BROKEN ROAD Lyrics – Kanye West

BROKEN ROAD Lyrics Meaning

[Chorus: Don Toliver]
This part is about how finding your true self or inner peace isn’t easy. It takes going through pain, hard times, and personal struggles. The “broken road” is life full of mistakes and heartbreaks, and the “toll” is what you emotionally and mentally pay along the way. To really understand yourself, you have to go through the tough stuff.

[Verse: Kanye West & Don Toliver]
Here, Kanye opens up about feeling free, but not in a glamorous way—more like being alone or disconnected, like someone without a home. He says no matter how rich someone is, they can’t control him. He feels like he’s one of the few people being real in a fake world. He talks about moments where he felt spiritually empty, when nothing—like even fighting back—helped, and it seemed like all hope was lost. But even then, there’s a sense of renewal, like the sun rising and new paths opening. He questions who he can trust, even doctors, hinting that people who are supposed to help might actually hurt. He admits to spending money on flashy things and losing himself in the process, saying that wasn’t the real him—it felt more like a character, like Tyler Durden from *Fight Club*. He’s tired of the flashy lifestyle and reflects on love, saying it’s not perfect, but can feel fresh and pure again. Everything depends on how you see things, and that journey of understanding costs something—it’s the toll on that broken road.

[Chorus: Don Toliver]
The chorus repeats to remind us that growing into your truest self always comes with a cost. You have to walk through a lot of pain, confusion, and setbacks to get there. It’s a message that self-awareness and peace aren’t handed to you—you earn them through the rough journey life puts you on.