"All Falls Down" is the fourth track from Kanye West's debut studio album, The College Dropout (2004).[1] It was released as a single on June 7, 2004, serving as the fourth single from the album.[2] It was previously released as a radio single on March 9, 2004.[3] The song features vocals from Syleena Johnson. It was adapted from the unreleased song, "Dream Come True", from the 2001 Demo Tape.
Lyrically, "All Falls Down" examines the self-consciousness and insecurity within society, particularly the black community, and how these characteristics pertain to economic materialism.[4] The track earned a nomination for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration at the 2005 Grammy Awards, but lost to "Yeah!" by Usher.[5]
An orchestral rendition of the song was made for Kanye's live album, Late Orchestration (2006).[6]
Production[]
The song heavily interpolates Lauryn Hill's 2002 song, "Mystery of Iniquity".[7]
Background[]
In an interview with The New York Times in 2013, Kanye claimed that he wrote the song in just 15 minutes, thanking Dead Prez for inspiring him to do so.[8] Instead of interpolation, Kanye planned to sample the aforementioned song, "Mystery of Iniquity", and at first, Lauryn granted him permission to do so.[9] However, at the last minute, Lauryn denied Kanye permission to use her song because she didn't write it. Kanye decided to have Syleena Johnson sing the song as background vocals instead.[7] At one point, Kanye apparently experimented with vocals from John Legend.[10]
Music video[]
The song's music video was directed by Chris Milk and shot at Ontario International Airport. In the film, the viewer takes on first-person perspective as Kanye as his girlfriend (played by Stacey Dash) leads him through the airport to catch her flight. She ends up ditching him and he goes back to the car where the music video starts at.[11]
The music video also features cameos from GLC, Consequence, Common, Kei Mitchell, and Syleena Johnson.[11]
Live performances[]
Kanye West - All Falls Down (Clear Channel Stripped) ft. Syleena Johnson
Kanye West - All Falls Down (Live from The Joint) ft. Syleena Johnson
In 2004, Kanye performed portions of the song on Def Poetry Jam as a poem titled "Self Conscious".[12] The song was also performed during the School Spirit Tour as the eleventh song on the setlist.[13] He also performed the songs for Clear Channel Stripped and the Joint in Las Vegas, both of which were uploaded to Kanye's YouTube channel. He also performed the show in several talk shows, including the Late Show with David Letterman and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno.[14] More recently, Kanye performed the song during a surprise appearance at the Magnificent Coloring Day Festival in 2016 and during the Free Larry Hoover Concert in 2021.[14][15]
Lyrics[]
[Chorus]
Oh, when it all (yeah)
It all falls down (this the real one, baby)
I'm tellin' you all (uh)
It all falls down (Chi-Town, stand up)
Oh, when it all (Southside, Southside)
It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
I'm tellin' you all (Westside, Westside)
It all falls down, oh, when it all (we gon' set this party off right)
[Verse 1]
Man, I promise, she's so self-conscious
She has no idea what she doin' in college
That major that she majored in don't make no money
But she won't drop out, her parents'll look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain't insecurr
The concept of school seems so securr
Sophomore, three yurrs, ain't picked a carurr
She like, "Fuck it, I'll just stay down hurr and do hair"
'Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs
Of new Airs, 'cause her baby daddy don't really care
She's so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn't afford a car, so she named her daughter Alexis
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off, now she look like Eve
And she be dealin' with some issues that you can't believe
Single black female addicted to retail, and well
[Chorus]
Oh, when it all, it all falls down (uh)
And when it falls down, who you gon' call now?
I'm tellin' you all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down
And when it falls down, oh, when it all (and when it all falls down)
[Verse 2]
Man, I promise, I'm so self-conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pashas done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothin', pass that Ver-say-see
Then I spent four hundred bucks on this
Just to be like, "n***a, you ain't up on this"
And I can't even go to the grocery store
Without some Ones that's clean and a shirt with a team
It seem we livin' the American Dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
For the road to riches and diamond rings
We shine because they hate us, floss 'cause they degrade us
We tryna buy back our 40 acres
And for that paper, look how low we'll stoop
Even if you in a Benz, you still a n***a in a coupe
[Chorus]
Oh, when it all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down, who you gon' call now?)
I'm tellin' you all (come on, come on)
It all falls down, oh, when it all (and when it all falls down)
[Verse 3]
I say, "Fuck the police," that's how I treat 'em
We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom
We'll buy a lot of clothes, but we don't really need 'em
Things we buy to cover up what's inside
'Cause they made us hate ourself and love they wealth
That's why shorty's hollerin', "Where the ballers at?"
