Hands On
Kanye West Lyrics

Hand 'em
Kanye is commanding someone to hand something to him

Hands up high, hands on, hands on
Kanye is asking for people to put their hands up and be one with him

Hands on, hands up
Kanye is urging people to put their hands on him and unite with him wholeheartedly

In your face, the reason
Kanye is making his presence felt by being in someone's face and being the reason for it

Cut out all the lights, He the light
Kanye is telling people to cut out all lights to recognize and follow him as he is the true light

Got pulled over, see the brights
He is being stopped by oppressive forces, interrogating him with flashlights

What you doin' on the street at night?
The oppressive forces are questioning Kanye's presence at night on the street

Wonder if they're gonna read your rights
Kanye is uncertain if the oppressive forces would acknowledge his human rights

Thirteenth Amendment, three strikes
Kanye is highlighting how the thirteenth amendment disproportionately targets black people with three strikes and results in harsh sentences

Made a left when I should've made a right
Kanye acknowledges his past mistakes as they may have led him down the wrong path

Told God last time on life
Kanye is reminding God that this is his last chance at life

Told the devil that I'm going on a strike
Kanye is rebelling against the devil's urge for him to yield negatively

Told the devil when I see him, on sight
Kanye says that he will confront the devil at first sight

I've been working for you my whole life
He is pointing out that he has dedicated his life to serving God

Nothing worse than a hypocrite
He is pointing out how hypocrites are the worst type of people

Change, he ain't really different
He is highlighting how people are afraid of change even if it's for the better

He ain't even try to get permission
He is calling out how others are quick to judge and criticize without understanding or attempting to learn for themselves

Ask for advice and they dissed him
He is pointing out how his request for advice was met with disapproval instead of constructive criticism

Said I'm finna do a gospel album
He is telling people of his plan to create a gospel album

What have you been hearin' from the Christians?
He is questioning the motives and judgment of the Christian community

They'll be the first one to judge me
He is calling out the hypocrisy of the Christian community, who he believes will be quick to judge him

Make it feel like nobody love me
He is expressing how the judgment of others can make him feel alone and hated

Told people God was my mission
He is expressing that his mission in life is to spread the word of God

Make you feel alone in the dark and you'll never see the light
He is expressing how judgment and rejection can make you feel lost and in the dark, unable to see the light

Man, you're never seein' home and you never see the domes
He is expressing how, as a result of feeling lost, one can never find a place or a sense of home

I can feel it when I write, point of livin' in the right
He is expressing how he feels spiritually fulfilled when he is creating music

If they only see the wrongs, never listen to the songs
He is calling out those who only focus on the negatives and never take time to appreciate the good

Just to listen is a fight, but you booked me for the fight
He is acknowledging that it's a lot of work to understand and appreciate his music, but that people still pay to see him perform

It's so hard to get along if they only see the slight
He is pointing out how small issues can further divide people, even if they agree on the bigger picture

From the love of religion
He is acknowledging that he has issues with religion and how it can act as a divisive tool

I'm not tryna lead you to Visas
He is explaining that his intentions are not to lead people to a place of greed

But if I try to lead you to Jesus
He is explaining that his intentions are to lead people to Jesus and to a place of faith

We get called halfway believers
He is showing how people can be called hypocrites for not believing in something fully

Only halfway read Ephesians
He is acknowledging that people may only partially read the Bible

Only if they knew what I knew, uh
He is reflecting that if people knew what he knows, they would understand his perspective better

True and living God, Yeshua
He is praising the true and living God and calling him by name, Yeshua

I deserve all the criticism you got
He is acknowledging that he has done things in the past that deserve criticism

If that's all the love you have, that's all you got
He is acknowledging that if people can only give criticism and not love, then they are limited in their ability to understand or help him

To sing of change, you think I'm joking
He is acknowledging that people may not take him seriously when he talks about change and his desire to change the world through his music

To praise His name, you ask what I'm smoking
He is acknowledging that when he speaks about his faith and God, people question him and are often skeptical

Yes, I understand your reluctancy, yeah
He is acknowledging that people are wary or hesitant to believe in him

But I have a request, you see
He is asking people to listen to him and to give him a chance

Don't throw me up, lay your hands on me
He is asking people to not give up on him and to support him by laying their hands on him and praying for him

Please, pray for me
He is asking for people to pray for him and show him love and support through their actions

Hold myself on death
He is holding himself accountable for his actions and the consequences that come with them

Hold it down, all fallen down
He acknowledges that he has fallen down in the past but is working to rise up again

Somebody pray for me
He is asking for divine intervention and asking people to pray for him again

Hands up high, hands on, hands on
He is restating the chorus, asking people again to put their hands up and to be fully invested in what he is saying

Hands on, yeah, hands on
He is urging people again to put their hands on him and to be one with him

In your face, the reason
He is emphasizing that he is the reason people should listen to him and follow his message