“All Falls Down” by Kanye West
Shazam’d by TG on July 29, 2022. “Who would have thought a guy so full of himself could admit to being just as fallible as everyone else?” Overall rating: 4.63
I have an admission: I didn’t Shazam this song because I was in a store, heard it on the loudspeaker, and had to nab it for later. “All Falls Down” has been one of my Kanye favorites for years now. The song reached #7 on the Billboard 100 in 2004, and was nominated for a Grammy that same year. Even so, I feel like it’s become a forgotten gem from the classic album The College Dropout.
Case in point: DLT was not familiar with this song before I recently shared it with her, via Shazam. (On the other hand, even if not a big Kanye fan, I’m sure she knows “Jesus Walks”—who doesn’t know “Jesus Walks”?—and possibly even “Through the Wire.”) But I just happened to be playing the song on my computer, and was instantly reminded how much I love everything about it! The funky groove, Syleena’s soulful voice, the effortless flow of Ye’s rapping, and the clever lyrics. But more so than anything, the song’s overall message…
In general, people are an insecure bunch. (Black folks can be the worst! Or maybe it just feels that way because I’m, ya know…black.) One way we sooth our insecurities is by buying stuff. It’s a band-aid; a salve on our wounded ego. It makes us feel better about ourselves in the moment—even when/if we don’t realize that we’re just self-medicating. Like any addiction, the acquiring of stuff—AKA consumerism—provides a satisfying distraction/escape from our anxieties, insecurities, and whatever else sucks about being us at the moment.
The idea of somebody who buys a $400 belt buckle, just to be able to brag to others, “I’ve got this and you don’t!” sounds ridiculous to me. I cannot relate. But maybe that’s just because I can’t yet afford a $400 belt buckle. In the meantime, there’s plenty of addictions my disposable income can and does afford. (Apple gadgets being chief among them. And since the pandemic, an obsession with furniture and other adornments for my tiny home office. Finally, my collection of themed playing cards—several dozen decks that only exist to be visually admired and carefully handled…but never actually played!) So maybe I can relate, after all?
In any case, this Shazam reccomendation was not premeditated in any way…totally spontaneous. (As all Shazams should be!) Before I knew it, I was grabbing my phone and hitting the big blue “S.” The motivation? 1) My surprise and joy at how much I still love this song…and want others to know it. 2) My amazement that Kanye can be such an egomaniacal character and, at the same time, convince us that his neurosis makes him no different from the rest of us.
The way Kanye pulls this off is through the story of a young woman who is hopelessly “addicted to retail.” Once again, we listen and think, “What a joke this girl is. How pathetic!” But here’s the bait-and-switch. Presenting this pitiable character—thereby getting us on his side—somehow provides Kanye cover/license to continue bragging about his own material conquests, through the lens of, “Sure, I’m no less insecure than this misguided soul…or any of you, for that matter. But I’m a lot a lot richer!”
The Lyrics…
The lyrics of “All Falls Down” are so clever and on-point! The line above is probably my favorite from the song. Why? Simple. Because it would never have occurred to me to write about needing crisp, new one-dollar bills or a fresh team jersey…just to go to the grocery store. If that line, right there, is not the embodiment of how ridiculously vain, insecure, and self-conscious we all tend to get, I don’t know what is. Genius!
Plus, I feel the true genius of Kanye’s delivery here is how conversational it is. His flow is still laced with bravado—as it needs to be, in order to sell the idea that he’s worth a $400 belt buckle. But he’s more concerned with telling the story than simply bragging. “Yo, can you relate to this chick right here? Well, I have a confession…I can. Yup!”
I mean, when everyone else is rapping about how hard ghetto life is, who comes out with a song about a clueless female college student who has no idea why she’s there—except to keep her parents from “looking at her funny” if she were to quit? Who can pull that off? Apparently, Kanye can!
Instead of trying to analyze the song’s lyrics verse-by-verse, I thought I would save some fun for discussion below, in the comments. Due to copyright issues, I’m not really allowed to post song lyrics here anyway. So, I’ve provided a link to the song on genuis.com. There, clicking on the lyrics will even pop up various explanations behind their meaning. Enjoy and discuss!
Ratings…
TG: 5.0. “Great groove. Soulful singing. Kanye’s flow is as fresh and lively as anything he’s done. And to top it off, a unique message that you wouldn't expect from such a giant ego. What else could you ask for? Also for me, this is the first song from the 2000s to have “back in the day” appeal—because this is clearly old Kanye at his best!”
DLT: 4.25. “The lyrics…genius!! The music is a decent loop. Girlfriend’s humming is decent. I think I would have better enjoyed either a different musical background track altogether, or a bit of variance in this one. So, originality and lyrical choices give it a 4.25. 😏”