Anyone who has lost a parent, a guardian, a friend or any loved one, should listen to Kanye West’s “Only One.”
This song is the entire package, but what really packs the punch are the beautiful lyrics. (Listen here on KanyeWest.com)
Kanye lost his mom in November 2007, since then he has sold millions of records, gotten married and had a baby. He may be Yeezy, and in many ways may seem to lead as unattainable of a life as any other celebrity, but at his core he’s still a son who misses his mom.
Throughout “Only One” he tries to answer questions that anyone who has lost a loved one wonders about:
Are you speaking to me in my dreams, or through friendly reminders?
“I hear her speak to me: ‘Hello ‘Mari, how you doing?'”
Can you see me? Are you proud of me? Would you like the life I’m living?
“I know you’re happy ’cause I can see it. So tell the voice inside your head to believe it.”
“And if you knew how proud I was/ You’d never shed a tear, have a fear.”
“No, you’re not perfect, but you’re not your mistakes. The good outweighs the bad even on your worst day.”
Why did you have to go, in that precise moment?
“And though I didn’t pick the day to turn the page, I know it’s not the end…”
“You know I never left you, because every road that leads to heaven is right inside you.”
Why…just why?
“You’re still my chosen one. So can you understand? One day you’ll understand.”
Kanye West ends the song with a plea from his mother just asking him to tell Nori about her. In my eyes, this is one way that Donda West’s life continues, through the stories her granddaughter listens to.
Because, as Yeezy sings:
“No goodbyes…just hellos.”
Image: Kim Kardashian Twitter
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