Don't Cry (2018)
Stay Tuned
--
I sip from the fountain of youth
So if I die young blame the juice
Bury me in New Orleans
Tombstone reads "Don't Cry, Stay Tuned"
Bring me back to life
Got to lose a life just to have a life
But if Heaven's as good as advertised
I want a Triple Extension on my mothafuckin afterlife
Rest in Paradise
--
When Wayne gets introspective, I try to pay extra attention. When he starts talking about his own death, I think everyone should pay attention. I remember Tupac doing this quite a bit, and it feels kind of like a meditative exercise that helps put one's situation in perspective. I don't know if Wayne consciously put more effort into these lyrics or if they came as naturally as always, but I think he absolutely nailed the imagery and message in those first four lines.
One thing I realized while working on this is that the line "Bring me back to life" works as a continuation of what's written on the tombstone; if you stay Tuned (play his music), you can bring him back to life, even if only for that moment. The next line is a bit too deep for me to explain, even to myself, but there's a strange feeling of truth to it. More of that Martian shit, I suppose.
The last thing I wanted to point out is how Wayne consistently pays respect to the artist he's working with, or anyone else he finds deserving. In the contemplation of his own death, he helps immortalize a fellow King through his art and his voice. I can only hope to one day be as worthy 🙏