911/ Mr Lonely

Tyler, the Creator has never been shy about releasing music that differs greatly from the music an artist like him is expected to produce, every since the first song of his first album of the same name, Bastard, and this side of his music was explored more than ever in his most recent album, (Scumfuck) Flower Boy. 911/ Mr Lonely was one of two singles released before the album, and is emblematic of Tyler's obsessively high standards of production, bringing on friends like Frank Ocean, Schoolboy Q and Steve Lacy, while also searching the corners of the earth for the perfect person to provide scant backup vocals, Anna of the North, a Norwegian pop singer who he had never previously met.

Flower Boy is very much meant to be listened to as a full album, exploring Tyler's feelings of anxiety and isolation, as well as him fully coming out of the closet, something that had been hinted at for years but still came as a surprise considering he's banned from the UK due to lyrics from 2009 (when he was 17) that were considered intolerant of homosexuals. However all of those lyrics were extremely tongue in cheek, and he was one of the first people to support his friend, Frank Ocean (featured on this song) when he came out.

911/ Mr Lonely, as the title suggests, is actually two interconnected short songs. They both reflect Tyler's exasperation of his friends seemingly drifting away from him.

911

                           (Call me)

                           911, call me some time

                           (You should call me)

                           911, call me some time

                           911 ( You should call me, oh)

                           911 (Call me)

Tyler is resenting how, similar to emergency services, people only call him for emergencies. People only ask him for things, rather than checking up on his as a friend. In Frank Ocean's verse, when he says:

                          These days you gotta find time
                          Even the night line
                          Work line                         
                          Dial nine 

This echos the constant motif found throughout the album, the apparent paradox of having nothing to do while simultaneously having no time to follow his pursuits. A night line is a service that provides anonymous overnight listening and emotional support, something Tyler wishes he had time to use. The line "Dial nine" is referring to how in business phone lines, you must dial 9 before inputting the number if to call a line outside the business. Tyler laments that no one finds time during their work to call him.

                         Five car garage
                         Full tank of the gas
                         But that don't mean nothing, nothing
                         Nothin', nothin', without you shotgun in the passenger
                    

Tyler is coming to the realization that money cannot buy him happiness. In fact, to him the two seem to have an inverse relationship. 

                        I'm the loneliest man alive

                        But I keep on dancing to throw 'em off

                        I'm gon' run out of moves 'cause I can't groove to the blues         

                        If you know any DJs, tell 'em to call me at 911...

Tyler is know being very funny and outgoing-presenting a carefree image. Here he reveals it to be a facade to mask his loneliness. When he says "I'm gon' run out of moves 'cause I can't groove to the blues" he is close to his breaking point, and cannot keep his act up any longer. 

Mr Lonely

While still being very alternative, Mr Lonely is unequivocally a rap song. 

                      

                      They say the loudest in the room is weak

                      That's what they assume, but I disagree

                      I say the loudest in the room

                      Is prolly the loneliest one in the room (that's me)

                      Attention seeker, public speaker

                      Oh my God, that boy there is so fuckin' lonely

                     

Once again Tyler is touches on how he acts out, but this time he is far more forthright, specifically saying it is because he is seeking attention.

                      Writin' songs about these people

                      Who do not exist, he's such a fuckin' phony

On his first three albums, Tyler spoke largely from the persona of alter egos such as Ace, Samuel, Wolf Haley, and his therapist. 

                     One thing I know, is that I wanna
                     Win so bad, but I'm not Chicago

This line was a huge source of confusion for me, but when asked about this line on Twitter, he reveals that "win" is used as a homophone for "wind," referencing Chicago's nickname, "The Windy City," something that does not translate well to paper.

                     I know you sick of me talkin' 'bout cars (skrrt)

                     But what the fuck else do you want from me?                     

                     That is the only thing keepin' me company                             

                     Purchase some things until I'm annoyed                     

                     These items is fillin' the void                    

                     Been fillin' it for so long                     

                     I don't even know if it's shit I enjoy (ohh)                     

                     Current battle as an adult                    

                     My partner is a shadow                   

Tyler knows he his putting too much significance on physical things, such as his cars, but defends himself, saying those are the only things in his life. His partner is a shadow, reflecting his desire for romance, but the only things keeping him company is his shadow. 

                      I need love, do you got some I could borrow?                     
                      Fuck it, I could find some tomorrow                    
                      But that never comes                    
                      Like a vasectomy, what have I done?

He knows that he could find love if he tries to, but he keeps putting it off. Just like someone may regret having a vasectomy, Tyler regrets constantly putting off meeting someone. It also uses "come" as a homophone for "cum," playing into the vasectomy line.

                     Never had a pet
                     I've never had a pet
                     There's more fish in the sea
                     But I never had a goldfish to begin with

Pets are thought to help develop empathy in children, and he is rationalizing his inability to connect with others by blaming it not having a pet. People may tell him that there are always more fish in the sea, but it doesn't matter to him how many opportunities for love there are when he won't be able to achieve the genuine connection he strives for.

                   Treat me like direct deposit
                   Check in on me sometime
                   Ask me how I'm really doin'
                   So I never have to press that 911

He hates that his friends treat him like a direct deposit at a bank, an automatic process. He believes his friends are purposely avoiding contact with him while taking his money. The second line describes what he wants his friends to do, while "check" playing on the previous line. The final line means either that Tyler is scared of harming himself or committing suicide, or he is scared of becoming reliant on someone in the same way that he is 911 for his friends.

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