Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
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)
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)
Lyrics submitted by 613flavah, edited by tyshaun105
Through The Wire Lyrics as written by David Foster Cynthia Weil
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, DYAD Music Ltd., CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Little Feat
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Probably my favorite Kanye song. It's hard to tell the story of your own struggle in a detailed way. and he manages here. Truly proves all his critics wrong.