"Through the Wire" is the lead single from Kanye West's debut album The C… Read Full Bio ↴"Through the Wire" is the lead single from Kanye West's debut album The College Dropout. It samples Chaka Khan's 1985 single "Through the Fire".

In 2002 while living in Los Angeles, Kanye was severely injured in a car accident and had to have his jaw wired shut. "Through the Wire" was originally recorded while West was in the hospital, and first appeared on the Get Well Soon mixtape.

"Through the Wire" peaked at number 15 on the Billboard Hot 100 and received positive reviews from music critics. It was certified Platinum and Gold in the United States and United Kingdom, respectively. The song was nominated for a 2005 Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance, but lost to Jay-Z's "99 Problems". The music video was financed by West, who was inspired by an Adidas advertisement. It won Video of the Year at the 2004 Source Hip-Hop Awards.

On October 23, 2002, West was in a California recording studio producing music for Beanie Sigel, Peedi Crakk, and The Black Eyed Peas. After leaving the studio at around 3 a.m. in his rented Lexus, he had a near-fatal crash when he was cut off by a car, ran head-on into traffic, and collided with another car near the W Hotel. He was taken to the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, mentioned in the song as "the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died," and had his jaw wired to his face in reconstructive surgery. Two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he recorded the song at the Record Plant Studios with his jaw still wired shut. Consequence recalls West started rapping the lyrics to the song three days after the crash.

"The song's title refers to the wires used to hold his broken jaw together. When asked about how the incident changed his music, West stated:
Well, the only thing this accident's is saying is, "I am about to hand you the world, just know at any given time I can take it away from you." To nearly lose your life, to nearly lose your mouth, your voice, your whole face, as a rapper...and I had to be on TV! My face looks crazy to me now... But I have to just thank God for the situation that I am in... "Through The Wire" is the worst thing that could've possibly happened to me, and now it's obviously the best thing. Look how it exploded!"

Through the Wire
Kanye West Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yo, Gee, they can't stop me from rappin', can they?
Can they, Hop?

(Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall)
I spit it through the wire, man
(For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all)
There's too much stuff on my heart right now, man
I'd gladly risk it all right now

(Through the fire, through whatever, come what may)
It's a life-or-death situation, man
(For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way)
Y'all, y'all don't really understand how I feel right now, man
It's your boy, Kanye to the
(Right down to the wire, even through the fire)
Chi-Town, what's goin' on?
Uh-huh, yeah, yeah

I drink a Boost for breakfast, an Ensure for dessert
Somebody ordered pancakes, I just sip the sizzurp
That right there could drive a sane man berserk
Not to worry, Mr. H-to-the-Izzo's back to wizzerk
How do you console my mom or give her light support
Tellin' her her son's on life support?
And just imagine how my girl feel
On the plane, scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till
She was with me before the deal, she been tryna be mine
She a Delta, so she been throwing that Dynasty sign
No use me tryna be lyin', I been tryna be signed
Tryna be a millionaire, how I used two lifelines
In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died
The doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican, man
Story on MTV and I ain't tryna make a band
I swear, this right here, history in the makin', man

(Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall)
I really apologize to everyone right now
If, if it's unclear at all, man
(For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all)
They got my mouth wired shut
For like, I dunno, the doctor said like six weeks
You know, he had reconstruct, I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
(Through the fire, through whatever, come what may)
I looked in the mirror, half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man
(For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way)
I couldn't believe it
But I'm still here for y'all right now, man
(Right down to the wire, even through the fire)
This what I got to say right here, dawg
Yeah, turn me up, yeah, uh

What if somebody from the Chi' that was ill got a deal
On the hottest rap label around?
But he wasn't talkin' 'bout coke and birds
It was more like spoken word
'Cept he's really puttin' it down?
And he explained the story 'bout how Blacks came from glory
And what we need to do in the game
Good dude, bad night, right place, wrong time
In the blink of a eye, his whole life changed
If you could feel how my face felt, you would know how Ma$e felt (Mason Betha)
Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt (uh-huh)
I swear to God, driver two wanna sue
I got a lawyer for the case to keep what's in my safe safe
My dawgs couldn't tell if I
I looked like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, it was televised
There's been an accident like GEICO
They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael
I must got a angel, 'cause look how death missed his ass
Unbreakable, what, you thought they'd call me Mr. Glass?
Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past (uh-huh)
Toys "R" Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash
And I still won't grow up, I'm a grown-ass kid
Swear I should be locked up for stupid shit that I did
But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph (uh-huh, yeah, yeah)
Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire (woo)

(Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall)
You know what I'm sayin'?
When the doctor told me I had a, um, I was gonna have to have a plate in my chin
(For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all)
I said, dawg, don't you realize I'll never make it on a plane now?
It's bad enough I got all this jewelry on
(Through the fire, through whatever, come what may)
You can't be serious, man
(For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way)
(Right down to the wire, even through the fire)

Overall Meaning

Kanye West's song "Through the Wire" describes the rapper's experience of surviving a car crash and the aftermath which included nearly losing his life, reconstructive surgery on his jaw, and having to live with his mouth wired shut for six weeks. The song's title refers to the wired jaw which West raps through, showing his dedication to continuing his craft despite the obstacles he faces. The lyrics express West's determination to succeed in his music career despite the challenges he faces, and also allude to the difficulties he has faced in his personal life, including his relationship with his girlfriend.

West references his hometown of Chicago throughout the song, referring to himself as "Chi-Town" and shouting out to his hometown fans. He also includes a reference to Black history and the struggle for equality in his lyrics, indicating his commitment to more than just his personal success. Additionally, the song features a sample from the Chaka Khan song "Through the Fire," which is used as the song's hook and adds to the emotional impact of the lyrics.

