Only One
Paul McCartney Kanye West Lyrics
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I hear her speak to me
Hello 'Mari, how ya doin'?
I think the storm ran out of rain, the clouds are movin'
I know you're happy, 'cause I can see it
So tell the voice inside ya head to believe it
I talked to God about you, he said he sent you an angel
You asked for one and you got two
You know I never left you
'Cause every road that leads to heaven's right inside you
So I can say
Hello my only one, just like the mornin' sun
You'll keep on risin' 'til the sky knows your name
Hello my only one, remember who you are
No you're not perfect but you're not your mistakes
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Oh the good outweighs the bad even on your worst day
Remember how I'd say
Hey hey one day you'll be the man you always knew you could be
And if you knew how proud I was
You'd never shed a tear, have a fear, no you wouldn't do that
And though I didn't pick the day to turn the page
I know it's not the end every time I see her face, and I hear you say
Hello my only one, remember who you are
You got the world 'cause you got love in your hands
And you're still my chosen one
So can you understand? One day you'll understand
So hear me out, hear me out
I won't go, I won't go
No goodbyes, no goodbyes
Just hello, just hello
And when you cry, I will cry
And when you smile, I will smile
And next time when I look in your eyes
We'll have wings and we'll fly
Hello my only one, just like the mornin' sun
You'll keep on risin' 'til the sky knows your name
And you're still my chosen one, remember who you are
No you're not perfect but you're not your mistakes
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Tell Nori about me, tell Nori ab-
I just want you to do me a favor
Tell Nori about me, tell Nori about me
In the song "Only One," Kanye West speaks from the perspective of his mother, Donda West, who passed away in 2007. The song is a beautiful tribute to her, and he imagines her speaking to him from heaven as he drifts off to sleep. She reassures him that she is with him always, calling him "my only one" and reminding him of his worth and potential.
Throughout the song, Kanye reflects on the lessons his mother taught him and the impact she had on his life. He speaks of her as an angel sent from God and describes the ways in which she continues to guide and inspire him. He also acknowledges his own flaws and mistakes, but his mother's words remind him that he is not defined by them.
The song ends with Kanye asking his mother to tell his daughter, North (nicknamed "Nori"), about him and his love for her. As he imagines himself and his mother soaring through the sky with wings, he is at once mourning her loss and celebrating their unbreakable bond.
Line by Line Meaning
As I lay me down to sleep
At bedtime, when I close my eyes to rest.
I hear her speak to me
I hear a comforting voice in my mind.
Hello 'Mari, how ya doin'?
The voice addresses someone named 'Mari with a friendly greeting.
I think the storm ran out of rain, the clouds are movin'
The voice suggests that a difficult time has passed and things are improving.
I know you're happy, 'cause I can see it
The voice knows that 'Mari is feeling pleased about something.
So tell the voice inside ya head to believe it
The voice encourages 'Mari to trust her own positive thoughts.
I talked to God about you, he said he sent you an angel
The voice shares a spiritual belief that a higher power supports and protects 'Mari.
And look at all that he gave you
The voice points out blessings in 'Mari's life.
You asked for one and you got two
'Mari received more than she expected or hoped for.
You know I never left you
The voice wants 'Mari to feel reassured that she was never alone.
'Cause every road that leads to heaven's right inside you
The voice believes that 'Mari has the power to choose a positive path in life.
Hello my only one, just like the mornin' sun
The voice continues to speak to 'Mari affectionately.
You'll keep on risin' 'til the sky knows your name
The voice expresses confidence that 'Mari will achieve her goals.
No you're not perfect but you're not your mistakes
The voice acknowledges that 'Mari is human and has flaws, but she should not define herself by her errors.
Oh the good outweighs the bad even on your worst day
The voice reminds 'Mari that positive experiences and qualities matter more than negative ones.
Remember how I'd say
The voice recalls a past conversation.
Hey hey one day you'll be the man you always knew you could be
The voice believed in 'Mari's potential and wants her to remember that.
And though I didn't pick the day to turn the page
The voice did not have control over when a change occurred.
I know it's not the end every time I see her face, and I hear you say
The voice is reminded that 'Mari is still present and encouraging.
You got the world 'cause you got love in your hands
The voice believes that 'Mari's ability to love is a powerful tool.
And you're still my chosen one
The voice reaffirms that 'Mari is important and special.
So can you understand? One day you'll understand
The voice hopes that 'Mari will eventually comprehend the message being conveyed.
I won't go, I won't go
The voice promises to stay with 'Mari.
No goodbyes, no goodbyes
The voice wants to avoid any sad farewells.
Just hello, just hello
The voice wants to focus on positive greetings instead.
And when you cry, I will cry
The voice promises to empathize and react to 'Mari's emotions.
And when you smile, I will smile
The voice wants to share in 'Mari's joyful moments.
