"[25] Chicago Sun-Times writer Thomas Conner cited the song as one of the album's "temporary highs" describing it as a "mixture of metal strut, Gothic keyboards and a bender gone off the rails. For the. [15][16] Aesthetically the production of the song draws from both stoner rock and progressive rock. The song features a production style with influence from rock and heavy metal music, and is notably bombastic and aggressive in nature. A sample of West talking about "falling in love with a porn star" over the abrasive production. This could mean that Kanye deems the famous lifestyle as a lie to those who aren’t in it and are dreaming of it. The song features a number of samples and contains backing vocals by Teyana Taylor, signed to West's G.O.O.D. Music, Influencing Fashion & Being Doubted", Why You Can't Hate Kanye West and Love My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy At the Same Time, Amber Rose Cries While Discussing Kanye West In An Interview, Kanye West's 'My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy' By The Numbers, Track Listing: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy | Music Review | Tiny Mix Tapes, Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: A Track-By-Track Guide, Kanye West: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Review – Music Review at IGN, "Kanye West – My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy", "Hell of a Life" – Review of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. [14], This article is about the Kanye West song. [38], Credits adapted from the liner notes for My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). The song features a number of samples and contains backing vocals by Teyana Taylor, signed to West's G.O.O.D. [35] The song was featured during West's setlist during his 2011 performance at Coachella. Vozick-Levinson, Simon (November 12, 2010). Kanye West - Hell of a Life [Official Music] [HQ] - YouTube [4] G.O.O.D. [38][39] Vernon sang the chorus while West provided the rapping verses. "Hell of a Life" by Kanye West sampled Black Sabbath's "Iron Man". [15][16][19] The primarily bombastic production is littered with heavy synths and brooding, abrasive riffs. "Hell of a Life" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). "[30] Sean Highkin of the website Beats Per Minute cited the sampling of "Iron Man" as one of the album's most ambitious moments, writing that "any time Kanye has to make a choice between under and overdoing something, he always opts for the latter". "Hell of a Life" was the planned second single from the re-release off T.I. Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. [8] The couple had a dramatic break-up in 2010, due to allegations of adultery. Kanye is saying people condemn their way of life even though they are doing the same thing. It employs highly sexual, nightmarish imagery, and was inspired by West's relationship with model Amber Rose among other real-life events. It’s super easy, we promise! Music label. [3] Another source of music influence that the track drew from was Kraftwerk, an influential electronic music project from the 1970s. The song expresses a narrative about West marrying a pornographic film actress and the traumatic events that follow. [20][21] The song expresses West's thoughts on relations and features highly sexual themes and imagery, sneering at people who judge him negatively. "[13] The melodic, riff-ridden chorus is sung by West, boasting about how "pussy and religion is all [he] need[s]. 's 2008 album, Paper Trail, before it was eventually shelved. Inspired by his two-year relationship with salacious model Amber Rose, the song blurs the line between fantasy and reality, sex and romance, love and religion, until no lines exist at all. Grab my hand and baby, we'll live a hell of a life One day, I'm gon' marry a porn star We'll have a big-ass crib and a long yard We'll have a mansion and some fly maids Nothin' to hide, we both screwed the bridesmaids She wanna role-play 'til I roll over I'ma need a whole day, at least roll doja What party is we goin' to on Oscar day? 's career and narrates the final 24 hours before beginning his sentence for illegal weapons. [27], AbsolutePunk's Drew Beringer stated that the track featured a "sleazy beat", noting that the song "takes us further into West's dark psyche. it has nothing to do with cameras. Don’t have an account? "[24], "Hell of a Life" garnered critical acclaim from critics. [29] Andrew Barber of Complex complimented the song for successfully providing an escapism fantasy, musing that "Kanye takes us on a spaced-out journey to a world where excess is the norm—a world most of us will never encounter. David Amidon of PopMatters commented that much like every song on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, the song "contains an underscore as ambitious as the beats upfront", concluding that tracks "Hell of a Life" and "So Appalled" alone "carry enough auditory sugar to make listening to this album on any regular sort of listening device almost a fool's errand. Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: Have we heard it all already? The music video was released on October 5, 2009 through Trap Muzik. the fuck with the lights on part has nothing to do with porn. [13] Along with "Iron Man", the song samples "She's My Baby," by Sylvester Stewart, and performed by The Mojo Men; and of "Stud-Spider" by Tony Joe White. [6][7] West had first gotten into contact with Rose in 2008 and developed a romantic relationship with her. "[28] J. Tinsley of the Smoking Section described the track as an admirable effort by West, but commented that it was one of the less tracks on the album ultimately. [17][18] It has been described as "feverish", "nightmarish", "grimy" and "grotesque" in nature. Callahan-Bever, Noah (December 12, 2010). Genius. [13] During the song's climax, West muses "how could you say, 'They live their life wrong?" Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, T.R.O. [1] Kanye West had faced various media controversies and expressed a desire to record his next album in a reclusive manner, straying away from collaborating with artists he didn't consider himself personally familiar with. [5], Lyrically the song draws from West's relationship with model Amber Rose. [14] It is inspired by psychedelic rock, and features baroque braggadocio inspired rapping delivered by West. "[26] Andy Gill of The Independent cited the song as a highlight of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, describing the song as a "brutal rumination on West's sexual appetite" and stating that the track contained a "buzzy synth motif" and "racing minimalist keyboard flourishes". Music artist Teyana Taylor contributes backing vocals to the song, primarily within the last minute of the track. INC. Log in now to tell us what you think this song means. The song was produced by West, Mike Caren, Ernest Wilson and Mike Dean. The song expresses a narrative about … "Hell of a Life" is a song by American hip hop recording artist Kanye West from his fifth studio album, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy (2010). Hell of a Life by Kanye West song meaning, lyric interpretation, video and chart position Good God, you're fucking retarded and superficial. Non-lyrical content copyright 1999-2020 SongMeanings, Javascript must be enabled for the correct page display, I think I just fell in love with a porn star. "Hell of a Life" was recorded in Oahu, Hawaii, along with the majority of My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. [36][37] At a concert in New York City, West performed the song with Justin Vernon of folk band Bon Iver, a musician who West had extensively collaborated with on the album. Listen to both songs on WhoSampled, the ultimate database of sampled music, cover songs and remixes. Music video. Oh damn, I never noticed that before. [32], The song was also featured as in Runaway, a 35-minute music video directed by West set to music from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. The song features a production style with influence from rock and heavy metal music, and is notably bombastic and aggressive in nature. Tell me what you think, we've crossed the line No more drugs for me Pussy and religion is all I need Grand my hand Baby we'll live a hell of a life I think I fell in love with a porn star And got married in the bathroom Honeymoon on the dance floor And got divorced by the end of the night That's one hell of a life The music video reflects T.I. "100 things Kanye taught GQ: Everything that happens in Runaway", Listen To Kanye West's Full Set From Coachella, "Kanye West Slays Coachella Festival's Last Night", Report: Kanye Raps, Sings, Rants at NYC Gig, "Bon Iver's Justin Vernon on Recording Kanye's Dark Fantasy", Everyone Nose (All the Girls Standing in the Line for the Bathroom), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hell_of_a_Life_(song)&oldid=947407213, Song recordings produced by Mike Dean (record producer), Songs written by Mike Dean (record producer), Articles with dead external links from January 2020, Articles with permanently dead external links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Mixed by Mike Dean, Anthony Kilhoffer and Andrew Dawson at Electric Lady Studios, NYC & Platinum Sound Recording, NYC – Assisted by Gaylord Holomalia, Christian Mochizuki and Pete Bischoff, Additional drum programming: Anthony Kilhoffer, This page was last edited on 26 March 2020, at 03:03. "[23], According to IGN's Chad Grischow, the track is fueled by "the fuzzed-out synth and melody borrowed from Black Sabbath's 'Iron Man'," stating that "Hell of a Life" plays like it was inspired by "the latest season of Entourage, as Kanye falls hard for a porn star and spins rapidly out of control as he plans their future. "[22] Pitchfork Media's Ryan Dombal summarized the song, writing: "'Hell of a Life' attempts to bend its central credo-- 'no more drugs for me, pussy and religion is all I need'-- into a noble pursuit. It charted on the South Korean Gaon Chart at position 57. The song received mostly positive reviews from music critics who noted the song for its sexual subject matter, praising the performance provided by West and the aesthetically pleasing imagery created by the song. As a woofer-mulching synth line lurks, Kanye justifies his dreams of not sleeping with but marrying a porn star, peaking with the combative taunt, 'How can you say they live they life wrong/ When you never fuck with the lights on.' [6][12] The porn star in question has been interpreted as an allusion to Amber Rose, a former stripper. [31] Baron Zach of The Village Voice praised the story and production of the song, stating that the song contained a "great" sample. "Hell of a Life" tells the story of marriage between West and a porn star. It's a zonked nirvana with demons underneath; a fragile state that can't help but break apart on the very next song. Music label. everyone is fucking, and doing so with the lights on allows you to actually see the person you're with. [9] The song is unique among songs featured on My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy as it is the only song on the album featuring vocals solely provided by West, who chose to otherwise collaborate extensively on the project.[10][11]. The song was produced by West, Mike Caren, Ernest Wilson and Mike Dean. before launching into the repeated refrain of "when you never fuck with the lights on? Kanye West's 'Power' Producer Explains How Song Happened, Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'Hell Of A Life', Kanye West My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, "Interview: Teyana Taylor Talks Joining G.O.O.D. [33][34] The beginning of the song is featured at the end of the dinner sequence. The song was featured during West's Coachella Music Festival setlist and briefly appeared in his short film Runaway, during a dinner sequence. "Hell of a Life" as written by Kanye Omari West Ernest Dion Wilson. [7] The song charted on South Korean Gaon Chart at position 57. 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