One of the most emotionally distressing tracks off an already depression-fo… Read Full Bio ↴One of the most emotionally distressing tracks off an already depression-focused album is “Street Lights.”

Kanye iterates the repetitiveness of life and its petty affairs, and even the monotony of time and destiny itself.

Light is a motif in Kanye’s work, with songs “Flashing Lights”, “Street Lights”, “All of the Lights”, “Ultralight Beam”, “Highlights” and “Low Lights” (while light is not used in the same context for all of the songs).

Streetlights
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Let me know
Do I still got time to grow
Things ain't always set in stone
That be known let me know
Let me

Seems like, street lights, glowin
Happen to be just like moments, passin

In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I paid my fare see I know my destination
But I'm just not there

All the street lights, glowin'
Happen to be just like moments, passin'
In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I paid my fare see I know my destination

But I'm just not there
In the streets
In the, streets
I'm just not there in the streets
I'm just not there
Life's just not fair

Seems like, street lights, glowin
Happen to be just like moments, passin
In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I paid my fare see I know my destination
But I'm just not there

All the street lights, glowin
Happen to be just like moments, passin
In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I paid my fare see I know my destination
But I'm just not there

All the street lights, glowin
Happen to be just like moments, passin
In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I paid my fare see I know my destination

But I'm just not there
In the streets
In the, streets
I'm just not there in the streets
I'm just not there

Life's just not fair
Life's just not fair

Overall Meaning

In "Streetlights," Kanye West contemplates whether he still has time to grow and change. He acknowledges that things are not always set in stone and asks for guidance. He compares the passing moments in his life to streetlights, moments that happen quickly and then fade away. Kanye conveys his sense of fleetingness, his feeling that he is constantly in motion but never quite arriving at his destination. He juxtaposes his understanding of where he wants to go with his current position by saying, "I know my destination but I'm just not there."

Kanye uses the metaphor of streetlights to convey the transience of life's moments. As he travels through the streets in a cab, he sees the passing streetlights as moments in his own life that are just as fleeting. The repetition of the phrase "streetlights glowing" emphasizes the continuity and the cyclical nature of life. Kanye's experience of restlessness and the incompleteness he feels convey the frustration that comes with the realization that life is never entirely fair or predictable.

Line by Line Meaning

Let me know
I need to know

Do I still got time to grow
Am I still capable of personal growth?

Things ain't always set in stone
Things are not always permanent

That be known let me know
Please inform me if that is the case

Seems like, street lights, glowin
The street lights appear to be shining

Happen to be just like moments, passin
The street lights resemble fleeting moments

In front of me so I hopped in, the cab and
I entered the cab that was in front of me

I paid my fare see I know my destination
I paid for the ride and know where I need to go

But I'm just not there
I am not at my intended destination yet

In the streets
Out in the city environment

I'm just not there in the streets
I have not yet reached my destination in the city

Life's just not fair
Life is not always just

Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: B MCILDOWIE, KANYE WEST, ANTONY WILLIAMS, TONY WILLIAMS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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