I knew I was gonna see ya, I knew I was gonna see you again!
I was gonna see you again
Where your god damn book bag at?
Always carryin' that lil' book bag
Nobody want to see that
God damn fourth grader
Sit yo' ass down
Now he want to play it again like he got something else to do
You ain't got nothin' else to do
You ain't doing nothing wit yo life

Nothing with your life
What do you think this is?
You better look at me when I'm talkin' to you!
You think this is easy don't you?
You think this is promised
Oh ain't nothin promised with you
Look at my face, do I got a promise face?
Does it look like promise you anything?
Kanye!
Nigga! Is you snorin' in my class?
Wake up Mr. West! Mr. West

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Wake Up Mr. West by Kanye West are a depiction of the rapper’s frustration with a certain individual who, from the lines, appears to be either a student or someone relatively younger than Kanye. The tone of the song is characterized by a mix of aggression, sarcasm, and disappointment as Kanye rebukes the individual for what he perceives as nonchalance and a lack of direction in life. At the start of the song, Kanye expresses his expectation of running into the individual again and proceeds to criticize his constant carrying of a ‘lil’ book bag, which he considers unappealing to those around him. He then tells him to sit down as he has nothing else productive to do.

In the second part of the song, Kanye directly addresses the individual and questions his attitude towards life. The lines “Nothing with your life, What do you think this is?” reveal Kanye’s shock and disappointment at the individual’s apparent lack of ambition or direction. He then commands the individual to look at him while he’s talking to him, implying a sense of urgency and importance in the message he is trying to convey. He goes ahead to assert that there is no guarantee or assurance when it comes to success in life, and for this reason, there is a need for individuals to take advantage of the opportunities they have. In the end, Kanye directly addresses the individual, shouting, “Wake up Mr. West!” before the song comes to a close.

Line by Line Meaning

I knew I was gonna see ya, I knew I was gonna see you again!
I had a feeling that we would cross paths again

I was gonna see you again
Our meeting was inevitable

Where your god damn book bag at?
Why are you always carrying that bag?

Always carryin' that lil' book bag
You seem to always carry that small bag with you

Nobody want to see that
No one is interested in your bag

God damn fourth grader
You look childish with that bag

Sit yo' ass down
Please take a seat

Now he want to play it again like he got something else to do
You seem to be wasting time by playing again

You ain't got nothin' else to do
You don't seem to have anything meaningful to do

Nothing with your life
You are not doing anything meaningful with your life

What do you think this is?
What do you think is happening here?

You better look at me when I'm talkin' to you!
Pay attention when I'm talking to you

You think this is easy don't you?
You believe this is an easy task, don't you?

You think this is promised
You believe that things will work out as planned

Oh ain't nothin promised with you
Nothing is guaranteed with you

Look at my face, do I got a promise face?
Do I look like someone who can guarantee things?

Does it look like promise you anything?
Do I look like someone who is capable of making promises?

Kanye!
Hey Kanye!

Nigga! Is you snorin' in my class?
Are you sleeping in my class?

Wake up Mr. West! Mr. West
Please wake up Mr. West!

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Gerry Goffin, Kanye West, Michael Masser

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it