To the World
Kanye West & R. Kelly Lyrics
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I made up in my mind
I'm doin' things my way, I'm burnin' shit down tonight
I'm doin' things my way, it's my way or the highway
Let me say it one more time (fingers up)
To the world, to the world, to the world
To the world, to the world, to the world
(Motherfucker) Deuces minus one
Middle finger to the sky tonight (Ay, ay, ay)
The whole world is a couch
Bitch I'm Rick James tonight (I don't give a fuck)
Throw it up, throw it up
'Cause you can't take it with you
Funny how they wait 'til you gone just to miss you
To the world, to the world
Then I'm on my Sinatra, I'm doing it my way,
Let's take it a notch up, take it up
Let me see you put your middle fingers up! To the world
I made up in my mind
Doin' things my way, I'm burning shit down tonight
I'm doin' things my way, it's my way or the highway
Let me see you one more time (fingers up)
To the world, to the world, to the world
Mm' ain't this some shit? Pulled up in the A-V-entador
And the doors, raise up, like praise the Lord
Did the fashion show, and a tour, and a movie, and a score
This a ghetto opera, Francis Foreign Car Coppola
I need a new crib to hold my plaques, Rick Ross had told me that
Said I'd be all up in Goldman Sachs like, "These niggas tryna hold me back
These niggas tryna hold me back", I'm just trying to protect my stacks
Mitt Romney don't pay no tax, Mitt Romney don't pay no tax
Chi-Town 'til I'm on my back, Chi-Town 'til I'm on my back
Only nigga in Beverly Hills, where the hell is Axel Foley at?
"Ease up there, baby boy", Ving Rhames told Jody that
R. Kelly and the God of rap
Shitting on you, holy crap
Let me see you put your middle fingers up
To the world, to the world, to the world
To the world, to the world, to the world
Let me see you put your middle fingers up
I could give it all up, but it's not enough
Ay ay, here you go, my middle finger
To the world, to the world, from the ground to the moon
Hills to the mountains, yeah hands to the roof
Give it up, give it up, won't let you deny me
Makin' you love me, makin' you love me
The lyrics of the song To the World by Kanye West and R. Kelly talk about rebellion and standing up for oneself. The verses encourage listeners to put their middle fingers up to the world as they assert their independence while doing things their way. The lyrics inspire the listener to burn things down and take control of their lives before it's too late.
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase, "to the world," several times as both artists invite others to join in the act of rebellion. The song also features R. Kelly singing about his life's success, from his lofty accomplishments in film to his grandest acquisitions, and ending with the God of rap and himself shitting on the listener.
The song is a combination of rap and R&B and was released in 2012 as part of the compilation album "Cruel Summer" under the record labels GOOD Music and Def Jam Recordings. The song became popular upon its release and charted at number 11 in the US Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It also saw success in independent charts such as Greece, Hungary, and Belgium.
Line by Line Meaning
Let me see you put your middle fingers up, to the world,
I'm showing defiance to society and its norms, let's give them the finger.
I made up in my mind
I'm doin' things my way, I'm burnin' shit down tonight
I'm doin' things my way, it's my way or the highway
I refuse to conform to societal expectations and will do things my way, even if it means causing chaos.
To the world, to the world, to the world
To the world, to the world, to the world
Let me see you put your middle fingers up, middle fingers up!
We're challenging the world once again to show their defiance by giving the middle finger.
(Motherfucker) Deuces minus one
Middle finger to the sky tonight (Ay, ay, ay)
We're saying goodbye to the past, and showing our defiance to the sky.
The whole world is a couch
Bitch I'm Rick James tonight (I don't give a fuck)
Throw it up, throw it up
'Cause you can't take it with you
Funny how they wait 'til you gone just to miss you
We're living in the moment, letting go of earthly possessions, and not caring what others think.
Then I'm on my Sinatra, I'm doing it my way,
Let's take it a notch up, take it up
We're likening ourselves to Frank Sinatra, saying that we're doing things our way, and we're taking it to the next level.
Mm' ain't this some shit? Pulled up in the A-V-entador
And the doors, raise up, like praise the Lord
Did the fashion show, and a tour, and a movie, and a score
This a ghetto opera, Francis Foreign Car Coppola
We're bragging about our wealth and success, and comparing our life story to a movie, highlighting our rise from the ghetto.
I need a new crib to hold my plaques, Rick Ross had told me that
Said I'd be all up in Goldman Sachs like, "These niggas tryna hold me back
These niggas tryna hold me back", I'm just trying to protect my stacks
Mitt Romney don't pay no tax, Mitt Romney don't pay no tax
We're talking about our financial success and how we're being held back by those who refuse to pay their taxes. We're saying it's important to protect our wealth.
Chi-Town 'til I'm on my back, Chi-Town 'til I'm on my back
Only nigga in Beverly Hills, where the hell is Axel Foley at?
"Ease up there, baby boy", Ving Rhames told Jody that
R. Kelly and the God of rap
Shitting on you, holy crap
We're reminding everyone that we're from Chicago and proud of it. We're also pointing out the lack of other Black people in Beverly Hills. We're continuing to boast about our success and talent.
I could give it all up, but it's not enough
Ay ay, here you go, my middle finger
To the world, to the world, from the ground to the moon
Hills to the mountains, yeah hands to the roof
Give it up, give it up, won't let you deny me
Makin' you love me, makin' you love me
We're saying that despite our success, we won't stop being defiant to the world. We want people to love us and our attitude.
Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: WARREN FELDER, KANYE WEST, ROBERT KELLY, ANDREW WANSEL, MALIK YUSEF JONES, TEYANA TAYLOR, CYDEL YOUNG, JEFFREY LEE JOHNSON JR., ERIKA HAMILTON, CHE SMITH
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