Overall, "Through the Wire" is a powerful and personal song that showcases Kanye West's resilience and dedication to his art.

Line by Line Meaning

Yo, Gee, they can't stop me from rappin', can they?
Is there anyone or anything that can prevent me from rapping?

(Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall) I spit it through the wire, man
I rap with so much passion that I'll do it even if it's difficult.

(For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all) There's too much stuff on my heart right now, man I'd gladly risk it all right now
I have so much love for someone that I am willing to take any risk for a chance to be with them.

(Through the fire, through whatever, come what may) It's a life-or-death situation, man
This situation is so important that I am willing to go through anything, even if it's dangerous.

(For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way) Y'all, y'all don't really understand how I feel right now, man
Nobody truly understands how much I love someone and what I am willing to do for them.

It's your boy, Kanye to the (Right down to the wire, even through the fire) Chi-Town, what's goin' on? Uh-huh, yeah, yeah
Introducing myself as Kanye from Chicago and I will continue rapping even if it's hard.

I drink a Boost for breakfast, an Ensure for dessert Somebody ordered pancakes, I just sip the sizzurp That right there could drive a sane man berserk
I have unconventional eating habits, and it might sound crazy to some people.

Not to worry, Mr. H-to-the-Izzo's back to wizzerk How do you console my mom or give her light support Tellin' her her son's on life support?
I am back to doing what I do best, but it's hard to talk to my mother about the fact that I am on life support.

And just imagine how my girl feel On the plane, scared as hell that her guy look like Emmett Till She was with me before the deal, she been tryna be mine She a Delta, so she been throwing that Dynasty sign No use me tryna be lyin', I been tryna be signed Tryna be a millionaire, how I used two lifelines
I can only imagine how scared my girlfriend must have been when she saw me looking like Emmett Till. She's been with me since before my success, and she's a member of Delta Sigma Theta sorority. I am telling the truth about my efforts to get signed and become a millionaire.

In the same hospital where Biggie Smalls died The doctor said I had blood clots, but I ain't Jamaican, man Story on MTV and I ain't tryna make a band
I had to go to the same hospital where Biggie Smalls passed away. The doctor told me I had blood clots, which is odd for someone who is not Jamaican. My story was televised on MTV, but I am not trying to form a band.

I swear, this right here, history in the makin', man
I believe that what I am doing right now is a historic moment.

(Through the fire, to the limit, to the wall) I really apologize to everyone right now If, if it's unclear at all, man
I apologize to everyone for my unclear communication due to my wired shut jaw.

(For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all) They got my mouth wired shut For like, I dunno, the doctor said like six weeks You know, he had reconstruct, I had reconstructive surgery on my jaw
My mouth is wired shut due to reconstructive surgery on my jaw, and I am willing to go through this pain just for the chance to be with someone.

(Through the fire, through whatever, come what may) I looked in the mirror, half my jaw was in the back of my mouth, man
When I looked in the mirror, I saw that half of my jaw was stuck in the back of my mouth despite the reconstruction.

(For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way) I couldn't believe it But I'm still here for y'all right now, man
Even though I can't believe the pain I am going through, I am still here for my fans and loved ones.

(Right down to the wire, even through the fire) This what I got to say right here, dawg Yeah, turn me up, yeah, uh
This is my message to everyone, even in a challenging situation, and I want you to turn up the music.

What if somebody from the Chi' that was ill got a deal On the hottest rap label around? But he wasn't talkin' 'bout coke and birds It was more like spoken word 'Cept he's really puttin' it down? And he explained the story 'bout how Blacks came from glory And what we need to do in the game Good dude, bad night, right place, wrong time In the blink of a eye, his whole life changed
What if someone from Chicago, who was extremely talented but not talking about the usual topics, got signed to a major label? And he was talking about important issues such as Black history, game rules, and so on. Such as myself, who was doing spoken word for Def Jam. But then, something unexpected happened and my career was in danger.

If you could feel how my face felt, you would know how Ma$e felt (Mason Betha) Thank God I ain't too cool for the safe belt (uh-huh) I swear to God, driver two wanna sue I got a lawyer for the case to keep what's in my safe safe
If you were in my shoes, you would know how painful it was. I am grateful that I wasn't too cool to wear a seatbelt, as it might have saved my life. My second driver might even sue me, and I am taking legal action to protect my assets.

My dawgs couldn't tell if I I looked like Tom Cruise in Vanilla Sky, it was televised There's been an accident like GEICO They thought I was burnt up like Pepsi did Michael I must got a angel, 'cause look how death missed his ass Unbreakable, what, you thought they'd call me Mr. Glass?
My friends couldn't recognize me, and my accident was even covered on television. People thought I was badly injured, but I was lucky to survive. I am unbreakable, so nobody can call me Mr. Glass anymore.

Look back on my life like the Ghost of Christmas Past (uh-huh) Toys "R" Us where I used to spend that Christmas cash And I still won't grow up, I'm a grown-ass kid Swear I should be locked up for stupid shit that I did But I'm a champion, so I turned tragedy to triumph (uh-huh, yeah, yeah) Make music that's fire, spit my soul through the wire (woo)
I think about my past mistakes and how I used to spend my money at Toys "R" Us. Even though I should be more mature, I still act like a kid. But the fact that I am a champion helps turn tragedy to success. I also make great music that comes from my soul.

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Cynthia Weil, David Foster, Tom Keane

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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