The True Meaning Behind 'Lord I Need You' By Kanye West

Kanye West has had many eras. From his critically acclaimed debut album "The College Dropout," to "808s & Heartbreak," where the artist expanded his musical purview beyond just rap, and "The Life of Pablo," West always brings something new to table. Now, after a five-year hiatus, his latest release, "Donda," is no exception as it finds West rapping about a pivotal time in his life, as the rapper's had a rough couple of years. According to NME, the album has no swear words, likely due to West's new found commitment to his faith. And that's something you definitely couldn't say about his older music.

With West's 10th album finally dropping, fans were no doubt excited to have new music to listen to, but possibly a little overwhelmed — considering "Donda" has nearly 30 tracks, including "Lord I Need You." And judging by the lyrics, it seems like West gets pretty personal on the song.

With the recent news of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian's divorce, it should come to no surprise that at least a couple tracks on the album are about their relationship. "Lord I Need You" seems to be one of those songs that makes direct references to his soon-to-be ex-wife.The song opens with lines referencing West's reliance on a higher power: "Well, Lord, I need you to wrap your arms around me / Wrap your arms around with your mercy." Perhaps West was looking for some spiritual guidance about their marriage.

West then details the beginning of their courtship, too. "When you said give me a ring, you really meant a ring, huh / Turned out to be more than just a fling, huh?" Clearly, with a beautiful family of four kids, their relationship was anything but casual. As the song continues, however, West gets candid about the not-so-great parts of their relationship and alleges that Kardashian may have cheated on him. He raps, "Three hours to get back from Palm Springs, huh? / Who you know spend an hour in Walgreens, huh?"

According to Hot New Hip Hop, fans took to Twitter and suggested those specific lyrics imply West thought his wife was being unfaithful. But, in a different song, "Hurricane," fans theorized that West was a cheater himself with the lyrics, "Here I go actin' too rich, here I go with a new chick / And I know what the truth is / Still playin' after two kids."

On "Lord I Need You," it looks like Kanye West describes some of the problems that occurred in his marriage with Kim Kardashian. "You know you'll always be my favorite prom queen / Even when we in dad shoes or mom jeans / Too many complaints made it hard for me to think / Would you shut up? I can't hear myself drink." According to Genius, the above verse not only describes the arguments West and Kardashian had, but also alludes to West's issues with alcohol, which the rapper discussed on stage in 2020, per Complex.

"But you came here to show that you still in love with me / Startin' to feel like you ain't been happy for me lately, darlin' / 'Member when you used to come around and serenade me, whoa." Here, West seems to acknowledge that Kardashian is making the effort to still support him, but deep down, he doesn't feel like she's truly happy for him.

More specifically, it could also refer to Kardashian's presence at West's recent listening sessions for "Donda," according to Genius. Not only did Kardashian attend these events, but she was also featured on stage with West wearing a wedding dress, per BuzzFeed, stirring up rumors that the two may be getting back together. However, things still look rocky between the two as it was recently reported that West no longer follows Kardashian on Instagram, according to Complex.