The Silver Lining
A quick dive into the heartfelt and cinematic “Come to Life” by Kanye West.
With the recent release of Donda came the gem “Come to Life” and its abstract music video. Kanye once again delivers a very emotional but cinematic song. “Come to Life” is all about having hope for a better life in dark times. He further speaks on the importance of his family and God serving as the silver lining of his life.
Breaking down the video
First verse
The video starts in darkness while the only thing to illuminate is a white cross above Kanye’s childhood home. At the same time, the first thing we hear from Kanye is, “here go all your problems again,” followed by a list of multiple family issues and negative thoughts.
Uncle, now he back in the pen’
Auntie shut down again
Did she finally come to life?
Ever wish you had another life?
Ever wish you had another life?
Ever wish you had another life?
The repetition of “Ever wish you had another life?” creates a very sad and introspective moment. We see that family issues and negative thoughts were once “low” times for him. Even his childhood home, shown in darkness, helps portray that this was once a hard time in his life.
Don’t you wish the night would go numb?
I’ve been feeling low for so long
I ain’t had a high in so long
I been in the dark for so long
The song briefly changes tone as the choir and background voices begin to build around Kanye’s vocals:
Floating on a silver lining (in the name of Jesus)
Yeah, you know where to find me, riding on a silver lining
And my God won’t deny me, tell the Devil, “Get behind me”
All the stars are aligned, lift me up every time
You know exactly where to find me
Kanye creates contrast by first mentioning darkness and problems, then quickly shifting into the theme of hope. Although there is visible and metaphorical darkness, there is also a silver lining. This silver lining that he is floating on is God and religion. Much like the white cross that illuminates his home. One can assume that during dark times, God was also there to brighten his life.
Chorus
The camera then cuts inside the house, where we see what appears to be Kanye alone in a darkened room. The entire room quickly catches on fire before he slowly steps outside, engulfed in bright flames.
This entire scene happens while he sings the main chorus:
Did those ideas ever really come to life?
Make it all come to life, make it all come to life
Praying for a change in your life
Well, maybe it’s gon’ come tonight
Kanye catching on fire is equivalent to his rock bottom. As he sings, “Praying for a change in your life,” he slowly steps outside of his internal hell. By praying for a change, he is seemingly coming to life by letting his trauma go.
Took your thoughts and penciled ’em in
Should’ve wrote ’em down in pen
And maybe they’d come to life
And maybe they’d come to life
I find this portion of the song very captivating. As the chorus continues, he advises you to write down your thoughts in pen. Unlike writing in pencil, a pen is known for being permanent. Kanye prefers to write with a pen because it can’t be erased nor changed. In other words, your thoughts and ideas are more likely to come to life if you stick with them all the way through.
Final verse
Kanye repeats the main chorus one last time as we are gifted with a beautiful piano. The camera suddenly cuts to Kim Kardashian dressed in a wedding gown. She slowly walks past multiple people while the final verse begins:
You know where to find me, they cannot define me
So they crucify me, how so fazed when I leave?
Come and purify me, come and sanctify me
You the air that I breathe, the ultra-ultralight beam
Bought a gift to Northie, all she want was Nikes
This is not about me, God is still alive, so I’m free
Floating on a silver lining, floating on a silver lining
So when I’m free, I’m free
In the final verse, Kanye calls for God while bringing up his daughter. By saying it’s not about him, he puts the focus on his family. Even though he is known for being the face of Adidas, he chooses to put his daughter North first by buying her Nikes.
He once again mentions a silver lining, but this time it’s Kim. The light shines through her wedding gown, creating a white-silver effect that greatly contrasts the dark surroundings. The dramatic piano further continues the song as she meets Kanye, no longer covered in flames. The video ends as they both face each other while Kanye reveals himself to Kim.
Piecing it all together
The first verse is mainly about Kanye’s early experiences and the struggles in his childhood family. During the chorus, which is the turning point of the song, Kanye refuses to be content with his current hell. He then prays for a change as he walks out of his burning home.
The change comes in the form of Kim walking towards Kanye as she illuminates the floor. Before Kim, God was the only one to brighten his darkened life. With the current support of his family and God, Kanye is now confident of being free.
The magic about “Come to Life” is that it doesn’t just end on a happy note but instead leaves a feeling of hope. Hope is crucial because it keeps us moving and living. Kanye wasn’t just standing on the silver lining; instead, he was riding it. You don’t just hope — you act on it. According to Kanye, your thoughts and ideas power your life. Certainty is the pen. So next time you have an idea, write it in pen, and maybe just maybe, it’ll come to life.
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