Say It

Album: I Told You (2015)
Charted: 23
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Daystar Peterson is a Canadian rapper/singer who is signed to Benny Blanco's Mad Love Records and Interscope Records and records under the name of Tory Lanez. This sensual jam is the first single from his debut album.
  • The song finds Lanez at the wheel of his foreign car with a girl. He tells her to "let it go" and go with the flow.

    And you know, you know
    And you know, in this foreign car let it go
    And you know, you know
    And you know, in this foreign car let you know


    Lanez wrote in a Rap Genius annotation: "I'm an extremely fast driver. I like to get places very fast. Some people don't like driving with me. But the way foreign cars drive, the comfortability of sitting in a luxurious car - everybody wants to feel that at some point in their life."
  • The song samples on the pre-hook Brownstone's "If You Love Me," a #8 Hot 100 hit American R&B group in 1995.

    Lanez brought out Brownstone to help him sing the song on Jimmy Kimmel Live, effectively reuniting the R&B trio for their first performance in nearly 20 years.
  • Ed Sheeran was an early fan of "Say." He released a cover of the song on SoundCloud on September 19, 2015.
  • Asked by Billboard magazine what inspired the song, he replied: "For me, it was a couple of real-life situations. I've had situations where maybe a girl would front on me - I'm talking about holler at you and you're acting like you're too hot just because you had a couple Instagram followers."

    "One day they front on you. The next day, they like you. The next day, something else happens. So I think it was just based off of those situations, and the song is basically just talking about a girl who wouldn't like me if I weren't 'in this foreign car,' etc. It's about doing more, proving that it's not just about [the superficial stuff]. It was inspired off of, you know, regular life."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. Televangelists

Jesus Thinks You're a Jerk: Rock vs. TelevangelistsSong Writing

When televangelists like Jimmy Swaggart took on rockers like Ozzy Osbourne and Metallica, the rockers retaliated. Bono could even be seen mocking the preachers.

Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers

Bill Medley of The Righteous BrothersSongwriter Interviews

Medley looks back on "Unchained Melody" and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" - his huge hits from the '60s that were later revived in movies.

Amy Grant

Amy GrantSongwriter Interviews

The top Contemporary Christian artist of all time on song inspirations and what she learned from Johnny Carson.

The Punk Photography of Chris Stein

The Punk Photography of Chris SteinSong Writing

Chris Stein of Blondie shares photos and stories from his book about the New York City punk scene.

Michael Franti

Michael FrantiSongwriter Interviews

Franti tells the story behind his hit "Say Hey (I Love You)" and explains why yoga is an integral part of his lifestyle and his Soulshine tour.

16 Songs With a Heartbeat

16 Songs With a HeartbeatSong Writing

We've heard of artists putting their hearts into their music, but some take it literally.