W.a.y.s. jhene aiko lyrics

At forty-four minutes to four
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul
Told me he thinks that I should know
That there's no slowing down
As the globe spins 'round and 'round
You gotta keep going, gotta keep going
Gotta keep going, you gotta keep going
Gotta keep going, you gotta keep going
You gotta keep going, you gotta keep going
You gotta keep going

If there's one thing that I learned
While in those county lines
It's that everything takes time
You have gotta lose your pride
You have gotta lose your mind
Just to find your peace of mind
You have got to trust the signs
Everything will turn out fine

So why aren't you smiling? Why aren't you smiling?
Life can get wild when, you caught in the whirl wind
Lost in the whirl wind, you're chasing the wind
You gotta understand
There's really no end, there's really no beginning
There's really no real, there's really no pretending
There's really no fail, there's really no winning
Cause nothing really is and everything really isn't

At forty-four minutes to four
An angel walked up to my door
Opened the windows to my soul
Told me he thinks that I should know
That life only gets harder but you gotta get stronger
This is for my brother, I do this for my daughter
That's why I keep going, that's why I keep going
That's why I keep going
That's why I keep going, I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going, I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going, gotta keep going
Gotta keep going

I gotta show them, that I can keep going
I gotta keep going, I gotta keep going
I gotta keep going

Why aren't you smiling? Why aren't you smiling?
Life can get wild when, you caught in the whirl wind
Lost in the whirl wind, you're chasing the wind
You gotta understand
There's really no end, there's really no beginning
There's really no real, there's really no pretending
There's really no fail, there's really no winning
Cause nothing really is and everything really isn't
That's why I keep going

Songfacts®:

• Jhené Aiko reminds us here that when life is a struggle, "You gotta keep going" and shake off negative thoughts. The song's title is an acronym for the singer's late brother Miyagi's favorite saying, "Why Aren't You Smiling?" Miyagi died from cancer on July 19, 2012, and he tweeted the phrase during his treatment to provide positivity to all his loved ones.

• Aiko has a tattoo with tiny characters on her left wrist that says, "Why aren't you smiling?"

• The Californian singer founded the WAYS Foundation in honor of her late brother. Launched on December 25, 2017, Aiko dedicated the organization to offering financial support to cancer patients and additional support for their families.

• Aiko wrote the song with bassist and vocalist Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, New Jersey musician Clams Casino, and the track's producers, The Fisticuffs. The production duo of Mac "Fisticuffs" Robinson and Brian "Fisticuffs" Warfield also supplied the beat for three other Souled Out tracks, including the single "The Pressure."

• Aiko's grieving over the loss of her brother feeds into several other Souled Out tracks. One of the songs, "Promises," features additional vocals by Miyagi.