I'm living in that 21st century
Doing something mean to it
Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
I guess every superhero need his theme music

No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
(21st-century schizoid man)

The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
We ain't got nothin' to lose, motherfucker, we rollin'
Huh? Motherfucker, we rollin'
With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
Huh? I'll see you in the mornin'
This is way too much, I need a moment

No one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours

And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
(21st-century schizoid man)

Fuck SNL and the whole cast
Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes
You short-minded niggas thoughts is Napoleon
My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He knows he so fuckin' gifted
I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
Reality is catching up with me
Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody
With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece

Thinkin', no one man should have all that power
The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the powder
'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours

And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
And they say, and they say
(21st-century schizoid man)

Colin Powells, Austin Powers
Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation
At the end of the day, goddammit, I'm killin' this shit
I know damn well y'all feeling this shit
I don't need your pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick
I ain't gotta power trip, who you goin' home with?
How 'Ye doing? I'm surviving
I was drinking earlier, now I'm driving
Where the bad bitches, huh? Where y'all hiding?
I got the power make your life so exciting

Now this will be a beautiful death
I'm jumping out the window
I'm letting everything go
I'm letting everything go
Mmm, now this will be a beautiful death
I'm jumping out the window
I'm letting everything go
I'm letting everything go
Now this will be a beautiful death
Jumping out the window
Letting everything go
Letting everything go
You got the power to let power go?
(21st-century schizoid man)

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kanye West's song "Power" explore themes of fame, power, and identity. The song begins with West acknowledging his status as a powerful figure in the 21st century and boasting about his ability to do things better than anyone else. He goes on to address the broken systems and inequalities in the world, suggesting that he and other marginalized individuals have nothing to lose and are therefore "rollin'" with the punches. However, West also acknowledges the weight of responsibility that comes with having power, and hints at the struggle to balance his childlike creativity with the pressures of adulthood.

The hook of the song, "No one man should have all that power," is a recurring reminder of the dangers of unchecked power and serves as a warning against hubris. West ends the song with a series of provocative lines, including references to Colin Powell and Austin Powers, and controversial statements about his relationship to former President Barack Obama. The repeated refrain of "21st-century schizoid man" adds an additional layer of meaning, connecting West's personal struggles with those of a chaotic modern world.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm living in that 21st century
Kanye is living in modern times

Doing something mean to it
He's doing something great and dominating the world

Do it better than anybody you ever seen do it
He's doing what he does better than anyone else

Screams from the haters, got a nice ring to it
Haters fuel his success

I guess every superhero need his theme music
Every successful person needs inspiration

No one man should have all that power
No one person should have too much power

The clock's ticking, I just count the hours
He's aware of the passage of time

Stop tripping, I'm tripping off the power
He's high on power and its effects

(21st-century schizoid man)

The system broken, and the school's closed, the prisons open
Society is messed up and failing the people

We ain't got nothin' to lose, ma'fucka, we rollin'
When you have nothing to lose, you can take risks

With some light-skinned girls and some Kelly Rowlands
He's partying with women

In this white man's world, we the ones chosen
Black people are the chosen ones in a society where white people dominate

So goodnight, cruel world, I'll see you in the mornin'
He's escaping from the harsh reality that is the world

This is way too much, I need a moment
He's overwhelmed and needs a break to process everything

'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
Until then, he's taking over the world

Fuck SNL and the whole cast
He's expressing his dislike for Saturday Night Live and its cast

Tell 'em Yeezy said they can kiss my whole ass
He's telling them to kiss his buttocks

More specifically, they can kiss my asshole
They can kiss his rectum

I'm an asshole? You niggas got jokes
He's aware of what people say about him

You short-minded niggas thoughts is Napoleon
He believes people who insult him are short-sighted

My furs is Mongolian, my ice brought the goalies in
He has expensive clothing and jewelry

Now I embody every characteristic of the egotistic
He has become the embodiment of an egotistical person

He knows he so fuckin' gifted
He is aware of his talent

I just needed time alone, with my own thoughts
He needed some alone time to think

Got treasures in my mind but couldn't open up my own vault
He has a lot of great ideas but struggles to express them

My childlike creativity, purity and honesty
He possesses qualities that are associated with children

Is honestly being crowded by these grown thoughts
His creativity is being challenged by the seriousness of adult thinking

Reality is catching up with me
He's becoming aware of what's really happening around him

Taking my inner child, I'm fighting for custody
He's trying to reclaim his childlike imagination and creativity

With these responsibilities that they entrusted me
The people around him have given him responsibilities

As I look down at my diamond encrusted piece
He's admiring his expensive jewelry

Thinkin', no one man should have all that power
He's contemplating whether he should have so much power

'Til then, fuck that, the world's ours
For now, he's taking over the world

Colin Powells, Austin Powers
He's naming some famous people

Lost in translation with a whole fuckin' nation
There is miscommunication between him and the nation

They say I was the abomination of Obama's nation
Some people believe he was a disgrace to the Obama administration

Well that's a pretty bad way to start the conversation
He's acknowledging that this is not a great way to begin a discussion

At the end of the day, goddammit, I'm killin' this shit
Despite the hate, he's doing really well

I know damn well y'all feeling this shit
He's confident that people like his music

I don't need your pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick
He doesn't need anyone's approval or help

I ain't gotta power trip, who you goin' home with?
He doesn't need power to attract women

How 'Ye doing? I'm surviving
He's still alive and well

I was drinking earlier, now I'm driving
He's admitting to drinking and driving

Where the bad bitches, huh? Where y'all hiding?
He's looking for attractive women

I got the power make your life so exciting
He believes he can make someone's life exciting

Now this will be a beautiful death
He sees death as a beautiful thing

I'm jumping out the window
He's taking a leap of faith

I'm letting everything go
He's letting go of everything that holds him back

You got the power to let power go?
He's questioning whether someone has the ability to relinquish power

(21st-century schizoid man)

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Royalty Network, Sentric Music, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Hipgnosis Songs Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Robert Fripp, Ian Mcdonald, Greg Lake, Nathan Perez, Michael Giles, Peter Sinfield, Malik Yusef Jones, Larry Griffin, Francois Bernheim, Gerard Bergman, Mike Dean, Jean Pierre Lang

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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