Got ’Til It’s Gone Lyrics

[Intro: Janet Jackson & Q-Tip]
What's, what's the next song?
The one about me
Oh, yeah, I like this one
Uh, uh, like Joni says

[Chorus: Joni Mitchell]
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's

That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone

[Verse 1: Janet Jackson]
Have a feeling, now believing that you
Were the one I was meant to be with
Oh how I'm wishing, thinking, dreaming 'bout you, and the love
How'd I ever let you get away?

[Pre-Chorus: Joni Mitchell]
Don't it always seem
Don't it always seem
Don't it always seem
Don't it always seem
[Verse 3: Q-Tip]
One-two, one-two, yo
Let me just fuck with it for a minute, what
(That you don't what you've got til it's gone)
Now you realizing when them nights go long, right?
Campaign for me to stay when you know that I'm gone, right?
You act all wild, when I tell you to settle
I was working round the clock, but your girls want to meddle
Talk about I heard he swims with this chick on the beach
That was out with the tide but my love you impeach
Now you looking at the walls, head in hands, cold jonesin'
Ringing my house, hanging up and imposing

[Interlude: Q-Tip]
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that, huh?

And why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that and do that huh?
And why you wanna go and do that love, huh?
Now why you wanna go and do that?

[Chorus: Joni Mitchell & Q-Tip]
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
Don't it always seem to go
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone

Joni Mitchell never lies
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
[Outro: Q-Tip & Joni Mitchell]
Yo, do you feel that?
That you don't know what you've got 'til it's gone
You don't know what you've got 'til it's gone

Dust

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About

Genius Annotation

“Got ‘Til It’s Gone” was the lead single from Janet Jackson’s 1997 album The Velvet Rope.

Though Janet’s career-long production team Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis are credited as producers on this #1 song, its bassy neo-soul sound—an entirely different environment for Janet—points to beatsmith J Dilla as the chief architect of its sound. Both Dilla and Q-Tip were said to be chafed at this slanted producer credit. The duo, collectively known as The Ummah, dealt out their comeuppance by later issuing a remix of the single with the selfsame hallmarks of their original production and titling it “Got ‘Til It’s Gone (Ummah Jay Dee’s Revenge Mix).”

“Got ‘Til It’s Gone” is centered on a sample of Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi” where the folk troubadour sings “Don’t it always seem to go, that you don’t know what you’ve got 'til it’s gone?” Q-Tip echoes back ad-libs throughout the song saying, “Joni Mitchell never lies.”

A Mark Romanek-directed music video for the song won Janet a Grammy Award for Best Music Video – Short Form. Though the themed clip was inspired by a South African magazine called Drum) featured in the video, it was not filmed on location, but in a soundstage in Los Angeles. The video also debuted Janet’s now-iconic four-ponytail hairstyle, also reprised in the music video for the follow-up single “Together Again.”

Jackson spoke with Jet magazine about the meaning of this song:

“‘Got 'Til It’s Gone’ is about a great lesson learned – appreciate what you have while you have it. In my life, I try to take nothing for granted, even if I don’t always succeed.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did Janet Jackson say about "Got ’Til It’s Gone"?
Genius Answer

Jackson discusses the song:

How is this about q-tip? (As he says in the first part of the song)
Genius Answer

I think the song is more about the character Q-Tip is playing in the song. Janet’s verses are about a lover she regrets casting off, where Q-Tip’s rap is about being that cast-off lover who apparently isn’t too keen on coming back.

Was there any controversy revolved around the song?
Genius Answer

Yes. When “Got Til It’s Gone” was released in 1997, R&B music artist Des'ree accused and sued Jackson and her team of “borrowing” part of her song “Feel So High” and using it in “Got ‘Til It’s Gone”. Ultimately, the case was settled out of court and Des'ree was awarded 25% of the royalties from the song. Soon after it was settled, Des'ree released a statement on the ordeal:

My aim wasn’t to get money out of her. It was purely for justice to be done and a settlement to be reached, recognizing that she had borrowed' from my work and not given me credit. As I’ve always said, it would have been fine if she’d asked permission first. And this is happening with a lot of other artists' work when it comes to sampling'. We’re not being approached about people using elements of our music, not given a chance to say whether we approve or not and this, to me, is the key issue.

–via IrishTimes (1998)

Why wasn't J Dilla credited for this beat?
Credits
Featuring
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Performance Rights
Video Director
Uncredited Production
Assistant Mastering Engineer
Drum Programmer
Recording Engineer
Mastering Engineer
Recorded At
Flyte Tyme Studios (Edina, MN)
Release Date
October 7, 1997
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