“Lord I Need You” by Kanye West (ft. Sunday Service Choir)
On “Lord I Need You”, Kanye is addressing a romantic interest. One can conclude that he is rapping about his actual marriage to reality TV star Kim Kardashian, and there are lyrics which can be interpreted as pointing to such. But Kanye isn’t really the type to mince words, and if he really wanted to take it there he could have.
So perhaps we can also put forth that this song possesses a general applicability in terms of illustrating, let’s say a man’s reaction to dealing with serious issues in his marriage. Or being more blunt, what the sentiments expressed in this piece are premised on is apparently a marriage gone wrong. And if a listener decides to interpret this piece as the addressee being Kim K., considering that she recently filed for divorce from Kanye West, then so be it.
But the reason we have to break it down like that is because concluding that Kardashian is in fact the addressee holds some implications in terms of the public’s intimate knowledge of her relationship with Kanye West. For instance, the first couple of lines of the song’s actual verse sort of implies that she proposed to him. Then after that comes implications of her cheating.
But just as there may be lyrical evidence that Kim K. is the addressee, there are only lines which can be understood to the contrary. For instance, when Kanye refers to her as “his favorite prom queen”, well, going out on a limb we can postulate that he is referring to a relationship that has been intact since high school. Meanwhile, he actually met her well after finishing his secondary education.
And that said, there’s also a lot of love up in the lyrics also. For instance, the vocalist clearly perceives that addressee as someone he will be with for life. But in between such references, such as the two of them being “the best collab since Taco Bell and KFC”, are clear indications that this relationship also has Yeezus stressed. And as it appears, the main source of said stress would actually be “too many complaints” on part of the addressee – being a bloody nag, if you will.
So again, the world may know that Kanye and Kim have their issues, but neither party has actually been overly chatty in terms of detailing what their beef with each other actually is. It’s like they’ve done a pretty good job of keeping certain aspects of their marriage private, given the circumstances.
But music is a different beast, one in which you can theoretically use innuendos to express such details, indirectly, to the world. And if such is the case, then yes, Lord I Need You may be more revealing concerning Kanye’s feelings towards Kim than any tabloid report.
Song’s Title (“Lord I Need You”)
And concerning the title of the song, it can be said to be indicative of Kanye’s belief that only God can make this situation right. Or rather, let’s be honest by noting that when marital discontent materialized, the associated turmoil can and often is felt throughout the entire family.
Also, deading such beef can be very difficult, in some cases even being deemed irreconcilable. So within the chorus, Yeezus is putting forth that in the confusion which has and will like continue to ensue, he possesses confidence that a divine power will hold him and the entire family down. But in the chorus, that expression is put more into the form of a prayer. And accordingly, the vocalist is asking for the Lord’s protection and mercy throughout this ordeal.
“Lord I Need You”
Primary Artist: Kanye West
Featured Artist: Sunday Service Choir
Album: “Donda”
Writing Team
“Lord I Need You” was authored by songwriting team helmed by West. The other members of the team are: Finatik, Wheezy, Zac and SAINt JHN.
Sample
On “Lord I Need You”, Kanye samples a track titled “Make Me Over Again”. The said track was released by Bri Babineaux in 2015.
