Heaven
JAY-Z Lyrics

Have you ever been to heaven?
Have you experienced pure happiness and spirituality?

Have you ever seen the gates?
Have you witnessed the entrance to the realm of the divine?

Have you bowed unto your highness?
Have you shown humility and reverence to a higher power?

And do you know how heaven taste?
Have you experienced the true bliss and ecstasy that comes with being in heaven?

Knock me down
Challenge me to prove my faith and I will rise up stronger.

Arm, leg, leg, arm, head, this is God body
Referencing Five-Percent Nation teachings, a belief system rooted in traditional Islam, this line asserts the singer's divine nature as the Five-Percent doctrine teaches that God is within us all.

Knowledge, wisdom, freedom, understanding we just want our equality
The Five-Percent teachings demand equal distribution of knowledge, wisdom, freedom, and understanding in order to obtain equality.

Food, clothing, shelter help a nigga find some peace
The basic necessities of life are key to finding inner peace.

Happiness for a gangsta, ain't no love in these streets
Life as a gangsta may provide temporary happiness, but true love is hard to come by when constantly surrounded by violence and crime.

Conspiracy theorist screaming Illuminati
Some people theorize that a secret society called the Illuminati controls world affairs.

They can't believe this much skill is in the human body
The singer's talent is so extraordinary that people question the possibility of all that skill coming from one person.

He's 6'2, how the fuck he fit in a new Bugatti?
A Bugatti Veyron is a very expensive and exclusive car that is not typically driven by someone of the artist's background, making his ownership of one seem unlikely or out of place.

Question religion, question it all
The importance of questioning belief systems in order to gain deeper understanding and knowledge is emphasized.

Question existence until them questions are solved
Never stop questioning the nature of existence until all questions are answered.

Meanwhile this heretic I be out in Marrakesh
The singer considers himself a heretic, unorthodox in terms of his spiritual beliefs, and is currently in Marrakesh, Morocco.

Morocco smoking hashish with my fellowship
The artist is engaging in fellowship over a shared activity of smoking hashish, a type of cannabis, while in Morocco.

Y'all dwell on devil shit, I'm in a Diablo
The majority may be focused on evil or negative concepts, while the artist is driving a Lamborghini Diablo.

Yellow shit, color of Jell-O shit
The singer's car is yellow in color, similar to Jell-O.

Hello bitch, it's me again
The singer is reintroducing himself to someone in a cocky and assertive tone.

Fresh in my Easter clothes feeling like Jesus
The artist feels confident and fresh in his new Easter clothes, drawing a comparison to Jesus who rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.

That's me in the corner
The artist is referring to himself as the one who may be overlooked or unnoticed.

That's me in the spotlight
The artist is calling attention to himself, highlighting his potential as a public figure.

Losing my religion
The phrase 'losing my religion' is an idiom meaning to lose one's temper or composure, or to become frustrated and irrational about a particular situation, rather than a literal reference to abandoning religious beliefs.

Getting ghost in the Ghost
The artist is traveling in a Rolls Royce 'Ghost,' which is a very luxurious and expensive car.

Can you see me? Can you see me?
The singer is asking if others see his success and his status as a public figure.

Have mercy on a Judas
The singer is asking for forgiveness for any betrayals he may have committed in the past, similar to Judas who betrayed Jesus in the Bible.

Angel wings on a 'ghini
The singer mentions angel wings on a Lamborghini, further emphasizing the theme of wealth and opulence throughout the song.

I'm secular, tell the hecklers seckle down
The artist is not religiously affiliated, and is using Jamaican Patois to tell those who would criticize him to relax.

Y'all religion creates division
Religion can often cause disagreements and separation between groups of people.

Like my Maybach partition, and
The Maybach car has a partition between the driver and passengers, further emphasizing the divide between different groups of people.

God is my chauffeur
The singer relies on a divine power to guide and direct him throughout life.

Boy they love Hova
The artist is referencing his nickname 'Hova' which is short for J-Hova, a play on God's name Jehovah. He is acknowledging that people have a strong love and admiration for him.

From the south side of Chi
The artist is from the south side of Chicago.

To Brooklyn where I growed up
The artist also spent time growing up in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.

I confess, God in the flesh
The singer confesses to being divine, having God within him.

Live among the serpents
The artist is able to function among those who may be deceitful or poisonous, like snakes.

Turn arenas into churches
The singer can inspire a sense of spirituality and faith within large, secular venues like arenas.

I'm like Michael, recycle, these are not 16's
Referring to Michael Jackson, the singer is stating that like Michael, even after his death, he will continue to inspire and 'recycle' his music. He is also saying his lines aren't just sixteen measures, meaning they have greater significance outside of music.

These are verses from the Bible
The singer's lyrics have religious and spiritual significance, like verses from the Bible.

Tell that preacher he's a preacher
The artist is identifying that someone who is a preacher should act and deliver their message like a preacher.

I'm a motherfucking prophet, smoke a tree of knowledge
The artist believes he is a prophet, inspired by God, and compares his consumption of cannabis to smoking from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden.

Drink from a gold chalice, you gotta love it
The singer is living a lavish lifestyle, even indulging in drinking from a gold chalice, and invites others to appreciate his success and wealth.

I arrive at the pearly gates, I had luggage
The singer is saying that when he reaches heaven, he will have baggage or sins that come into question.

Meaning I had baggage
The previous line is repeated to emphasize that the artist expects to face judgment in heaven and acknowledge the sins that may disqualify him from entering.

Niggas asking me questions, I don't answer to these busters
The artist does not give time or attention to those who are not of true spiritual significance and are merely detractors.

Only God could judge us, motherfuckers, uh
The artist emphasizes that only God is qualified to judge and question his faith and life choices.

Heaven or Hell
The singer contemplates the dichotomy of life after death, either going to heaven or being condemned to hell.

The cards we been dealt
The artist acknowledges the circumstances of life, both good and bad, that shape our destiny or fate.

Are the cards that we play
The singer emphasizes that decisions and actions we take in response to our circumstances determines our future.

Die for what you believe
The singer believes in the importance of having a strong conviction and faith, to the point of being willing to die for those beliefs.

Only one god recedes
Only one supreme entity or power is able to control or influence our destiny.

When the shots spray
The artist suggests that death may come suddenly and violently, through a 'spray' of gunfire.