Chicago Black Girl Magic

On Jamila Woods' first album HEAVN the track "Heavn" is what I will be arguing is music poetry. Jamila Woods is creatively using her music as a platform to share her stories of what being a black woman growing up in the city of Chicago. Due to being a very socially aware and creative woman, this album is also meant to very heavily relate the violence and hate that black people- especially highlighting Chicago- receive.

Wood's is a very creative and successful woman in Chicago being the Associate Artistic Director of Young Chicago Authors, so she knows a thing or two about how impactful words can be. Like any good poem, HEAVN is a great mix of figurative and literal language dispersed throughout her entire album.
Looking at "Heavn" specifically, there are many key lines that help portray the meaning of her song.

The main idea behind the song "Heavn" is to have the audience listen to a story about black love and how it is so hard but so simplistic. Woods ties in a lot of black history-slavery in particular- and generations of black love.
Looking at the lines in her first verse:

Show me, show me, show me how you do that trickThe one that makes you love someoneThe world wants us so numb and aloneShow me, show me, show me how you do itThe one that makes the winters warmThe one where summer never comes

The lines above are a poem in themselves! The lines above show the intense desire for love, the kind of love that makes you feel so warm and happy. "The world want us so numb and alone" is showing how hard it is to be admired as a black woman due to being so oppressed. The last two lines are the more metaphorical lines, explaining how she wants a love that makes her happy and she wants 'the trick' to be able to make that happen.

I don't wanna run away with youI wanna live our life right here

These two lines are very multidimensional to me. Not only are they highlighting the desire to just stay and be in love, but it also connects to love during slavery. The concept of black lovers running away is connected to slavery but also the idea of just finding a home and staying put. (As seen in "Beloved" the desire to be with your loved ones is very strong, but they tend to stay in one place, like Sethe and Paul D. There was not a bunch of running around from house to house- 124 was the place for them.)

Nothing old, nothing new
Nothing borrowed, nothing blue

The lines above are very pretty to me as well as tell a lot for the story. The idea of something old, new, borrowed, and blue in regards to marriage is a tradition of sorts. By Jamila saying Nothing old/nothing new/ nothing borrowed/nothing blue, shows that her (great x6) grandparents were so in love they did not settle for the typical marriage ideals. 

All in all this piece is very beautifully written and Jamila's vocals complete the true essence of the song. Below is the link to check out the full lyrics and give it a listen!! :)
://genius.com/Jamila-woods-heavn-lyrics