Heard 'Em Say

Album: Late Registration (2005)
Charted: 22 26
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Two music videos were made. The first, directed by French filmmaker Michel Gondry, is a Christmas story that casts Kanye as a homeless man with three children who find refuge at a Macy's department store, where toys and other items come alive at night. Adam Levine plays the store's security guard.

    The second video is a black-and-white animation by Bill Plympton, although the video occasionally cuts to scenes of Kanye and Adam Levine. The animated video depicts Kanye West as a taxi driver as he picks up a young boy and his mother. When they stop at a gas station, the young boy picks up one of his mother's cigarettes and lights it. The video then cuts to the outside of the car, where the car is being filled with gas. There is a small puddle of gas on the ground and the cigarette is seen thrown out of the window. The boy's mother screams as the car, in which Kanye and the boy are in, blasts into the sky. They exit out of the car in midair, and appear to be flying. Kanye and the boy then both grow angel-like wings. The boy grabs hold of Kanye's hand and they fly off into the distance, followed by the car which appears to use its doors as wings. The video the cuts to the car falling to the ground as the boy waves to it, Kanye is in the car and drives off. >>>
    Suggestion credit:
    Donovan Berry - El Dorado, AR
  • This is built around a piano riff from Natalie Cole's 1980 hit "Someone That I Used To Love." Because of the sample, its songwriters, Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser, are credited as writers on "Heard 'Em Say" alongside West and Adam Levine.

Comments: 6

  • Fatima from Norfolk, Valove this one. Great song about how others have such a huge impact on our lives and the choices we make.
  • Andrew from Evansville, InActually Big T, this song was made in 2005, two years prior to Maroon 5's album. The chorus was recycled by Maroon 5 for "Nothing Lasts Forever".
  • Big T from Brisbane, Australiathis song actually samples the maroon 5 song 'Nothing Lasts Forever' as its chorus. the songs from maroon 5's latest album 'It Wont Be Soon Before Long'
  • Nikki from Chicago, IlBoth of you are correct, there are two versions of this video, the first one was the animated one, then he made the one in Macys as a homeless father. There is a lot of wisdom in this song, it's a great song.
  • Courtney from Conway, ArThere must be a new version of the video. I saw one where West and two children are homeless and let into a department store my the security guard (Levine). Its a cute little video with pretty great camera stuff
  • Kaitlin from Cornwall, OntOh I absolutely LOVE this song! Adam Levine was like, an AWESOME choice to have sing the chorus. It makes it sound so... pretty. This is one of the only Kanye songs that dosent drive me nuts.
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Don Dokken

Don DokkenSongwriter Interviews

Dokken frontman Don Dokken explains what broke up the band at the height of their success in the late '80s, and talks about the botched surgery that paralyzed his right arm.

Real or Spinal Tap

Real or Spinal TapMusic Quiz

They sang about pink torpedoes and rocking you tonight tonight, but some real lyrics are just as ridiculous. See if you can tell which lyrics are real and which are Spinal Tap in this lyrics quiz.

Zac Hanson

Zac HansonSongwriter Interviews

Zac tells the story of Hanson's massive hit "MMMbop," and talks about how brotherly bonds effect their music.

Incongruent Opening Acts

Incongruent Opening ActsSong Writing

Here's what happens when an opening act is really out of place with the headliner, like when Beastie Boys opened for Madonna.

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"

Narada Michael Walden - "Freeway of Love"They're Playing My Song

As a songwriter and producer, Narada had hits with Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Starship. But what song does he feel had the greatest impact on his career?

Phone Booth Songs

Phone Booth SongsSong Writing

Phone booths are nearly extinct, but they provided storylines for some of the most profound songs of the pre-cell phone era.