The Glory

"The Glory"Song by Kanye West
General information
Released	September 11, 2007
Recorded	2006-2007
Genre	Hip-hop
Length	3:33
Album	Graduation
Label(s)	Roc-A-Fella Records, Def Jam Recordings
Writer(s)	Kanye West, Laura Nyro, Yasiin Bey, Mountain
Producer(s)	Plain Pat, Gee Robertson, Kanye West
Track list
Previous	"Everything I Am"
Next	"Homecoming"

"The Glory" is the eleventh song by Kanye West from his third studio album, Graduation (2007).

Production

The track contains powerful electronic production, heavily sampling the song "Save the Country" by Laura Nyro.

Background

A line from the unreleased song, "Livin' A Movie Pt. 2", was reused in this track, being "I did for the glory." The track's beat was initially offered to Common by Kanye, but he rejected the offer, with Kanye West reusing it for Graduation. In May of 2006, Kanye wanted the track to be the first single for Common's album "Finding Forever Common (2007)." Throughout 2006, Kanye performed this song acapella numerous times. In the lyrics, Kanye raps about pop culture and fashion. The track interpolates "Award Tour" by A Tribe Called Quest. Yasiin Bey does some of the background vocals.

Lyrics

[Intro: Kanye West & Laura Nyro]
In my soul
Gonna take you to the glory
Goal, in my mind I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my
Yeah, uh

[Chorus: Kanye West & Choir]
Now where the South Side? (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
Uh, uh, uh, uh
Now where the West Side? (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
Yeah, uh

[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Can I talk my shit again? Even if I don't hit again? (I can't study)
Dawg, are you fucking kidding? (Yeah, my)
My hat, my shoes, my coat, Louis Vuitton stitch (I can't study war, yeah, my)
With Donatella Versace, that's Louis Vuitton, bitch (I can't study war, yeah, my)
I think Hennessy, I drink, I'm gone (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Off that Bacardí Limon and Corona, I'm zonin' (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Class back in session so I upped it a grade (I can't study war, yeah, my)
In two years, Dwayne Wayne became Dwyane Wade (I can't study war, yeah, my)
And hey, please don't start me (I can't study war, yeah, my)
I'm like Gnarls Barkley meets Charles Barkley (I can't study war, yeah, my)
I'm pop the Barkers, I'm hood the Parkers (I can't study war, yeah, my)
While y'all was in limbo, I raised the bar up (I can't study war, yeah, my)
I touched on everything (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Married to the game, rock a chain 'steada wedding ring (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Y'all bridesmaids catch the garter (I can't study war, yeah)
On nights when 'Ye romance, cameras flash so much
That I gotta do that Yayo dance
I'm on a world tour with Common, my man (yeah, my)
After each and every show, a couple dykes in the van (yeah, my)
It's easy, the hood love to listen to Jeezy and Weezy (yeah)
And, oh, yeah, Yeezy, I did it for the glory (yeah, my)

[Chorus: Kanye West & Choir]
Yeah, my (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
The glory (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
I did it for the glory (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
The glory (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)

[Verse 2: Kanye West]
What I'm supposed to do now? Man, the game all messed up (I can't study war, yeah, my)
How I'm suppose to stand out when everybody get dressed up? (I can't study war, yeah, my)
So, yeah, at the Grammys, I went ultra Travolta (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Yeah, that tuxedo might have been a little guido (I can't study war, yeah, my)
But with my ego, I can stand there in a Speedo (I can't study war, yeah, my)
And be looked at like a fucking hero (I can't study war, yeah, my)
The glory, the story, the chain, the polo, the night
The grind, the empty bottles of No-Doz (Yeah, my)
Tank on empty, whipping my momma Volvo (Yeah, my)
I spent that gas money on clothes with logos (Yeah, my)
The fur is Hermes, shit that you don't floss (I can't study war, yeah, my)
The Goyard so hard, man, I'm Hugo's boss (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Why I gotta ask what that TUDOR cost? (I can't study war, yeah, my)
House on the hill, two doors from Tracee Ross (I can't study war, yeah, my)
And I'm asking 'bout her girlfriends, yeah, the dark skin'ed ones
She asking 'bout the speed boats, yeah, I admit we rented 'em
When you meet me in person, what do you feel like? (Yeah, my)
I know, I know, I look better in real life
I hear people compare themselves to big a lot (I can't study war, yeah, my)
You know, B.I.G. and Pac, you know to get it hot (I can't study war, yeah, my)
I guess after I live, I wanna be compared to B.I.G (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Any one: Big Pun, Big L or Notorious (Yeah, my)
'Till then, get money and stunt and stay glorious (I can't study war, yeah, my)
And I'ma stop killing these n***** soon as the chorus hit (I can't study war, yeah, my)
Yeah, I'ma stop killing these n***** soon as the chorus hit, uh (I can't study war, yeah, my)
These haters be killing themselves, they wanna come and get the glory (I can't study war, yeah, my)

[Chorus: Kanye West & Choir]
Yeah, my
The glory (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
Now where the South Side? (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)
Now where the West Side? (I can't study, no, yeah, my, I can't study, no, yeah, my)

[Outro: Laura Nyro]
I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my
I can't study war, yeah, my