Burgundy

Album: Doris (2013)
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Songfacts®:

  • Earl linked up with The Neptunes and Chicago producers Christian Rich for this track. Christian Rich's Taiwo revealed to MTV News that Pharrell Williams spent most of the day working on Robin Thicke 's smash hit "Blurred Lines," but took a short break to knock out this track with his Neptunes partner, Chad Hugo. "Pharrell was in the next room making 'Blurred Lines' with Robin Thicke [although] we didn't know it was 'Blurred Lines' back then," Taiwo explained. "He came in and was like, 'This is the slowest beat I ever did, it's like 60 BPM — here. He literally walked out for 20 minutes and came back in."
  • Earl's friend and fellow L.A. MC, Vince Staples, contributes an eerie introduction in which he tells the rapper to snap out of his depression, shut up and rap:

    "Why you so depressed and sad all the time like a little bitch?
    What's the problem, man?
    Niggas want to hear you rap
    Don't nobody care how you feel."

    Earl then proceeds to explain what's getting him down:

    "My grandma's passing
    But I'm too busy trying to get this f–kin' album crackin'
    To see her, so I apologize in advance if anything should happen
    And my priorities are f–ked up I know it
    Afraid I'm gonna blow it."

    Earl is concerned that he's got the balance wrong between pursuing his musical career and family life. However, he's working hard to complete the album and is unable to visit his ill Grandma, Doris, (whom the album is named after).
  • The song title does not appear in the lyrics, but is a reference to Earl's grandma's Burgundy carpet.
  • The "Cut that bitch off!" vocal in the backdrop is sampled from Preacher's "The Power of the Truth."
  • Sweatshirt made his national television debut on August 9, 2013 when he performed this song on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.

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