Why Hands On is Perhaps the Most Important Song Kanye Has Ever Made
Note: I would ask that you go and listen to Hands On before reading, really listen to it, with the highest quality headphones you can find, in a room by yourself, no pausing, no distractions, at the highest volume you find tolerable. It’s, in my opinion, one of the most beautiful songs ever, the instrumental is powerful and the finally verse by Fred Hammond is inspiring
I encourage you to read past the title.
But in order for me to confirm how colossal of a statement I may have made, I ask that you first hear me out.
Kanye West has made a lot of music. I mean, a lot of fucking music. 9 solo albums, 2 collab projects, mixtapes, singles, years of producing that go further back then a song of his even hit the shelves in 2004. I cannot and will not even go into the extensive catalog of unreleased music that is most likely more expansive than your favorite artist’s catalog of released projects. And so again I will admit that the title is an overbearing statement that most if not everyone who reads this or at least clicks on it will disagree with.
If I was to ask you this question what would you say?
A classic? Through the Wire, Touch the Sky, Runaway
A bonafide platinum hit? Gold Digger, Stronger, Heartless
Maybe even something conscious like Diamonds From Sierra Leone
But if you really wanted to delve deep into the psyche of Kanye West what would you pick? Probably something from Dark Fantasy right? Or perhaps Yeezus? Or The Life of Pablo? No, probably Ye. Let’s be honest you could probably pick a handful of songs from his entire discography to break that down. Kanye’s psyche is so ever present in pop culture and the world that picking one song to focus on probably isn’t even possible.
That’s right, it really isn’t possible, but I’m going to try my hardest to explain to you why I think at the very least Hands On is if not the most important, ONE of the most important songs that Kanye West has ever made.
Hands On is the 9th track on Kanye’s 2019 album, Jesus Is King. Whether or not someone likes this album is besides the point, in fact the controversial nature of the album adds to the power of the song.
Reflecting on this song, it definitely didn’t stand out to me at first, I remember initial reactions to it on Kanye reddit, plenty of posts saying it was one of the weaker songs on the album, many sharing that it was their least favorite. Some going as far to say it is bad. As I’m sure many who read this also feel it is.
But the purpose of Hands On goes even bigger than serving a job for the construction of the album, it was built as a response to Kanye’s entire career. Where he has come from and his career up until the point of the song are vital to understanding what this song is really doing for West.
“Cut out all the lights, he the light
Got pulled over, see the brights
‘Watchu doin’ on the street at night?’
Wonder if they’re gonna read your rights
Thirteenth amendment, three strikes
Made a left when I should’ve made a right,
Told God last time, on life
Told the devil that I’m going on a strike
I’ve been working for you my whole life”
Jesus Is King, written off in part by some due to “corny bars” seems to have, in my eyes, willfully omitted almost the entire construction and writing of Hands On. It’s really important to understand here that these are not empty lyrics. West’s days of fitting important messages and meaning into his songs are not over, as some may think they are. Remaining controversial, Kanye once again makes reference to his belief that being under the public eye and in the entertainment industry is kin to slavery, thirteenth amendment, three strikes. It is at this point, just 6 lines into the song, that Kanye makes his promise. Kanye has stated publicly multiple times that God came to him to save him, and as well that this was not an instant process. Being “on a strike” from the devil reinforces that West had to be drawn away from the devil, perhaps slowly, and secondly that he may eventually return.
After making a name for himself for being daring and controversial, West has recently found a new path. Off releasing Ye in 2018, as well as Kids See Ghosts, and producing Nasir and K.T.S.E., West re-discovered God, pledging his due diligence to give up many qualities of his former lifestyle. After launching Sunday Service in January 2019, Hands On locates a journey taking place in between these two landmarks for his career. A new, fresh start of dedication to his faith and his god.
It is understandable that “Christian Ye” is not many people’s favorite iteration of the man, it’s not mine either. But in terms of a summary and analysis of his rich and world changing career, Hands On gets as important as it will get. In terms of an allegory of his deep inner moral shift, it doesn’t get more significant.
