by YoungBoy Never Broke Again · 2024
The song “How I Been” by YoungBoy Never Broke Again is about coping with heartbreak and betrayal while trying to focus on self-improvement, money, and moving on, yet still struggling with lingering feelings for a past lover.
This song has been Shazamed over 451,558 times. As of this writing, How I Been is ranked 172
How I Been’ by YoungBoy Never Broke Again is a song about heartbreak, loyalty, and trying to heal after love goes wrong. We’re going to break down what the lyrics mean and why so many people feel connected to this track. ⬇️
️ The atmosphere of “How I Been” is thick with longing and emotional turbulence, creating a moody landscape where pain and hope intermingle. YoungBoy guides us through a narrative of self-reflection, betrayal, and the never-ending battle to move forward.
The chorus, that repeating pulse—counting money, working on himself, trying to explain how he’s really been. There’s an ache beneath those words: wishing the person he loves finds someone who’ll love them the way he did, hoping they’re not just a memory but maybe still something more. We can almost feel the late-night solitude, the clatter of bills mixing with thoughts that refuse to leave, the deep need for closure that never quite arrives.
️ Within the verses, the details become raw and messy: critics blogging his name, fake relationships, desperate attempts to hold onto love, and moments of pure vulnerability (“Your name could make me tat three times on my face”). He exposes the push-pull of desire and resentment, the chase for affection even when trust is shattered. Lyrics like “Vision your face as I be with somebody / Every move that I make, I be wantin’ you on side me” are confessions that pierce through bravado and reveal a mind haunted by memories, stuck between letting go and holding tight.
At its core, the song is a confessional—YoungBoy wrestling with blame, shame, and the need to heal, while still clinging to the hope that someone, somewhere, understands the pain behind his choices. The refrain echoes like a late-night thought loop, questions and regrets ricocheting off the walls of his mind, while he tries to convince both himself and us that he’s moving on.
Ultimately, “How I Been” is YoungBoy’s unfiltered plea for understanding—a window into the wounded, complicated heart that beats beneath the surface bravado.
Writer(s) of How I Been:
