Steve Lacy’s ‘Bad Habit’ Lyrics Are A ‘Relatable Story’—Why It’s ‘Kind of Freaky’
From his iPhone to the Grammys. After being in the hit R&B band The Internet and collaborating with the most prolific music stars to date, Steve Lacy is ready to show what Gemini Rights truly is. The virality of Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habits” lyrics makes us wish and wonder what they truly mean.
“Bad Habits” is the second single from Lacy’s latest album Gemini Rights. It launched him in the mainstream and peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard 100 Chart on October 8, 2022. It became the first song to ever top the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Hot R&B Songs and Hot Rock & Alternative Songs charts simultaneously. It’s also the first song of Lacy’s to enter the historic chart.
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Lacy was first nominated for a Grammy when he was 17, when The Internet’s Ego Death was nominated for Best Contemporary Album. His first solo album Apollo XXI also got nominated in the same category in 2020. This year at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards, he’s up for 4 awards. “Bad Habit” is nominated for Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance. Gemini Rights is nominated for Best Progressive R&B Album.
So what are Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” lyrics about? Read more about the song below.
What is “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy lyrics meaning?
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What do “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy lyrics mean? Collaborating with songwriter Fousheé, Gemini Rights tells the story of Lacy’s deteriorating relationships. “This album is about so many perspectives of a breakup. I got to translate my personality into a record, which is what I’m super excited about: This is a conversation with me.” he told GQ.
When asked about “Bad Habit,” he told the radio hosts Angela Yee and Charlamagne Tha God on The Breakfast Club, “I just felt it was a relatable story.” He later continued, “I’m shy, I’m really shy.” He later continued the story with Rolling Stone about how no one’s written a song like it before. “You know what’s funny about “Bad Habit” too? I was talking about this with a friend. It’s kind of also an underlying message of where I am in my life, like, ‘I wish I knew you wanted me.’ Take a fan or a listener, right? They want all these things from me, and I didn’t know. So I’m holding back from my true potential, because I just didn’t know.” He continued, “And it has to do with self-confidence, you know? But “Bad Habit” we found later on. We were talking about video concepts and stuff around this time. We were like, ‘Whoa, that’s actually wild. This actually relates to everything.’ It was kind of freaky.”
In an interview with The New York Times, Lacy described the process of making the song. “It started out as this really clean, alternative rock song,” Lacy said. He also told the newspaper that he added the serrated hip-hop percussion as both a narrative exclamation point and an affirmation of his Blackness.
The single became a viral hit on TikTok and Lacy was known to troll his audience by letting them sing the lyrics by themselves when they only know the viral part. At one concert, Lacy interrupted the song and broke a fan’s disposable camera on stage after an audience member threw it on stage, almost hitting Lacy. Lacy later apologized on Instagram, “maybe i couldve reacted better? sure. always. i’m a student of life. but i’m a real person with real feelings and real reactions. i’m not a product or a robot. i am human.”
On virality, he told W Magazine: “I love it. I want everybody to listen. It’s dope for everybody to interpret it in their own way. Am I gonna spend my energy being mad about my song doing well on TikTok? No, I’m not. I’ll spend my energy being grateful and working on more stuff.”
Steve Lacy “Bad Habit” Lyrics
Read Steve Lacy’s “Bad Habit” Lyrics below via Genius.
[Intro: Steve Lacy & Fousheé]
I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me
[Verse 1: Steve Lacy]
What you, ooh, uh, what you do?
Made a move, could’ve made a move
If I knew I’d be with you
Is it too late to pursue?
[Chorus: Steve Lacy]
I bite my tongue, it’s a bad habit
Kinda mad that I didn’t take a stab at it
Thought you were too good for me, my dear
Never gave me time of day, my dear
It’s okay, things happen for
Reasons that I think are sure, yeah
[Post-Chorus: Steve Lacy & Fousheé]
I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me (I wish I knew)
I wish I knew (Oh)
I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew (Yeah)
I wish I knew you wanted me (Oh)
I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me
[Verse 2: Steve Lacy]
Please say to me (Please, just say to me)
If you still want it
I wish you wouldn’t play with me
I wanna know (I wanna know)
[Chorus: Steve Lacy]
Can I bite your tongue like my bad habit?
Would you mind if I tried to make a pass at it?
No, you’re not too good for me, my dear
Funny you come back to me, my dear
It’s okay, things happen for
Reasons that I can’t ignore, yeah
[Post-Chorus: Steve Lacy & Fousheé]
I wish I knew
I wish I knew you wanted me
I wish I knew (Wish I knew)
I wish I knew you wanted me (Oh)
[Bridge: Steve Lacy]
You can’t surprise a Gemini (I wish I knew)
I’m everywhere, I’m cross-eyed, and (I wish I knew you wanted me)
Now that you’re back, I can’t decide (I wish I knew)
If I decide if you’re invited (I wish I knew you wanted me)
You always knew the way to wow me
Fuck around, get tongue-tied, and
I turn it on, I make it rowdy
Then carry on, but I’m not hidin’
You grabbin’ me hard ’cause you know what you found
It’s biscuits, it’s gravy, babe
[Instrumental Break]
[Outro: Steve Lacy, Steve Lacy & Fousheé]
You can’t surprise a Gemini
But you know it’s biscuits, it’s gravy, babe
I knew you’d come back around
‘Cause you know it’s biscuits, it’s gravy, babe
Let’s fuck in the back of the mall, lose control
Go stupid, go crazy, babe
I know I’ll be in your heart ’til the end
You’ll miss me, don’t beg me, babe
Gemini Rights by Steve Lacy
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