Tell Him
Ms. Lauryn Hill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Yo heh heh tell him it's like uhh you know uhh
Sweet sweet tell him

Let me be patient let me be kind
Make me unselfish without being blind
Though I may suffer I'll envy it not
And endure what comes
'Cause he's all that I got and tell him

Tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
And it'll be alright
Tell him tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
It'll be alright

Now I may have faith to make mountains fall
But if I lack love then I am nothin' at all
I can give away everything I possess
But left without love then I have no happiness
I know I'm imperfect (I know I'm imperfect)
And not without sin (and not without sin)
But now that I'm older all childish things end and tell him

Tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
And it'll be alright
Tell him tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
It'll be alright

I'll never be jealous
And I won't be too proud
'Cause love is not boastful
Ooh and love is not loud
Tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
Everything's gonna be alright

Now I may have wisdom and knowledge on earth
But if I speak wrong then what is it worth?
See what we now know is nothing compared
To the love that was shown when our lives were spared and tell him

Tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
And it'll be alright
Tell him tell him I need him
Tell him I love him
It'll be alright

Tell him that I need him
It'll be alright
It'll be alright see
It'll be alright see
When the evening comes
In the night time

In the morning
In the evening baby

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Ms. Lauryn Hill's song "Tell Him" speak of love, patience, kindness, and selflessness. The first verse talks about the need to be patient, kind, unselfish, and strong enough to endure whatever may come. The second verse speaks of the importance of love in one's life, that having everything else is worthless without love. She acknowledges her imperfections and her sins, but now that she's older, she realizes that she needs to grow up and let go of childish things. The final verse says that having wisdom and knowledge means nothing if you cannot speak and show love to others.

The chorus, "Tell him I need him, Tell him I love him, And it'll be alright," is the most significant part of the song, as it is what the whole song boils down to. It's about being vulnerable, honest, and true to your feelings and telling your significant other that you need them and love them, even though sometimes it takes everything inside of us to say it. The refrain of "Sweet, sweet tell him" is a callback to the beginning of the song, indicating that this repetition of the message is significant.

Overall, the song is a testament to the power of love and the necessity of communicating that love to those we care about. It implores people to be vulnerable, honest, and true to their feelings, acknowledging faults and the need for growth. It is an emotional song that speaks to the heart and soul of people.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo heh heh tell him it's like uhh you know uhh Sweet sweet tell him
Addressing someone to tell their lover a sweet message that is hard to express in words

Let me be patient let me be kind Make me unselfish without being blind Though I may suffer I'll envy it not And endure what comes 'Cause he's all that I got and tell him
Asking for the strength to be patient, kind, and selfless for the one they love, even during hard times

Tell him I need him Tell him I love him And it'll be alright Tell him tell him I need him Tell him I love him It'll be alright
Expressing the need and love for their partner, and the reassurance that everything will be alright if they have each other

Now I may have faith to make mountains fall But if I lack love then I am nothin' at all I can give away everything I possess But left without love then I have no happiness I know I'm imperfect (I know I'm imperfect) And not without sin (and not without sin) But now that I'm older all childish things end and tell him
Stating that even with impressive abilities, without love, they feel incomplete and unhappy, and accepting their imperfections in the name of love

I'll never be jealous And I won't be too proud 'Cause love is not boastful Ooh and love is not loud Tell him I need him Tell him I love him Everything's gonna be alright
Declaring that they will not let jealousy or pride get in the way of their love, as love is humble and gentle

Now I may have wisdom and knowledge on earth But if I speak wrong then what is it worth? See what we now know is nothing compared To the love that was shown when our lives were spared and tell him
Realizing that knowledge and wisdom pale in comparison to the power of love, which was shown during times of hardship

Tell him that I need him It'll be alright It'll be alright see It'll be alright see When the evening comes In the night time In the morning In the evening baby
Reiterating the message to tell their lover that they need them, and the reassurance that everything will be alright in all times of the day - morning, evening, and night

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Lauryn Hill

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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