Kanye West\'s \"All Falls Down\"

Kanye West's "All Falls Down"

Kanye West's song "All Falls Down" is about how people live their lives trying to please others. The song also shows that this occurs because people are made to feel like less than they are. In response, people try to make themselves look like they are more to others. However, as the title suggests and as is repeated in the chorus, the act falls down and leaves people feeling emptier. This meaning is conveyed in the song lyrics through a number of examples. These will now be described to show both the meaning of the song, and how West communicates the meaning.

The first verse starts with a mention of a girl in college who "has no idea what she's doing in college." West also makes the point that the girl going to college will not even help her achieve her aims, since her major will not allow her to make money. However, rather than take action and do something to make her life better, she stays in college because she does not want to upset her parents. This is the first example of a person acting based on how they will be seen by other people. A recurring theme is then introduced with the mention of the girl deciding to "just stay down here and do hair /

Cause that's enough money to buy her a few pairs of new Airs." This introduces the theme of buying expensive items to make yourself feel like you are worth more. In this case, the girl has not found a career that she can be successful in. Instead, she makes do with a lesser career and spends her limited money on items that will make her look like she is doing well. West emphasizes that the girl's life is based on an act in the next line where she describes how the girl "Couldn't afford a car so she named her daughter Alexus." This shows how buying items becomes used as a substitute for actually being worth something, while also showing that there is a gap between what she wants for herself and what she can achieve. This gap makes her feel less valuable, which makes her demand for possessions greater. In the end though, everything she does is based on how others will perceive her, with this adding to her emptiness rather than reducing it.

The next verse continues on the same theme. However, West changes the subject and focuses on himself, rather than the girl. In doing so, he describes how he is just as self-conscious as the girl and how he buys items to try and show his worth and gain acceptance from others. At the same time, the verse shows that his actions are also just a show. As he states in one line "I can't even pronounce nothing, pass that Versace!" This suggests that just like the girl in the first verse, he has neglected getting the real education that could have made him successful. Instead, he has settled with just acting like he is successful. Unlike the girl in the first verse though, it is clear that he has more money and so has achieved financial success. This emphasizes that there is no substitute for finding your actual worth and that no amount of financial success will prove your worth. West summarizes the point with the following lines: "It seems we living the American Dream / But the people highest up got the lowest self-esteem." The first significant part of these two lines is the word "seems." This shows that the outer signs of success are not really a sign that the person has actually achieved success. In short, this shows that what is seen on the surface does not really represent the truth. The second significant part of the two lines is the mention of the people who achieving the most outward success having the lowest self-esteem. Considering the theme of attaining possessions to prove your worth, the message given is that the less value you actually have in yourself, the more outer value you appear to have. This is a result of the individual with low self-esteem needing to prove themselves to others. This becomes the motivation for achieving the kind of success that will allow them to look good to others. Again though, this is an empty success because regardless of how the person looks to others, they still feel no worth within themselves.

The third and final verse expands on this message and suggests that money is no answer. As West states, "We buy our way out of jail, but we can't buy freedom." This reference to freedom relates to being free to live according to yourself and your own needs, rather than a need to prove yourself to others. This is also emphasized in lines four to six of the verse: "We'll buy a lot of clothes when we don't really need em / Things we buy to cover up what's inside / Cause they make us hate ourself and love they wealth." These lines show that the desire for items is really a way to cover inner problems. In addition, these lines emphasize that the desire for wealth exists because of a dislike for ourselves. In short, if you do not feel that you are enough in the eyes of others, attaining wealth becomes the solution. West then makes the point that despite apparently being aware of the problem and seeing that wealth is not a real solution, he still cannot help but feel the need for material things. As he states, "I wanna be on 106 and Park pushing a Benz." This shows how strong the desire for material wealth is. In the final lines of the third verse, West mentions some problems related to excessive spending including that "I got a couple past due bills" and that "I got a problem with spending before I get it." The first example links back to the girl described in the first verse, because it shows that how other people see you becomes more important than how you are actually living. This shows the major problem, which is that your own priorities become confused, where you are willing to sacrifice yourself so that other people will think you are doing well. The second example of spending before you have the money shows that no amount of riches is ever enough. No matter how much you achieve, you will be seeking more material possessions to prove your wealth. Presumably, there will be no end to this until you see the real value in yourself and stop living to try and impress other people and prove yourself. In the final line of the third verse, West says that "We all self-conscious I'm just the first to admit it." This reinforces the theme of living your life based on how you are perceived by others, with this line also suggesting that everyone experiences this same problem.