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Kendrick Lamar – United in Grief Lyrics Meaning
The meaning of the lyrics for ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar is his accomplishments in his 19-year career. In this song, he reflects on his successes as well as the ambushes caused by his fame. The song has notable mentions including his cousin as well as PgLang artist as well as his colleague, Baby Keem. He also mentions his long-time friend and business partner, Dave Free.
‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar means despite his huge success as an artist, he still struggles to find peace. The song also talks about his mental health issues.
Introduction: United in Grief Lyrics
The lyrics of ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar tell us that despite the materialistic success, he is still connected to us as we share the common pain. We are hence brought together by our shared grief, sorrow and suffering. The song is haunting, chilling, eerie, and impactful. On top of that, the beat switches stay on par with Kendrick’s flow and vocal delivery. The placement of the piano notes at the end is perfect.
I was 28 years young, twenty mill’ in tax
Lyrics to ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar
Bought a couple of mansions, just for practice
Five hundred in jewelry, chain was magic
Never had it in public, late reaction
United in Grief Lyrics Meaning
Let’s analyze the meaning of the lyrics behind the song ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar line by line in detail.
‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar is the first track in his new album, Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers. The release date of the song is the 13th of May, 2022.
Part I: United in Grief
[Intro: Kendrick Lamar, Sam Dew, & Whitney Alford]
American Singer-Songwriter Sam Dew speaks from the standpoint of Kendrick’s internal emotion that is struggling to discover peace in this world. The world is filled with violence and inner demons which are related throughout the album. Then, Whitney Alford pleas Kendrick to open up and vent about what he has been going through for the past 5 years since his last release.
[Verse 1: Kendrick Lamar]
The artist begins the first verse by showing contempt against women who wear mini skirts. He is calling them hurt and they can hurt other people as well. It means that the hurt people can hurt more people. Kendrick then refers to the ‘Mother I Sober‘ track saying that his family has “repetitive narratives”. “All of your presidents’ evil thirst” means that all US Presidents, Democratic and Republican, are cruel and power-hungry.
In this album, Kendrick Lamar opens up about his mental health more than ever. He openly talks about going to see a therapist for his mental health. “cul-de-sac” means a dead-end street with only the same inlet and outlet. Kendrick in these lines conveys his genuine concerns, about a life with no objective, like a dead-end. He is horrified by thoughts of the future of the “world”, likely relating to the social injustices in our community.
Part II: United in Grief
[Chorus/ Refrain/ Outro: Kendrick Lamar]
In this section, Kendrick Lamar talks about his materialistic success in his 19-year career. He talks about his cars, his mansions, jewellery, helping his cousin financially and the amounts he filed for taxes. Then he says he grieves differently as the possessions don’t mean much to him. Everybody grieves for something in their lives but for Kendrick Lamar, possessions aren’t something to grieve for. He shares them with his closest ones.
[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
Here, Kendrick Lamar talks about a model with green eyes who he met in Chicago. “Fee-fi-fo-fum” means the model is a giant compared to Kendrick in terms of height. Then, she talks about her family issues, how her mother doesn’t care about her, her father is in prison for “Chain Gang” and how her first brother was murdered. Then, they resort to physical intimacy after empathizing with each other as a way of coping with the pain of loss.
[Verse 3: Kendrick Lamar]
In the third verse, Kendrick Lamar says that despite owning many possessions, he is afraid to show them off. He has this deep fear of losing it all as he had said in his track ‘FEAR.‘ from his 2017 album DAMN. He talks about owning Rolex watches, mansions with infinity pools, Porsches etc. Then, he says he has seen his cousin and fellow artist Baby Keem purchasing four cars in a single month. “money wipin’ the tears away” means he has been using his immense wealth to forget about his upbringing.
Conclusion: United in Grief Meaning
The meaning of ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar is despite conquering the music world as an artist, he realises that he is yet to conquer himself. He gets emotional to find out that he feels different from everyone else. We can find this sentiment in his repeated line “I grieve different”. He talks about his struggles with mental health where he enlists his problems with his therapist.
What do you think is the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar? Let us know in the comments section below or on Twitter @laviasco.
Read the meaning behind the lyrics of the song ‘United in Grief’ by Kendrick Lamar line by line on Genius in detail.
