‘Yesterday’ – Atmosphere, 2008
Taken from the the album with an absolute class name ‘When Life give you lemons, you paint that shit gold’ by the the American hip-hop artists Atmospshere who hail from the US state of Minnesota – from my limited hop-hop knowledge, Minnesota is not a state you would usually associate with hip-hop.
The song speaks of a person walking down the street and thinks they notice an old flame walking down the other side of the street as described at the start of the first verse:
‘I thought I saw you yesterday
But I didn’t stop, ’cause you was walkin’ the opposite way
I guess I coulda’ shouted out ya name
But even if it was you, I don’t know what I would say
We could sit and reminisce about the old school’
This unintended encounter brings the memories flooding back of the relationship he enjoyed with that person and for the most part, being remorseful about his contribution:
‘Break it down and explain these mistakes I make’
and
‘I’m shook, I know, I pushed when I shoulda’ pulled’
and finally
‘I’m sorry, it’s official I was a fist-full, I didn’t keep it simple ‘
In the chorus he readily admits that he misses it all and seems to want it back.
‘Looked just like you
Strange thangs my imagination might do
Take a breath, reflect on what we been through
Or am I just goin’ crazy ’cause I miss you?
‘
This is a thoroughly enjoyable, catchy song helped enourmously by the sampling of a well known song used throughout. The video is here. If anybody knows the name of the song sampled can you let me know?
