Homecoming – English Lyrics

• By: Kanye West

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Kanye West's 'Homecoming' offers a unique lesson in metaphor and storytelling. The song's clever personification of Chicago as 'Wendy' allows learners to explore figurative language and cultural references. The conversational style of the lyrics, combined with a clear and emotional narrative, makes it an engaging way to pick up new vocabulary and understand the nuances of American English.

[English]

Yeah

And you say Chi city, Chi city, Chi city

I'm coming home again

Do you think about me now and then? (yeah)

Do you think about me now and then?

'Cause I'm coming home again, comin' (ow) home again

I met this girl when I was three years old

And what I loved most she had so much soul

She said, "Excuse me lil' homie, I know you don't know mebut

my name is Windy and I like to blow trees" and

from that point I never blow her off

Niggas come from out of town, I like to show her off

They like to act tough, she like to tow 'em off

And make 'em straighten up their hat 'cause she know they soft

And when I grew up she showed me how to go downtown

In the nighttime her face lit up, so astounding

I told her in my heart is where she'll always be

She never messed with entertainers 'cause they always leave

She said, "It felt like they walked and drove on me

Knew I was gang affiliated, got on TV and told on me"

I guess that's why last winter she got so cold on me

She said "'Ye, keep making that keep making that platinum and gold for me"

I'm coming home again

Do you think about me now and then?

Do you think about me now and then?

'Cause I'm coming home again

Do you think about me now and then?

Do you think about me now and then?

'Cause I'm coming home again

Maybe we can start again

But if you really cared for her

Then you wouldn't have never hit the airport to follow your dreams

Sometimes I still talk to her, but when I talk to her

It always seems like she talking 'bout me

She said, "You left your kids, and they just like you

They want to rap and make soul beats just like you

But they just not you" and I just got through

Talking 'bout what niggas tryna do, just not new

Now everybody got the game figured out all wrong

I guess you never know what you got 'til it's gone

I guess that's why I'm here and I can't come back home

And guess when I heard that? When I was back home

Every interview I'm representing you, making you proud

Reach for the stars so if you fall, you land on a cloud

Jump in the crowd, spark your lighters, wave 'em around

If you don't know by now, I'm talking 'bout Chi-Town!

I'm coming home again

Do you think about me now and then?

Do you think about me now and then?

'Cause I'm coming home again

Maybe you, do you remember when?

Fireworks at Lake Michigan

Oh, now I'm coming home again

Maybe you, do you remember when?

Fireworks at Lake Michigan

Oh, now I'm coming home again

Maybe we can start again

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where a person lives
think /θɪŋk/ A1	verb - to have thoughts or opinions
come /kʌm/ A1	verb - to move toward or arrive at a place
girl /ɡɜːrl/ A1	noun - a female child or young woman
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town
night /naɪt/ A1	noun - the period of darkness between sunset and sunrise
star /stɑːr/ A1	noun - a luminous celestial body
fire /ˈfaɪər/ A1	noun - combustion producing heat and light
fireworks /ˈfaɪərˌwɜːrks/ A2	noun - explosive devices used for visual displays
lake /leɪk/ A1	noun - a large inland body of water
dream /driːm/ B1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep verb - to imagine or aspire to achieve something
rap /ræp/ B1	noun - a style of music with rhythmic spoken lyrics verb - to speak or perform in a rap style
beat /biːt/ B1	noun - a regular rhythmic pattern in music verb - to strike repeatedly
soul /soʊl/ B2	noun - the spiritual or immaterial part of a person
tough /tʌf/ B2	adjective - strong and resilient; difficult
proud /praʊd/ B2	adjective - feeling deep satisfaction from achievements
represent /ˌrɛprɪˈzɛnt/ B2	verb - to act or speak on behalf of someone or something
platinum /ˈplætɪnəm/ C1	noun - a precious silvery-white metal adjective - denoting the highest level, especially in records or awards
astound /əˈstaʊnd/ C1	verb - to surprise greatly

Key Grammar Structures

• I'm coming home again

  ➔ Present continuous (progressive)

  ➔ The verb "am coming" is in the present continuous to show an action that is happening now or repeatedly.

• Do you think about me now and then?

  ➔ Simple present interrogative with adverbial phrase

  ➔ The verb "think" is in the simple present, used to ask about habitual or occasional thoughts. "now and then" is an adverbial phrase meaning occasionally.

• I met this girl when I was three years old

  ➔ Simple past with a time clause introduced by "when"

  ➔ "met" and "was" are both in the simple past, indicating completed actions in the past. The clause "when I was three years old" tells us the exact time.

• She said, "Excuse me lil' homie, I know you don't know me but my name is Windy and I like to blow trees"

  ➔ Reported speech with present simple in the quoted clause

  ➔ "said" introduces reported speech. Inside the quotation, verbs like "know", "don't know", "is", and "like" are in the simple present, showing facts or habitual actions.

• She showed me how to go downtown

  ➔ "How to" infinitive clause after a perception verb

  ➔ "showed" is a perception verb followed by the infinitive phrase "how to go". This structure explains the manner or method of the action.

• If you really cared for her, then you wouldn't have never hit the airport to follow your dreams

  ➔ Second conditional (unreal past) with modal perfect "wouldn't have"

  ➔ "If you really cared" uses the past simple to talk about an unreal situation in the past. "you wouldn't have never hit" is the modal perfect, expressing a hypothetical result that did not happen.

• I guess you never know what you got till it's gone

  ➔ Present simple with subordinate clause introduced by "till"

  ➔ "guess" and "know" are in the present simple, expressing a current belief and a general truth. The clause "till it's gone" (short for "until it is gone") shows the time when the realization occurs.

• Every interview I'm representing you, making you proud

  ➔ Present progressive with a present participle clause "making"

  ➔ "I'm representing" is in the present progressive, showing an ongoing action. The participle "making" adds additional information about the result of that action.

• Maybe you, do you remember when? Fireworks at Lake Michigan

  ➔ Rhetorical question in present simple; "when" used as an exclamatory particle

  ➔ "do you remember" is a present simple interrogative. The word "when" is not a temporal clause here but an exclamatory prompt inviting the listener to recall a past moment.