"Say You Will" is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye Wes… Read Full Bio ↴"Say You Will" is a song by American record producer and vocalist Kanye West, released as the opening track on his fourth studio album, "808s & Heartbreak". The song contains vocals from the Kadockadee Kwire featuring Glenn Jordan, Phillip Ingram, Jim Gilstrap, Romeo Johnson, Kevin Dorsey, and Will Wheaton. It also includes background vocals from Mr. Hudson and Tony Williams. The song was produced by West, who co-wrote it with Jeff Bhasker, Young Jeezy, Malik Yusef, Mr Hudson, and Consequence. In 2008, the song was recorded over a time period of 15 minutes. It is a melancholy ballad, which features synth-pop production.

Lyrically, the song sees West discuss struggling to detach himself from Alexis Phifer. "Say You Will" received generally positive reviews from music critics, a number of whom named it as one of the album's highlights. Some praised the composition, while several reviewers highlighted the vocals on the song. West performed the song at the 2011 Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, and he later narrated a team of singers through a performance of it at Nebuchadnezzar in 2019. The song was used in a trailer for West's film "Jesus Is King" (2019), before subsequently being featured in the film. Mobius Band shared a cover version of it in February 2009, which samples children's voices. A remix of the song was released in October 2015 that features Caroline Shaw. On the electro–orchestral remix, the strength of the vocals is increased and violins from Shaw are added.

Say You Will
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Why would she make calls out the blue
Now I'm awake, sleep (Less in June

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, unless you will
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, then play you will, I pray you will

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, you do
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, one day you will, I pray you will

When I grab your neck, I touch your soul
Take off your cool, then lose control

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, you will, you will
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Don't say you will, if you will, I pray you will

I wish this song would really come true
(I wish this song would really come true
I wish this song, this song could play and could come true
I wish this song, "Say You Will," would come true, I wish this song)
I admit I still fantasize about you, about you
(I admit I, don't say, I admit I, don't say I admit I)

Hey, hey, hey, hey (I admit I, I admit I)
Don't say you will, you will, you will
(Say you will, don't say I, don't say I)

Hey, hey, hey, hey
Please say you will, for real, I pray you will

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Kanye West's "Say You Will" are full of emotions and are open to interpretation. There are several ways in which the lyrics can be interpreted, but one common interpretation is that Kanye is reminiscing about past love and regrets. He wonders why his former lover reaches out to him out of the blue and expresses his desire for her to make good on any promises she might make.

Kanye speaks about grabbing his lover's neck and touching her soul, which could signify his deep affection and attachment to her. He asks her to take off her cool and to lose control, which could mean that he wants her to let go of any reservations or pretenses and to express herself fully to him. He then pleads with his ex-partner not to make promises she can't keep and to be truthful about her intentions. The lyrics come across as raw and honest, and it is clear that Kanye is expressing his longing for reconciliation with his former love.

Overall, "Say You Will" is a poignant song that captures the complexities of relationships and the aftermath of a breakup. The lyrics are relatable to anyone who has gone through a similar experience and are delivered with a raw intensity that showcases Kanye's artistic talent and emotional depth.

Line by Line Meaning

Why would she make calls out the blue
I am confused why she is calling me now, out of nowhere, after a long time. It makes me wonder what could be the reason.

Now I'm awake, sleep (Less in June
I have been lying awake at night, unable to sleep properly ever since she started calling me. This has been happening since June, indicating the duration of my restlessness.

Hey, hey, hey, hey Don't say you will, unless you will
I am cautioning her to not make false promises. If she says she will do something, she should follow through on it.

Hey, hey, hey, hey Don't say you will, then play you will, I pray you will
I am giving her the benefit of the doubt by hoping that she wouldn't say something just to play with my emotions. Instead, I hope she will keep her word.

Hey, hey, hey, hey Don't say you will, you do
I am requesting her to only make promises that she is able to fulfill. It is better to do something than to just talk about it.

Hey, hey, hey, hey Don't say you will, one day you will, I pray you will
I am praying for her to keep her word, even if it takes time. I would rather wait for her to do something than to be let down by false promises.

When I grab your neck, I touch your soul Take off your cool, then lose control
When I am holding her intimately, I feel a connection that goes beyond the physical. She loses her composure and can't contain her emotions when we are together in this way.

I wish this song would really come true
I am expressing my desire for the events in this song to become a reality, as it represents my feelings towards her.

(I wish this song would really come true I wish this song, this song could play and could come true I wish this song, "Say You Will," would come true, I wish this song)
I am really hoping that this song, which expresses my feelings towards her, would become real and she would reciprocate my emotions.

I admit I still fantasize about you, about you (I admit I, don't say, I admit I, don't say I admit I)
I am confessing that I still have feelings for her and think about her often. It is something I am admitting to myself, but don't want to say to her directly.

Hey, hey, hey, hey (I admit I, I admit I) Don't say you will, you will, you will (Say you will, don't say I, don't say I) Hey, hey, hey, hey Please say you will, for real, I pray you will
I am asking her to be honest with me about her intentions. If she says she will do something, I hope she means it and follows through with it. I am praying that she will reciprocate my feelings and be with me for real.

Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dexter Raymond Jr. Mills, Kanye Omari West, Jeffrey Bhasker, Malik Yusef El Shaba Jones, Jay W. Jenkins, Benjamin Mcildowie

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