Released: November 20, 2009

Songwriter: Mikkel Storleer Eriksen Johntá Austin Tor Erik Hermansen Beyoncé

Producer: Beyoncé StarGate

[Verse 1]
You’re bad for me
I clearly get it
I don’t see how something good could come from loving you
The death of me must be your mission
'Cause with every hug and kiss, you’re snatching every bit of strength
That I’m gon' need to fight off the inevitable
And it’s a heart-breakin' situation I’m up in, but I can’t control

[Chorus]
You’re just like poison
Slowly moving through my system
Breaking all of my defenses with time
You’re just like poison and I just don’t get it
How can something so deadly feel so right?
I’m not sure of what to do
It’s a catch 22
'Cause the cure is found in you
I don’t want it, but I do
You’re just like poison
My affliction, I’m addicted, I can't lie
Kiss me one more time before I die

[Verse 2]
You ain't right, take me high
Then that high, it subsides
And my body flat-lines
Then you come to revive
Wait, wait, wait, I’m alive
But how long will it last?
Will it all come crashing down?
How many doses am I needing now?
What’s the prognosis, will you be around?
Or am I just another victim of an assassin that broke my heart down?

[Chorus]
Baby, you’re just like poison
Slowly moving through my system
Breaking all of my defenses with time
You’re just like poison and I just don’t get it
How can something so deadly feel so right?
I’m not sure of what to do
It’s a catch 22
'Cause the cure is found in you
I don’t want it, but I do
You’re just like poison
My affliction, I’m addicted, I can't lie
Kiss me one more time before I die

[Bridge]
It’s just not my body (no)
It’s my mind
You don’t know how many times I told myself this can't do
And that I don’t need you (no, I don’t need you, no)
It’s so unfair
That I find myself right back in your care
And what’s good is that when you’re not always there
(there, there)
You're no good for my health, my health

You’re just like poison (whoa, whoa, whoa)
You’re just like poison (whoa, whoa, whoa)

[Chorus]
You’re just like poison
Slowly moving through my system
Breaking all of my defenses with time
You’re just like poison and I just don’t get it
How can something so deadly feel so right?
I’m not sure of what to do
It’s a catch 22
'Cause the cure is found in you
I don’t want it, but I do
You’re just like poison
My affliction, I’m addicted, I can't lie
Baby, kiss me one more time

[Chorus]
You’re just like poison
Slowly moving through my system
Breaking all of my defenses with time
You’re just like poison and I just don’t get it
How can something so deadly feel so right?
I’m not sure of what to do
It’s a catch 22
'Cause the cure is found in you
I don’t want it, do
You’re just like poison
I’m addicted, I can't lie
Kiss me one more time before I die

Beyoncé

In the twenty-first century, no pop star was as poised, as polished, or as generally fierce as Beyoncé. She scored early success with Destiny’s Child, who started out as a sexier and sassier (if less adult) version of TLC, then steadily became more and more of a vehicle for Beyoncé’s operatic vocals and general diva-tude, which may have been the plan all along.

Whether appearing in TV spots, co-starring in films like Dreamgirls, or killing it every night on stadium tours, Beyoncé was omnipresent in the 2000s. Almost everybody, Beygency member or otherwise, loved shiny, hip-hop-fueled hits like “Crazy in Love”, and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”. Moving into the 2010s, Beyoncé fights on, gaining more and more traction in pop culture with her work and music.

She has made a significant impact upon the music landscape in general with her recent albums 4 and BEYONCÉ, which explored complex themes like motherhood, feminism, marriage, sexuality, and doubt in a greater depth. With Lemonade, she went a step further—the fierce, intimate exploration of marriage, infidelity, and forgiveness was her most personal and musically daring album yet.