The Real Meaning Behind H.E.R.'s 'Slide'

Publish date: 2024-03-16

So what's the meaning behind "Slide," R&B artist H.E.R's hit song? The word 'slide' itself, which is repeated six times in the chorus, actually has some significance to it, as H.E.R explained in an episode of Genuis' "Verified." 

"People in the Bay always say 'I'm finna slide,'" she said. "That's just the lingo you know? It's just that urgency of let's be in this moment." She explained that "slide" is slang for "when are we going?" or "where are we going?" in the San Francisco Bay Area, from which the singer hails. It's safe to say her hometown holds a pretty special place in her heart, as the city's lingo clearly inspired the song.

While H.E.R does not recall whether the word 'slide' or the melody came first during the songwriting process, she said, "everything was just a flow, like it felt so seamless in creation." 

The lyric "candy paint with the windows all black" is also another reference to her Bay Area upbringing. "When I think about the Bay Area, I think about being home in downtown Vallejo and seeing all the candy paint cars," she said. "That's really where that came from. I grew up seeing people ghost riding the whip and doing donuts in these amazing blue, purple, different color cars."

It's clear H.E.R has fond memories of her childhood and that the Bay Area helped make her who she is today. These personal elements also make the song that much more special for both fans and H.E.R.

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