Antoni 5,332 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 “I'm not nothing without a steady hand, I'm not nothing unless I know I can, I'm still something if I don't got a man, I'm a Free Woman”. The line in bold. What does this mean? Unless I know I can what? I just don't get it. My name isn't Timmers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
dynamite 55,505 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I think it's the double negative that's confusing, read it as "I'm nothing unless I know I can" - maybe meaning belief in yourself Edit: omg I'm watching the Zane Lowe interview and she just said those lyrics right after I posted. Free Woman next single confirmed Like a poem said by a neydy in red Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
River 113,560 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 No one can say that she's nothing, unless she's the one that can say that. Like she's in control of what she is, negative or positive. Come on and wrap that blade of grass around my hairy ass Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archduchess 2 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Something is nothing until it isn't anymore Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
shame 25,360 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 her grammar could mean anything angels forever, forever angels Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ToxicHot 6,444 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 "I'm not nothing unless I know I can" I think it's pretty much about persistence. She's in control of herself and can do anything as long she puts her mind to it. She's not NOTHING if she doesn't give up and continues to work toward achieving her goals. (Maybe? ) dOnT sAd ReAcT mE 2 bE sHaDy i WiLL RePoRt U!!1! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChromaticRaccoon 1,761 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 It's a double negative. So, someone might say "I'm nothing, unless I know I can" saying to believe in yourself, that you can succeed. And if you can't believe that, then what's the point However, Gaga is saying "I'm not nothing, unless I know I can" implying that just because she doubts herself, just because she has days were she doesn't believe she can do it, doesn't mean she isn't worth it, she's still her, flaws and all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hybrid AT 78 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 Unless she can... achieve anything. She's knows she can achieve anything and that's why she's not nothing. The double negative makes it a little confusing but at least that's how I interpret it. "I was protected by the monks of Azarath, I was raised by my friends. They are my family, this is my home and you are not welcome here." Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Antoni 5,332 Posted May 24, 2020 Author Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, dynamite said: I think it's the double negative that's confusing, read it as "I'm nothing unless I know I can" - maybe meaning belief in yourself Edit: omg I'm watching the Zane Lowe interview and she just said those lyrics right after I posted. Free Woman next single confirmed This makes the most sense of the comments so far and yet still doesn't make any sense "I'm nothing unless I know I can" still has no meaning to me even without the double negative My name isn't Timmers Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bling 31,288 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 My grammar-n*zi brain was triggered the first time I heard that line Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quasi 10,910 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 With the double negative there, don't they cancel out? So it would then be a positive, like "I'm something unless I know I can" which I think contradicts the message behind that line. Double negatives confuse the hell out of me. tease. I don't understand pineapples, so I don't eat bananas. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen 30,420 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 I think the line is grammatically incorrect unfortunately. The double negative doesn’t really make sense. She’s done this before like on Marry the Night, “NY is not just a tan that you’ll never lose.” The proper grammar would be either “NY is not just a tan that you’ll lose.” OR “NY is a tan that you’ll never lose.” Having both not and never contradicts the meaning I think in both cases (MTN and FW) the double negative doesn’t matter; it’s meant to be understood as a single negative. It should be “I’m not nothing, [as long as] I know I can”. Meaning as long as she believes in herself she IS something. Spoiler Unless I’m missing the point Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShadowHunter 866 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 2 hours ago, ToxicHot said: "I'm not nothing unless I know I can" I think it's pretty much about persistence. She's in control of herself and can do anything as long she puts her mind to it. She's not NOTHING if she doesn't give up and continues to work toward achieving her goals. (Maybe? ) This is the right answer. I’m not NOTHING unless I know I can, I’m not NOTHING without a steady hand. you thought i’d be nothing without a steady hand? Well I am NOT nothing. you thought i’d be nothing unless I knew I could? well I am NOT nothing idk either JAJAJA it is confusing still Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Awrah999 4,269 Posted May 24, 2020 Share Posted May 24, 2020 1 hour ago, Quasi said: With the double negative there, don't they cancel out? So it would then be a positive, like "I'm something unless I know I can" which I think contradicts the message behind that line. Double negatives confuse the hell out of me. tease. I agree with this! It’s confusing but you broke it down well. In the first line she’s saying she’s something without a steady hand aka she can be anxious/imperfect and still amount to something. In the second line she’s saying I’m something...unless I know I can. So she’s something of worth, but if she knows she can do something she isn’t really something after all. It’s like saying I know I can do something and therefore I don’t amount to anything at all Sonically it sounds great in the song and flows well so I don’t really care, but I agree with the OP it’s confusing as hell and acts like a triple negative. It would have made more sense if she said “I’m not nothing at least I know I can” OR “I’m not nothing unless I don’t care” which are two wrong variations of the lyrics floating around before Gaga confirmed the actual (triple negative) lyrics herself At least with those two it was only a double negative and would align with the message of the song being uplifting rather than saying you’re basically nothing if you believe in yourself Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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