[Chorus: Kanye West]
Lost out, beat up
Dancin', down there
I found you, somewhere out
'Round, 'round there, right, right there
Lost and beat up
Down there, dancin'
I found you, somewhere out
Right down there, right 'round there
[Verse 1: Kanye West]
Lost and found out
Turned out, how you thought
Daddy found out
That you turned out how you turned out
If mama knew now
How you turned out, you too wild
You too wild, you too wild
You too wild, I need you now
Love you (Got to)
Love you (Love you)
Found you, found you
Right now, right now
Right now, right now
If your mama knew how
You turned out, you too wild
You too wild, you too wild
You too wild, and I need you now
Lost and found out
Cry, I'm not sorry
Cry, who needs sorry when there's Hennessy?
Don't fool yourself
Your eyes don't lie, you're much too good to be true
Don't fire fight
Yeah, I feel you burning, everything's burning
Don't fly too high
Your wings might melt, you're much too good to be true
I'm just bad for you
I'm just bad, bad, bad for you
[Verse 2: Sia]
I was lost and beat up
Turned out, burned up
You found me through a heartache
Didn't know me, you were drawn in
I was lost and beat up
I was warm flesh on Caesar
You found me in your gaze
Well, I found me, oh, Jesus
I was too wild, I was too wild
I was too wild, I was too wild
I was too wild, I was too wild
[Interlude: Kanye West]
And I need you now
Lost and found out
Yeah
You gotta let me know if I could be your Joseph
Only tell you real shit, that's the tea, no sip
Don't trip, don't trip, that pussy slippery, no whip
We ain't trippin' on shit, we just sippin' on this
Just forget the whole shit, we could laugh about nothin'
I impreg-a-nate your mind, let's have a baby without fuckin', yo
I know it's corny bitches you wish you could unfollow
I know it's corny niggas you wish you could unswallow
I know it's corny bitches you wish you could unfollow
I know it's corny niggas you wish you could unswallow
Ayy, I know it's corny bitches you wish you could unfollow
I know it's corny niggas you wish you could unswallow
You tried to play nice, everybody just took advantage
You left your fridge open, somebody just took a sandwich
I said, "Baby, what if you was clubbin'
Thuggin', hustlin' before you met your husband?"
Then I said, "What if Mary was in the club
'Fore she met Joseph, around hella thugs?"
Cover Nori in lambs' wool
We surrounded by the fuckin' wolves
(What if Mary) "What if Mary
(Was in the club) Was in the club
'Fore she met Joseph with no love?"
Cover Saint in lambs' wool
(And she was) We surrounded by
(Surrounded by) The fuckin' wolves
About
“Wolves” explores a gamut of emotions, including fear, hope, and love. Kanye makes reference to his mother, Donda West, as well as comparing himself and Kim to Mary and Joseph.
An earlier version of this track was first released at the YEEZY SEASON 1 launch event on February 12, 2015, featuring Vic Mensa and Sia.
A year (minus a day) later, another version was released with new verses from Kanye and an outro by Frank Ocean, but without Vic and Sia’s contributions. This version was included on the initial version of Kanye’s seventh album, The Life of Pablo.
After Pablo’s release on February 14, 2016, Kanye revealed that he still planned to go back and fix this track. On March 15, Kanye updated “Wolves,” re-adding Vic and Sia’s parts and moving Ocean’s outro to its own track.
In an interview with the Breakfast Club, Kanye expresses how “Wolves” originated:
The video for the song was released on 29th July as part of a Balmain advert campaign. It resonates with the emotional feel of the song as it features Kanye and Kim in tears.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
They flew me out to L.A. last year to work on his album. The first day I met ‘Ye, “Wolves” was pretty much the first song he played me. That was the first time I met him and I recorded “Wolves” that night. I showed it to him the next day, he liked it, but I didn’t know it was gonna end up being on [The Life of Pablo]. Then, when the fashion show happened, I got a call like an hour before, asking me to clear the record. The first time I heard it was at the [Yeezy Season 3] show. That happened, we did “SNL,” Kanye’s album didn’t come out for a long time. The Frank Ocean part already existed. I think it was probably a Frank Ocean thing. It is what it is. I didn’t like not being on it, but obviously everybody else didn’t like me not being on it either. And you know Kanye’s album process is very unique and way scattered. It’s off the wall so you never really know what the fuck.
Nori and Saint are Kanye’s and wife Kim Kardashian’s children. At the time this song was released on The Life of Pablo, Nori was 2 years old and Saint was 3 months old.
“Wolves” was certified platinum by the RIAA on February 27, 2020.
- 3.Pt. 2
- 4.Famous
- 5.Feedback
- 6.Low Lights
- 7.Highlights
- 8.Freestyle 4
- 9.I Love Kanye
- 10.Waves
- 11.FML
- 12.Real Friends
- 13.Wolves
- 14.Frank’s Track
- 16.30 Hours
- 19.Fade
- 20.Saint Pablo
