Santeria by Pusha T Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Sacred and the Sinister

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Pusha T's Santeria at Lyrics.org.

Lyrics

Now the tears dry and the pain takes over
Let’s talk this payola (payola)
You killed God’s baby when it wasn’t his will
And blood spill, we can’t talk this shit over (this shit over)
The Lord is my shepherd, I am not sheep
I am just a short stone’s throw from the streets
I bring my offering, I will not preach
Awaken my demons, you can hear that man screaming
I’m no different than the priest, priest
Santeria (Santeria, Santeria, Santeria)

They say that death comes in threes, how appropriate
Triple back, they rush in like Soviets
At the Kremlin
Searching for the green like a Gremlin, presidential emblem
Presidential tint on this shit that I’m driven in
Woo! I just place orders and drop dollars
Rotweillers roam the ground, the Glock hollers
The three of y’all are too accessible
Seen all the wrong moves, watching The Untouchables
We don’t do vegetables, niggas get flatlined
Welcome all beef, then we heat ’em with flat irons
Your plans are backfiring, think of double-crossing a priest
Hail Mary, repeat after me

(Santeria) Ya te vas en la mañana (mañana)
Ah ah, los ángeles esperarán
Es el fuego que yo conozco
Es el fuego que yo
Ya te vas en la mañana (mañana)
Ah ah, los ángeles esperarán
Es el fuego que yo conozco
Es el fuego que yo

Of all the things I’ve ever paid for
Know that it’s no price tag when I wage war
It’s no more to pray for, niggas get preyed on
Darken my doorstep, they told me the day’s gone
You listening, De’von? As I’m talking to your spirit for God’s sakes
I’m dealing with heartbreak
Checking my ego, I’m livin’ with lost faith
I’m back in this shit, nigga, you ever seen Shark Tank?
I paid ’em in small bills, all of ’em small face
I bet when we draw blood, you niggas will draw blank
Dress you in all black, partnered with All Saints
Our numbers is all facts, my shooters give all thanks
And all praise, no jail bars can save
Leave you like Malcolm where X marks your grave
Hey, it’s probably better this way
It’s cheaper when the chaplain prays
Santeria!

Ya te vas en la mañana (mañana)
Ah ah, los ángeles esperarán
Es el fuego que yo conozco
Es el fuego que yo

With his masterful 2018 track ‘Santeria’, Pusha T weaves a tapestry of vengeance, spirituality, and the cold realities of the street life, laying bare the soul of a man who grapples with the profound anguish of loss.

Navigating through this complex lyrical labyrinth, we uncover layers of meaning that cut to the core of Pusha T’s personal saga and the universal human condition of suffering and retribution.

Blasphemy or Blessedness: The Duality of Pusha T’s ‘Santeria’

At first blush, the title ‘Santeria’ invokes a religious syncretism, melding the mystical Yoruba deities with Catholic saints—an apt metaphor for the blend of the sacred and profane themes within the song.

The invocation of such a rich religious tradition serves as an entry point into Pusha’s exploration of moral ambiguity: a world where the pious grapple with their proximity to sin, and the sinner seeks redemption through a personal dogma.

A Heart of Stone Cast from the Streets: The Shepherd Who Left the Flock

The line ‘The Lord is my shepherd, I am not sheep’ challenges the notion of blind obedience to faith or fate. Pusha portrays himself as a shepherd, yet one who stands just ‘a short stone’s throw from the streets,’ bringing an offering not of peace but of confrontation.

This powerful imagery suggests a man who leads but is not led, one whose offerings are underscored by the screams of his awoken demons. It’s a far cry from the tranquility of psalms, transformed into a dark and complex rite of passage through hardship.

The Tragedy of Three: Eerie Soviets and Unholy Alliances

The recurring motif of threes in ‘Santeria’—’They say that death comes in threes, how appropriate’—echoes an omen of inevitable tragedy. This fatalistic view is compounded as Pusha equates his adversaries to haphazard Soviets, bungling and desperate in their greed.

It’s a portrayal of failure and futility that threads through the competition, suggesting that those who cross the moral and legal boundaries in search of power will ultimately face a void, their plans backfiring in the face of a calculated and unyielding opponent.

Heating Up the Beef with Flat Irons: The Art of Rap Warfare

Pusha’s declaration ‘Welcome all beef’ is a testament to his readiness to engage in lyrical and existential battles. As he draws parallels to heat them ‘with flat irons’, the process of searing meat becomes symbolic of the scorched-earth policy Pusha employs against his opponents—a transformative violence that leaves them forever altered and exposed.

This is the realm of the street savant who sees conflict as a forge for his will, reshaping adversity into triumph and treating every challenge as an opportunity to solidify his fortitude and reputation.

Unveiling the Priest: The Hidden Cost of Retribution

In what may be the song’s most poignant thread, Pusha T, the self-described ‘priest,’ navigates his narrative through personal loss and the quest for vengeance. The ‘De’von’ mentioned is a reference to his road manager, De’Von Pickett, who was fatally stabbed in 2015, which left an indelible mark on the rapper’s psyche.

Santeria becomes not just a song but a ritual—a medium through which Pusha T conjures the spirit of his fallen comrade, seeking solace in the midst of ‘heartbreak’ and vowing retaliation against those responsible. It is a somber reminder of the true cost of vengeance and the inescapable pain that comes with it.