Drug dealer buy Jordan, crackhead buy crack
And the white man get paid off of all of that
But I ain't even gon' act holier than thou
'Cause fuck it, I went to Jacob with twenty-five thou
Before I had a house and I'd do it again
'Cause I wanna be on 106 & Park, pushin' a Benz
I want to act ballerific like it's all terrific
I got a couple past-due bills, I won't get specific
I got a problem with spendin' before I get it
We all self-conscious, I'm just the first to admit it
[Chorus]
Oh, when it all (yeah, c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down, who you gon' call now?)
I'm tellin' you all (c'mon, c'mon)
It all falls down (and when it falls down)
Oh, when it all (Southside, Southside)
It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
I'm tellin' you all (Westside, Westside)
It all falls down (we gon' set this party off right)
Oh, when it all (Chi-Town, Chi-Town)
It all falls down (We gon' show 'em how we get down)
I'm tellin' you all (Now, Syleena, you just like a safe belt)
It all falls down (you saved my life, c'mon)
Oh, when it all, it all falls down
I'm tellin' you all, it all falls down
[Outro]
I's can't keep workin' like this
This grave shift is like a slave ship
[Chorus]
You might think you do
But you don't know
It's like a dream come true
But you don't know
[Verse 1]
Man I promise, I'm so self-conscious
That's why you always see me with at least one of my watches
Rollies and Pasha's done drove me crazy
I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that ver-say-see
Man I spent four hundred bucks on this
Just to be like, n***a you ain't up on this
That's why I'm iced out, medallion heavy on the wrist
My n***as servin' the checks like the first and fifth-teenth
So insecurr, cut that coke 'til it's so unpure
We all need furs by December the third
Cause you heard, Chicago winters is extra burr
Bricks, nicks, n***a so herb
Hustlin' to the whole world, never sober
Seats in the Rover, soft as sofurrs
Ballin so hurr 'till I need a chauffeur
[Chorus]
You might think you do
But you don't know
It's like a dream come true
But you don't know
[Verse 2]
Man I promise, she's so self-conscious
She has no idea what she's doing in college
That major that she majored in don't make no money
But she won't drop out, her parents will look at her funny
Now, tell me that ain't insecurr
The concept of school seems so secure
Sophomore, three yurrs, ain't picked a carurr
She like, fuck it, I'll just stay down here and do hair
Cause that's enough money to buy shorty a few pairs of new Airs
Cause her baby-daddy don't really care
She's so precious with the peer pressure
Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexis
She had hair so long that it looked like weave
Then she cut it all off, now she look like Eve
And she be dealin' with some issues that you can't believe
Single black female addicted to retail, and well
[Chorus]
You might think you do
But you don't know
It's like a dream come true
But you don't know
[Verse 3]
It may seems we living the n***a's American dream
But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem
The prettiest people do the ugliest things
As any means to get that green
Cause society done turned us all into fiends
For the road to riches and diamond rings
And what about the teens moms hearts that broke?
n***as got killed over Starter coats
But I can feel why the shorties be mad as shit
Without the Jordans, he feelin' inadequate
He be feelin' so insecure
Dawg, why that n***a got it? Man life unfair
He be feelin' like fuck the world and furthermore
Feelin' like it's worth
Killin' a person for
But when that pain's gone, it just hurts some more
It seems the sun never shine, that we searchin' for
[Chorus]
You might think you do
But you don't know
It's like a dream come true
But you don't know
You might think you do
But you don't know
It's like a dream come true
But you don't know
References[]
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/album/4Uv86qWpGTxf7fU7lG5X6F
- ↑ https://rateyourmusic.com/release/single/kanye-west/all-falls-down/
- ↑ https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Archive-RandR/2000s/2004/RR-2004-03-05.pdf
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Falls_Down#Background
- ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Falls_Down#Accolades
- ↑ https://open.spotify.com/track/1Mj2wJxQaMq00HfYAkLCz6
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 https://www.whosampled.com/Kanye-West/All-Falls-Down/
- ↑ https://www.villagevoice.com/dead-prez-react-to-kanyes-new-york-times-comments-about-them/
- ↑ https://krakenfiles.com/view/ILffOnspMK/file.html
- ↑ https://www.billboard.com/music/rb-hip-hop/kanye-wests-the-college-dropout-an-oral-history-5893976/
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All_Falls_Down#Music_video
- ↑ https://ew.com/article/2011/09/22/kanye-west-def-poetry-jam-video-2004/
- ↑ https://www.setlist.fm/stats/kanye-west-bd6bd8a.html?tour=63de8abf
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Kanye_West_live_performances
- ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gv_Nk9ZT3SY
| The College Dropout | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| Late Orchestration |
|---|
| "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" • "Touch The Sky" • "Crack Music" • "Drive Slow" • "Through The Wire" • "Workout Plan" • "Heard 'Em Say" • "All Falls Down" • "Bring Me Down" • "Gone" • "Late" • "Jesus Walks" • "Gold Digger" |