“I want the time of my life”
Pitbull and Ne-Yo and the Power of Now
“I knew my rent was gon’ be late about a week ago
I worked my ass off, but I still can’t pay it though
But I got just enough
To get off in this club
Have me a good time, before my time is up
Hey, let’s get it now”
— Ne-Yo.
Everyone struggles. Whether they are internal or external, everyone experiences difficulties in this journey of life. Through Pitbull rapping and Ne-Yo singing, this super group compels us to push through these tough times. Whatever your problems, you can appreciate this song.
I first heard the song “Time of Our Lives” in 2015. As a nine-year-old this was a fun song to jam out to at a cookout or pool-party, but now as a sixteen-year-old, this song has much more moral significance to me.
“I worked my ass off, but I still can’t pay it though”
Ne-Yo is elucidating in this lyric about how even though he got paid last week, it isn’t going to cover his rent and bills. Most can relate to this feeling. Even though Ne-Yo’s rent is unpaid, he is going to make his time on Earth memorable. He knows you have only one life and he is going to make the most of it. Ne-Yo is going out to the club to stay alive and not be a slave to the system of working, paying your bills, and living life passively.
Obviously, I have no obligation to pay bills. As a teenager, money goes quick there’s always something fun to do. So, in some sense you have to pick your financial battles. After working hard all summer, do I buy new Gucci loafers or an XBox?
There is no right answer, but there must be moderation. You can’t go out every night and blow all your money in the club, but you also shouldn’t sit in your apartment every night worrying about how to make rent.
“Oooh! I want the time of my life
Oh baby, ooh…
Give me the time of my life
Eh, eh, eh
Let’s get it now”
In the first verse, Ne-Yo wants to forget life’s problems and live in the moment. All the tough times, financial issues, and relationship drama will dissolve in the music, the night air, the mimosas, and the touch of another. Ne-Yo is desirably searching for the time of his life in the club.
“Life is now. There was never a time when your life was not now, nor will there ever be.” — Eckhart Tolle
Ne-Yo wants The Power of Now or to live in the moment, also the title of a popular book on spirituality by Eckhart Tolle. The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment is a guide to release our pain, discover our true selves, and find inner peace deep within ourselves. Ne-Yo wants to release his pain retaining to not making rent, weekday problems, tough times, and other inner struggles.
This song has almost one billion plays. There’s a reason for this and it is that when people are listening to this song they are trying to forget about their internal struggles and live in the moment. The moment in which they are listening to “Time of Our Lives” while having the time of their lives.
I was nine years old when I first heard this song. For me this song was released when I was eight but wasn’t exposed to it until I was nine. At first, I thought it was just about being a young adult just wanting to have fun all the time. Growing up into almost a young adult this song has a completely different meaning than I first interpreted. The actual meaning of the song has more significance to me now. I know now what it is like to struggle internally and to have to win that battle within yourself. It has taught me to not only live in the moment, but also appreciate the good times.
“This the last twenty dollars I got
But I’ma have a good time ballin’ tonight”
Pit Bull only has twenty dollars left to spend before everything is gone. He has the option to spend it on rent or go to the club for a time of a lifetime. This is a situation many people today face. Pitbull chooses to go out in the club through living in the moment. He does this through focusing on what’s going on right then and there. Pitbull is also grateful for what he has, which is a leading factor in why he chooses to go out.
“This for everybody going through tough times
Believe me, been there, done that
But every day above ground is a great day, remember that”
Pitbull has been through tough times and can appreciate the good times in life and going out into the club is how Pitbull enjoys himself. However, Pitbull is trying to get those going through tough times while listening to the song to clutch up and make it out. Pitbull is also explicitly relaying the message that every day is a new day; a new start and you start it by having the time of your life.
“Tonight I’mma lose my mind
Better get yours cause I’m gonna get mine”
Pitbull is dead set on enjoying himself so much. In return he is going to lose his sense of his surroundings and party with no worries. He is accepting things as they are and not how he wants them to be. He is going to not worry about his rent as earlier mentioned. Not that everyone pays rent, but I’m sure they can apply the concept of rent to another part of their life. For me, on a Saturday night with friends not one ounce of my body is consumed with the thought of homework that’s due on Monday. Now living a life with this philosophy all the time will create bad habits and result in failure, but that’s what Friday and Saturday night are for. What they are exactly for varies from person to person, but one thing is for certain, that it’s a time to forget what happened the previous work week and take time to focus on now.
You can go out and party all Saturday night and into Sunday morning and still go to church. If you’re truly living in the moment Saturday night in a club, you are more than likely not worried about church or synagogue in the morning. When the club closes Sunday morning, you can go out for breakfast.
No matter who you are, you can listen to “Time of Our Lives” and appreciate the meaning behind it. It has more meaning for some than others, but it has meaning for everyone.
