – How to Love

From Lil Wayne’s song “How to Love,” I have broken down the first verse into five different sections and close-read the meaning behind each group of lyrics. Even though Lil Wayne is directing this song to a specific lady, he is speaking to anybody who has felt insecure because of the weight and judgment the world puts on their shoulders. The first section sings, “When you is just a young’un your looks were so precious / But now you’re grown up, so fly it’s like a blessing.” He is saying that this lady has transformed from a cute, little girl to a beautiful, mature woman. There is a gentleness to his tone that resonates with the honesty of his word. He is very specific in his language and uses intimate words to portray the way he has and will continue to view her as the beautiful lady that she is.

            After encouraging her and expressing a portion of his emotions, his tone begins to change. “But you can’t have a man look at you for five seconds / Without you being insecure.” He points out that because of her insecurities, whenever a man looks at her for a period of time, her immediate thought would not be that he is interested in her but that he is looking at her flaws. Living in a generation that is frugal with its time, there is much value when a person sacrifices their time on something because it signifies its value and importance. In this portion of the verse, Lil Wayne acknowledges that this man is sacrificing his time to intently look at her because there is something beautifully intriguing about her. His tone has become heavy when explaining his sorrow because it saddens him that she does not value herself in the way that he does.

            He further expresses his sorrow by saying, “You never credit yourself so when you got older / It seems like you came back ten times over.” He points out that she has remained insecure and never acknowledged her looks, talents, and worth. She had developed a habit of devaluing herself because she never believed in herself, and constantly returned to familiar experiences and people because she knew that with them she would not get hurt. And because of this, she was did not go outside of her comfort zone and take hold of what she wanted in her life.

            Lil Wayne’s tone changes for the last time in this section as he transitions into the peak of the verse. We begin to hear a hint of anger as he finishes recollecting his past with her and expresses how he views and feels towards it. “Now you’re sitting here in this damn corner / Looking through all your thoughts and looking over your shoulder.” He is showing her that when she looks back at her past, she is going to realize and regret not taking chances. What saddens and frustrates Lil Wayne the most is that she was not able to change her state of mind due to her lack of confidence. “Looking over her shoulders,” implies that even though she regrets the way she viewed and lived her life, she still cannot trust anybody, and is always alert to ensure that nobody is out to harm her.