R. Kelly – The World's Greatest

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  General Comment:ONLY SOME OF THE LYRICS ARE POSTED... WHAT ABOUT THE BRIDGE AND THE OUTRO VERSES?

  Flag KentKenton May 13, 2013   Link

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  General Comment:This song is to inspire you! It's that little bit inside of you that pushes you to the top. It's about carrying on through all the hard times and making it to be on top. It is not a dedication song to Muhammad Ali. It is a reference to Muhammad Ali though, Ali was a cocky fighter that would come up with clever catch phrases. I float like a butterfly and sting like a bee! I am the greatest!
  
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  Ali talks about having to go through the roughest times and making it out on top. This is often the case for fighters.
  
  This song is really to inspire all though. It's for you to sing along and feel the words of yourself. R. Kelly is not saying that him or Muhammad Ali is all of these things. He is saying that you are. When someone asks you who you are then tell them "I made it! I'm the world's greatest!" Be proud of what you do and go for all your dreams and goals. That's when you are the world's greatest. Because it's not money that determines who is the greatest, it's the ones who give the extra effort and go for it all.
  
  Great song.

  Flag juanasmokeon January 03, 2012   Link

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  Song Meaning:Song simply means I am somebody . I am the GREATEST!

  Flag bgreaveson November 07, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:very good song

  Flag anima69316on February 17, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:R Kelly’s hortative “The World’s Greatest” gives us an inspirational and encouraging message. It’s about a man who was struggling at a low point in his life, then he found God and faith pulled him through. He now feels confident, hopeful, and restored. He explains this feeling by saying that he is the world’s greatest. Even though it’s a bit hyperbolic, it gives us a clear understanding of how Kelly is feeling after repenting. With the melancholic and deep lyrics, of Marvin Gaye, Kelly offers inspiration and hope to those who need it.
  Kelly opens the song by metaphorically comparing himself to many things by saying “I am a mountain, I am a tall tree / I am a swift wind sweepin’ the country / I am a river down in the valley / I am a vision and I can see clearly. (8-11) His lyrics may seem rude, or self conceited at a quick glance, but after digging into this song I realized what he means when he says that he is the world’s greatest. By looking at line 89, and connecting that to the main message of the song, “I am the world’s greatest”, I now understand that the reason he feels so confident is because “Faith was right there to pull [him] through.” (89-90) Kelly’s message seem to be more modernistic, because it clearly demonstrates a universal truth. The universal truth in this particular song is the fact that God saved him and his life was changed. It’s also modernistic because Kelly seems to be most interested in the depth of the song, with his careful chose of lyrics. Digging into the meaning of this song is what he intended for his listeners to do, which is why, at a first glance, the song seems much different than what it really is deep down.
  He seems to be bragging not about himself, but about his new found faith in God. He’s feeling that “little bit of hope when [his] back’s against the ropes” Because of God, he has made it through his tough time and is now feeling like he’s the world’s greatest. (102-103) His hortative lyrics strongly encourage listeners to believe that there is hope, and that faith is always there to pull them through. The postmodernism aspect of this song is shown through his focus on performance and process. We cannot truly appreciate this piece of art until we have lived it out. If we haven’t felt that amazing rush from God’s grace and love, then we can’t fully comprehend what Kelly is trying to get at with his lyrics.
  The inspirational theme of faith and restoration of his life seems to be portrayed throughout the entire song. Without looking deeply into this song, Kelly comes across as self centered or conceited, when really the message is completely opposite of that. His metaphors are even more beautiful and appreciated when we understand fully what the meaning behind those metaphors is. Which, in this case is his faith and new life in God.

  Flag ashley112on October 20, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:You guys have the wrong idea, think about what colors show, what is the artist trying to tell you by only showing red white and blue? What do you think the purpose was in showing the US army, the doctors and women and children of America. Fire-fighters & policemen of AMERICA. What is he showing by wearing American-flag-print attire, and everyone in the audience holding American flags.
  
  He is saying that his country is the worlds greatest, that country be the USA.

  Flag carocrazy132on October 09, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:MEGALOMANIAC? Or NPD? (Narcissistic Personality Disorder) I'M A GIANT? A giant WHAT?
  
  Definitely inherently cheesy......

  Flag QueenAmygdalaon August 17, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:no matter what way you look at it, this song is inspirational
  and if you look at it from a religious (Christian) standpoint, it would be about Jesus, because God created, but did not live on Earth.
  i look at it as the ultimate motivation and inspiration song! ;-D

  Flag celticgirl4on August 16, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:no matter what way you look at it, this song is inspirational
  and if you look at it from a religious (Christian) standpoint, it would be about Jesus, because God created, but did not live on Earth.
  i look at it as the ultimate motivation and inspiration song! ;-D

  Flag celticgirl4on August 16, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:This song is a very popular funeral song. The lyrics are perfect for a funeral, but hearing it at a funeral ruins it forever.

  Flag Glocusteron July 11, 2009   Link

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