After that song by Usher and Alicia Keys the term 'Boo' became universal, every Sally, Jane and their best friend proudly boasted about their boo. The term somehow indicated that not only was the guy in question your boyfriend but also 'that one person that will always have your heart' and therefore somehow made the relationship seem to have a more 'serious' nature (bear in mind I was in secondary school when the song came out!).
I like reminiscing about the past, either via conversations with friends, looking through old photo albums or just listening to old skool jams (the 90's always get me grooving). I was doing just that when the song started to play. Naturally I was filled with good memories of those days and how much had changed since then and then, in true woman fashion (read 'Man, I feel like a woman!' for details), I started thinking of the true meaning of that song. It's all fun and games when you're in your teens and you call the guy of the moment your boo but according to Usher and Alicia a boo wasn't just the guy/girl you were with at the time, it was the person that you will basically love forever no matter what! Is it just me or is that just a nice way of saying "This person will scar you for life"!?
It may sound a little melodramatic but let's analyse the lyrics - this person is essentially your first real love and chances are you will not end up together (hats off to the married high school sweethearts) but because you had such a great connection with them you will always love them and 'even though there's another man who's in my life'/'another brother's taken over' this boo will always 'see it in your eyes'! Now depending on whether you break up on good or bad terms you may or may not want to remember the person who 'I knew you were the one I could spend my life with' but by the sounds of this song you just don't have a choice in the matter. Depressing or what!?
I had a guy who I always thought was my boo (we never actually dated - long story!) but it turns out I was wrong. How do I know? Well as the song said 'you never see it coming cause you're blinded from the start' and boy did it hit me over the head! I couldn't deny it even if I tried! The song would only make sense with this Mr. X and as much love as I have for my old boo, this boo was the one 'that one person that would...have your heart' (I won't say 'always' till I see my Tacori lol)
However, the realization that the person I had always considered to be my boo wasn't actually the 'real' boo got me thinking - until I get married will I ever really know who my boo is? I mean we can all pick a person and decide they were/are the boo but until we are in our lifelong relationships are we able to look back and really say who it was that really left that boo scar? And where does the boo leave your lifelong partner? Since the boo 'will always have your heart' what are you giving them? I'd hate to think everyone marries their second best because, as much as you loved the boo, they weren't right for you so you chose a person who you loved less but ticked all the boxes. And are they always going to have to compete with the love/connection/chemistry you had with your boo? Doesn't seem fair to me. I'd hate to bump into my husband's ex and witness the 'its still in your eyes...I know we haven't seen each other in a while but you will always be my boo' part of the song! Boo doesn't seem like such a nice title any more huh.
As I said in my previous post I guess I'm just becoming a woman and therefore these little things are having an enhanced meaning but the same way B.I.G's 'One more chance' was just a party tune as a child and became something entirely different as an adult, the song 'My boo' now symbolises something different to me, more of a bitter-sweet situation than just a high school related jam.
Whatever the weather though, we cannot deny a good collaboration when we see/hear one so thumbs up to Usher and Alicia Keys for making a track that gets us screaming "Tuuuuuunnnnnnneeeee" every time we hear it!
First Published: Feb 16, 2011