And next time when I look in your eyes
The voice anticipates future interactions with 'Mari.
We'll have wings and we'll fly
The voice shares a hopeful image of soaring together toward greater things.
Tell Nori about me, tell Nori ab-
The voice instructs 'Mari to relay a message to someone named Nori.
I just want you to do me a favor
The voice asks for 'Mari's help.
Tell Nori about me, tell Nori about me
The voice repeats the request to ensure 'Mari understands.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: NOAH D. GOLDSTEIN, MICHAEL DEAN, KIRBY LAUREN DOCKERY, PAUL JAMES MCCARTNEY, KANYE WEST
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alicesmithy6391
I never realised before but this is about his mother and north. if you read it from his mother point of view its really sweet
As I lay me down to sleep
I hear her speak to me
Hello 'Mari, how ya doin'?
I think the storm ran out of rain, the clouds are movin'
I know you're happy, cause I can see it
So tell the voice inside ya' head to believe it
(then this part is talking about how god sent him 2 angels, kim and north)
I talked to God about you, he said he sent you an angel
And look at all that he gave you
You asked for one and you got two
You know I never left you
Cause every road that leads to heaven's right inside you
So I can say
(and apparently only one was what Kanye's mom would call him because I believe that's kinna what his name means)
Hello my only one
Just like the morning sun
You keep on rising till the sky knows your name
Hello my only one
Remember who you are
No you’re not perfect but you’re not your mistakes
(and then the rest of the song is the same her being encouraging to Kanye and probably what she would say to him to keep being great. and the at the end she asks him to tell north about her "nori" = north
Hey, hey, hey, hey
Tell Nori about me, tell Nori about
I just want you to do me a favor
Tell Nori about me
damn Kanye actually made me cry :(
@yejimkim5048
SteelersRule1011 Kanye West shouldn't be a musician? He redefined the rap genre (watch any rap critic or credible rapper's interview and hear what they have to say about him) multiple times within the span of his own career. Not only that he's made the careers of many artists: he reinvigorated jay-z's career with "izzo" and the watch the throne album, he gave john legend a career (signed under ye), he reinvigorated common's career, he signed and produced for big sean, kid cudi, etc. I can't even list how many things this guy has done and people still knock him because they don't know shit. You can't possibly imagine how hard it is to be a crossover star, making a genre of music that the mainstream doesn't appreciate but still making it big. Although it has yet to be seen if he will reach the heights of these artists, his career is comparable to those of michael jackson, louis armstrong, hank williams, etc. making an otherwise subculture genre into a fullblown mainstream one.
The people who hate him are unfamiliar with his work, work ethic and frame of mind. You call him racist, but you don't provide anything to back it up. He's interrupted/called out black artists at awards shows WAY before he did it to Beck and even Taylor Swift, but no one cares, because they were black. I don't understand why people are offended by the incident even when BECK HIMSELF said that he thought Beyonce she should've gotten the award (and no he is not being modest).
Also, Kanye never said Beyonce was more artistic than beck. He said beck should "respect artistry" which could mean a many deal of things. What I think he meant is that Beyonce's album was better than Beck's and that doesn't mean SHE is a better musician than beck, just that the collaboration effort of all of the producer's (who are artists in their own right) and her made a better product. I get the fact that Beck plays a lot of instruments, but is it that meaningful to be able to play all those instruments when you're only playing one at a time? It's only useful for the recording process but he can't perform them all at a time. And who do you think writes Kanye West's melodic arrangements, and who does the drums? He composes most of his music and although he doesn't actually play all the instruments in his music, he writes the partition so it is artistic in its own right.
Finally, the fact that you can say that Beyonce's voice who has a much larger pitch range and dynamic range is inferior to beck's shows how biased you are, which is okay. However, you should have phrased it as "I prefer beck's voice", because objectively you cannot say that Beck's voice is better than Beyonce's.
Sorry this was a very long winded response, but you addressed a lot of points and I didn't want to leave any behind. Hopefully, you read this.
@TheThirdPew
Glad to see Kanye putting so much faith in a newcomer like this Paul guy. I'm always a fan of pushing undiscovered talent.
@AnoushkaRamkumar
Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha I love your videos
@jamayrian
Are you trolling?
@NTJordan
jamayrian no he's def serious
@JudyGarlandRulez152
Paul has been in the business since 1957. You GOT to be trolling!
@supermanhatesme
Anyone that doesn't see that this is a troll is an idiot
@adaorawrld
he's singing a lullaby to north from the perspective of his dead mother.... and im crying
@McZukas
dorå and grandmother
@chenggonglee4992
dorå 😭😭😭
@samblackside
This one made me even more emotional because Kanye made a birthday video for Kim, and it was mostly about the bond she and her dad and it was the same Track. And like, FUCK that’s emotional.