“Nothing worse than a hypocrite
Change, he ain’t really different
He ain’t even try to get permission
Asked for advice and they dissed him”
Whether self inflicted or not, Kanye expounds on his inner turmoil and pain through this realization process. Seeing himself as a hypocrite, he feels the attacks from those who truly doubt whether he has actually re-discovered God, and if he has changed at all. Critics implying he required “permission” to shift his world and life views, and when reaching out for help feeling rejected. Pro-Kanye or not, agree with him or not, West releases his inner battle to the public in a moment of raw vulnerability that is incredibly rare from someone marked by egotistical outbursts and brags.
“Said I’m finna do Gospel album
What have you been hearing from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it feel like nobody love me,
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Told people God was my mission
What have you been hearing from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it feel like nobody love me”
Again rejected by the public, this time from the members of his re-discovered faith. Feeling judged and hated for becoming a believer again and wanting to share his music in a faith respectful way, Hands On doesn’t ask for forgiveness or understanding, only to share the struggles he felt burdened by. Personal opinion of Jesus Is King be damned, Hands On reveals West’s vulnerability in a previously never-before-seen way. It is hard to understate how important this is for Kanye’s character. Countless statements of considering himself the greatest artist of all time, ego driven publicity stunts, and viral moments of confidence and arrogance, this rare view into a Kanye West filled with self-doubt and inner conflict cannot be taken for granted.
“Make you feel alone in the dark and you’ll never see the light
Man, you’re never seein’ home and you never see the domes
I can feel it when I write, point of livin’ in the right
If they only see the wrongs, never listen to the songs
Just to listen is a fight, but you booked me for the fight
It’s so hard to get along if they only see the slight
From the love of religion
What have you been hearin’ from the Christians?
They’ll be the first one to judge me
Make it seem like nobody love me
I’m not tryna lead you to Visas
But if I try to lead you to Jesus
We get called halfway believers
Only halfway read Ephesians
Only if they knew what I knew, uh
I was never new ’til I knew of
True and living God, Yeshua
The true and living God
(Somebody pray for me)”
West ends his extended single verse of the song in closing sharing a similar sentiment from the earlier parts of the song. Attempts to be accepted by the Christian community are not a total success. He knows he will never be fully accepted by everyone but even just his announcement that he is trying to reclaim his faith sparks conflict and backlash from the community.
Kanye at this moment has never been more invested in his faith. While he never fully lost it — with countless religious references throughout his discography — he is of the belief that God had rejected him for countless years until his reclamation in 2018–19. Whether you support his journey back to faith or not, whether you like Kanye as a person or not, I can’t help but ask you to see the bravery in Hands On. Contextualizing West as a person, with his public appearance up until recently, his controversial comments and statements, a song that breaks open his inner struggle and battle with coming back to Christianity is something that is a massive character development when studying the behemoth icon that is Kanye West.
To close, through the voice of gospel singer Fred Hammond, Kanye accepts all hate that comes his way, he does not want to fight with you, he does not want to argue back, he only asks that you pray for him, as he continues on his spiritual journey full of vulnerability and change.
“I deserve all the criticism you got
If that’s all the love you have, that’s all you got
To sing of change, you think I’m joking
To praise His name, you ask what I’m smoking
Yes, I understand your reluctancy, yeah
But I have a request, you see
Don’t throw me up, lay your hands on me
Please, pray for me
Hold myself on death
Hold it down, all fallen down
Somebody pray for me”
In a concluding disclaimer, I understand I am biased. I love this song with my whole heart and have gotten very angry in the past from seeing people hate it. It means a lot to me, and this is coming from someone who has never been religious and never, ever will be. I thought it was important to view it in the faithful context that Kanye made it in mind with, but it has been easily separated from that context in my mind in times of deep sadness and moments of guilt and feeling that the world is against me. At the end of the day I think it serves as a perfect song for understanding you can’t please everyone while affirming your personal truths and making changes for the betterment of yourself. And I’ve played Fred Hammond’s closing verse back a million times to remind myself of that.
