Power
Kanye West Lyrics
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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, ma'fucka, we rollin'
Huh? Ma'fucka, 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)
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 © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, 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
@representation.
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, ma'fucka, we rollin'
Huh? Ma'fucka, 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
@representation.
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, ma'fucka, we rollin'
Huh? Ma'fucka, 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
@kabuki.2842
Nobody:
Men’s fragrance commercials:
@st4rmonii
Literally where I came from
@theLisRe4L
Invictus
@candaceanderson6251
😀
@candaceanderson6251
👊🏾
@Black_angel092
With David Beckham loool
@Ocato92
"The system broken, the school is closed, the prisons open."
Now that line aged well!
@rosaria6363
Ocato92 yeah. Fits perfectly now
@Eminenceofeternity
@Ben Orsak The plan was being made 11 years ago?
@jamesvick6070
Ocato92 wow