Anyway, I like the song with exception of one or two lines towards the end. I copied and pasted the lyrics below and bolded the lines that I felt were questionable.
Because I wanted to know exactly what Jay-z meant by those lyrics, I emailed one of the popular celebrity blogs, Bossip.com, to see if they would consider posting the question so that Jay-z would feel compelled to answer.
Well...Bossip.com granted my wish and they posted it. CHECK THIS OUT!
http://bossip.com/164093/quote-of-the-day-jesus-cant-save-you-life-starts-when-the-church-ends/
I'm so serious! If you don't believe me, check out the corresponding emails below that preceded and prompted the post.
Me: Does Jay-z not believe in God? This is a bold statement!
Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin,
and Jesus can’t save you life starts when the church ends,
Bossip: Hey Chris, is that on the new blueprint album, and what song?
Me: This is on the new BP3 album on the song Empire State of Mind with Alicia Keys.
Bossip: Thanks...
Me: My co-workers were talking about how much we like the song but can't get pass that verse. believe you me, other people are wondering the same thing. I just want to hear Jay-z's response to what he meant by that because people are reciting his lyrics not even thinking about what the lyrics mean. And there is so much power in the tongue so when people speak, only two things can come out; life or death!
I'm sure Jay-z puts thought into what he puts in his songs so I just want to know his rational behind this verse.
Bossip:He actually freestyles his songs...and doesn't write. I am posting this today. Thanks...
Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys – Empire State of Mind Lyrics
[Jay-Z]
Yeah,
Yeah, Imma up at Brooklyn,
now Im down in Tribeca,
right next to DeNiro,
But i’ll be hood forever,
I’m the new Sinatra,
and since i made it here,
i can make it anywhere,
yeah they love me everywhere,
i used to cop in Harlem,
all of my dominicanos
right there up on broadway,
brought me back to that McDonalds,
lyrics courtesy of killerhiphop.com
took it to my stash spot,
5-60 State street,
catch me in the kitchen like a Simmons whipping Pastry,
cruising down 8th street,
off white lexus,
driving so slow but BK is from Texas,
me I’m up at Bed Stuy,
home of that boy Biggie,
now i live on billboard,
and i brought my boys with me,
say wat up to Ty Ty, still sipping Mai-tai
sitting courtside Knicks and Nets give me high fives,
N-gga i be Spiked out, i can trip a referee,
tell by my attitude that I most definitely from…
[Alicia Keys]
In New York,
Concrete jungle where dreams are made of,
Theres nothing you can’t do,
Now you’re in New York,
these streets will make you feel brand new,
Big lights will inspire you,
lets hear it for New York, New York, New York
[Jay-Z]
I made you hot n-gga,
Catch me at the X with OG at a Yankee game,
sh-t i made the yankee hat more famous than a yankee can,
you should know I bleed Blue, but I aint a crip tho,
but i got a gang of n-ggas walking with my clique though,
welcome to the melting pot,
corners where we selling rocks,
afrika bambaataa sh-t,
home of the hip hop,
yellow cab, gypsy cab, dollar cab, holla back,
for foreigners it aint fitted they forgot how to act,
8 million stories out there and their naked,
lyrics courtesy of killerhiphop.com
cities is a pity half of y’all won’t make it,
me i gotta plug Special Ed and i got it made,
If Jeezy’s payin LeBron, I’m paying Dwayne Wade,
3 dice cee-lo
3 card Monte,
labor day parade, rest in peace Bob Marley,
Statue of Liberty, long live the World trade,
long live the king yo,
I’m from the empire state thats…
[Chorus]
Welcome to the bright light..
[Jay-Z]
Lights is blinding,
girls need blinders
so they can step out of bounds quick,
the side lines is blind with casualties,
who sipping life casually, then gradually become worse,
don’t bite the apple Eve,
caught up in the in crowd,
now your in-style,
and in the winter gets cold en vogue with your skin out,
the city of sin is a pity on a whim,
good girls gone bad, the cities filled with them,
Mami took a bus trip and now she got her bust out,
everybody ride her, just like a bus route,
Hail Mary to the city your a Virgin, and Jesus can’t save your life starts when the church ends,
lyrics courtesy of killerhiphop.com
came here for school, graduated to the high life,
ball players, rap stars, addicted to the limelight,
MDMA got you feeling like a champion,
the city never sleeps better slip you a Ambien
[Chorus]
[Alicia Keys]
One hand in the air for the big city,
Street lights, big dreams all looking pretty,
no place in the World that can compare,
Put your lighters in the air, everybody say yeaaahh
come on, come,
yeah,
[Chorus]
I started an all out war, Believer VS Non-believer! Check out the comments that readers posted to the blog. A total of 766 comments were posted by visitors of the blog! A lot of them are absolutely unbelievable. There are so many unbelievers in this world and they are so adamant about their views. It's really heart-wrenching to read a lot of them.
One of the comments was more positive than others. My girlfriend brought this to my attention. He had this to say...
"he’s just saying that going to church for one hour a week will not save those people who are obsessed with fame and money —- that you might be good in church, but you are judged on how you act when you leave church."
Heavenly Father, we come to you today giving you the praise, honor and glory. Asking a special prayer for Christoph. We pray for travel mercy, we pray for ever pilot, passenger, and stewardess. Encamp you holy angels around him. Keep him from all hurt, harm and danger. Give him a speedy flight. In Jesus name we pray.