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.
I guess you really did it this time
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
Still an innocent
Did some things you can't speak of
But at night, you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catching days?
When everything out of reach
Someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful running wild 'til you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, and life is a tough crowd
Thirty-two and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too, ooh
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to be brand new, oh
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, and life is a tough crowd
Thirty-two and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
You're still an innocent
Lost your balance on a tightrope, oh
It's never too late to get it back
Left yourself in your war path
Lost your balance on a tightrope
Lost your mind trying to get it back
Wasn't it easier in your lunchbox days?
Always a bigger bed to crawl into
Wasn't it beautiful when you believed in everything
And everybody believed in you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
Still an innocent
Did some things you can't speak of
But at night, you live it all again
You wouldn't be shattered on the floor now
If only you had seen what you know now then
Wasn't it easier in your firefly-catching days?
When everything out of reach
Someone bigger brought down to you
Wasn't it beautiful running wild 'til you fell asleep
Before the monsters caught up to you?
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, and life is a tough crowd
Thirty-two and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
Time turns flames to embers
You'll have new Septembers
Every one of us has messed up too, ooh
Minds change like the weather
I hope you remember
Today is never too late to be brand new, oh
It's alright, just wait and see
Your string of lights are still bright to me, oh
Who you are is not where you've been
You're still an innocent
It's okay, and life is a tough crowd
Thirty-two and still growing up now
Who you are is not what you did
You're still an innocent
You're still an innocent
Lost your balance on a tightrope, oh
It's never too late to get it back
Lyrics submitted by sinshereinsong
Innocent Lyrics as written by Taylor Swift
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Yeah, it kinda lessens the song with the VMA performance making it about Kanye. Hopefully people realize that it was the performance though that made it about Kanye (most likely MTV and/or Taylor Swift's record label's idea) and it's not what the song is truly about. No song is about its face value.
I think it actually is about Kanye because of the line "32 is still growing up now". Kanye is 33 but the song was written at least a couple months ago so it makes since.
it is about Kanye, which lessens the effect for me.