No Church In The Wild
The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye West) Lyrics

Human beings in a mob
The power of humans acting collectively

What's a mob to a king?
The insignificance of a mob in the eyes of a king

What's a king to a God?
The insignificance of a king in the eyes of a God

What's a God to a non-believer
The insignificance of a God in the eyes of someone who doesn't believe in anything

Who don't believe in anything?
Reflecting on the beliefs of non-believers

Will he make it out alive?
Questioning survival in a world full of violence and corruption

Alright, alright
A sense of acceptance and acknowledgement of reality

No church in the wild
Absence of traditional religion in a society full of chaos and contradiction

Tears on the mausoleum floor
Grief and sadness in the face of death

Blood stains the Coliseum doors
History of violence and barbarism in ancient Rome

Lies on the lips of a priest
Corruption in organized religion

Thanksgiving disguised as a feast
Misrepresentations of historical events in order to glorify them

Rollin' in the Rolls-Royce Corniche
Luxury lifestyle of those who profit from the harm of others

Only the doctors got this, I'm hidin' from police
The wealthy and powerful can afford to escape justice

Cocaine seats
Tainted luxury

All white like I got the whole thing bleached
Whiteness as a symbol of purity, hiding the dark reality

Drug dealer chic
Glamorization of the drug trade

I'm wonderin' if a thug's prayers reach
Questioning the legitimacy of prayer in a violent world

Is Pious pious 'cause God loves pious?
Questioning the motives behind religious piety

Socrates asks, "Whose bias do y'all seek?"
Questioning the motivations behind authority figures and their biases

All for Plato, screech
Celebrating intellectualism and questioning traditional sources of authority

I'm out chere' ballin', I know y'all hear my sneaks
Boasting about success and wealth

Jesus was a carpenter, Yeezy, laid beats
Confidence in one's own skills and creativity

Hova flow the Holy Ghost, get the hell up out your seats, preach
Jay-Z's rap flow is inspired by the Holy Ghost (a symbol of inspiration) and is calling for an enthusiastic response from the audience

I live by you, desire
The power of desire and passion in life

I stand by you, walk through the fire
A commitment to support and unconditionally love someone even in difficult times

Your love is my scripture
The importance of love as a guiding principle in life

And let me in through your encryption, yeah, yeah
An expression of desire to fully understand and connect with someone

Coke on her black skin made it stripe like a zebra
Drug use as a way to escape societal expectations of beauty

I call that jungle fever
Fetishization of racial differences

You will not control the threesome
Asserting control over one's own sexuality

Just roll the weed up until I get me some
Drug use as a way to relax and escape the stress of daily life

We formed a new religion
A metaphor for the way in which we create our own values and belief systems

No sins as long as there's permission
The importance of consent in interpersonal relationships

And deception is the only felony
The most harmful thing in relationships and society is lying and deception

So never f**k nobody without tellin' me
Insisting on honesty in relationships

Sunglasses and Advil
The aftermath of a wild night

Last night was mad real
A recognition of the fun and excitement of a wild night

Sun comin' up five AM
A reference to the early morning hours after a late night of partying

I wonder if they got cabs still
Contemplating the difficulties of finding transportation after a long night

Thinkin' 'bout the girl in all-leopard
Memories of a sexual encounter with a woman wearing leopard print

Who was rubbin' the wood like Kiki Shepard
A sexual innuendo referring to Kiki Shepard, a former hostess on the television show Showtime at the Apollo

Two tattoos, one read "No apologies"
A tattoo indicating the refusal to apologize for one's actions

The other said "Love is cursed by monogamy"
A tattoo emphasizing the difficulties of monogamous relationships

That's somethin' that the pastor don't preach
Issues of love and relationships are not often addressed in religious contexts

That's somethin' that a teacher can't teach
Some things must be learned through experience rather than education

When we die, the money we can't keep
Money is ultimately useless in the face of mortality

But we prolly spend it all 'cause the pain ain't cheap, preach
Money is spent to alleviate pain and suffering

No church in the wild
Reaffirmation of the absence of traditional religion in a society full of deception and violence

No church in the wild
Repetition of the same message of rejecting traditional religion

No church in the wild
Final affirmation of the song's message