Along with “Say You Will”, “Bad News” is one of the more instrumental track… Read Full Bio ↴Along with “Say You Will”, “Bad News” is one of the more instrumental tracks on "808s & Heartbreak".

The first two minutes features Kanye’s vocals. The song then shifts into instrumental territory with an orchestrated version of the main melody, followed by a refrain of bare drumming and low octave harmonics. Kanye uses the sample "See-Line Woman" from Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" album.

Bad News
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Didn't you know
I was waiting on you
Waiting on a dream
That'll never come true
Didn't you know
I was waiting on you
My face turned to stone
When I heard the news

When you decide to break the rules
'Cause I just heard some real bad news

People will talk
Like its old news
I played it off and act like I already knew
Let me ask you
How long have you known too
You played it off and act like he's brand new

When you decide to break the rules
'Cause I just heard some real bad news

Real bad news
Real bad news
Real bad news

Oh you just gonna
Keep another no you wont

Oh you just gonna
Keep it like you never knew

Oh you just gonna
Keep another love for you

Oh you just gonna
Keep it like you never knew

While I'm waiting on a dream
That'll never come true

Oh you just gonna
Keep it like you never knew

My face turned to stone
When I heard the news

Whats on the news
Channel cruise

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kanye West's song Bad News speak to the pain and disappointment of waiting for a dream that ultimately never materializes. The song's opening lines express this sentiment, as Kanye declares that he has been waiting on someone or something that will never come to fruition. The imagery of a face turning to stone when hearing the news is indicative of the despair and resignation Kanye feels over the situation.

As the song progresses, Kanye delves into issues of trust and deception. He suggests that the bad news he has heard is related to someone breaking the rules, and questions whether others were aware of this transgression before he was. The line "people will talk like it's old news" speaks to the idea that this is not the first time someone has betrayed him, and he is tired of hearing about it.

Ultimately, Bad News is a song that speaks to the pain and frustration of unfulfilled dreams and broken trust. Kanye's lyrics are powerful and emotive, capturing the universal human experiences of disappointment and disillusionment.

Line by Line Meaning

Didn't you know I was waiting on you Waiting on a dream That'll never come true
I had high hopes for you, waiting for you to chase our dreams together, but it seems like they will never come true.

My face turned to stone When I heard the news
The news I just heard made me stop in my tracks, and my facial expression tells it all. I am shocked and at a loss for words.

When you decide to break the rules 'Cause I just heard some real bad news
The bad news I heard was because of someone breaking the rules. It's unethical and unjustifiable.

People will talk Like its old news I played it off and act like I already knew Let me ask you How long have you known too You played it off and act like he's brand new
People tend to gossip about anything, even old news. Although I pretended to know about it, how long did you actually know? Did you also pretend to know, although it was new to you?

Oh you just gonna Keep another no you wont Oh you just gonna Keep it like you never knew Oh you just gonna Keep another love for you Oh you just gonna Keep it like you never knew
You can't pretend like you didn't know about it, and keep ignoring it like it never happened. You can't keep love to yourself, and act like it never existed.

While I'm waiting on a dream That'll never come true Oh you just gonna Keep it like you never knew
I am still waiting for our dreams to come true, despite the bad news. You, on the other hand, are acting like nothing happened, as if you didn't know about it.

Real bad news Real bad news Real bad news
The news was so bad that it can't be summed up in one line. It was real bad news, and it hit me hard.

Whats on the news Channel cruise
The current news on TV is like a cruise that is sailing aimlessly without direction or purpose.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jeff Bhasker, Kanye West, Nina Simone, George Bass

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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