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Breaking Down the Lyrics of Chance the Rapper's New Song "Buried Alive"

The Voice Coach gave us an intimate look into his personal life with his poetic lyrics. 

By Jackie Manno

Chance the Rapper is back with a new single. 

How to Watch

Watch the Season 26 premiere of The Voice on Monday, September 23 at 8/7c on NBC and next day on Peacock. 

On April 24, The Voice Coach dropped the track "Buried Alive," his first project since his 2019 album The Big Day.

"Buried Alive" comes with Motown-inspired strings and gospel backup vocals while the passion in Chance's voice builds in intensity through the song. 

Two days later, he released a music and lyric video for "Buried Alive," which depicts him breaking himself out of a crate that happens to be on a spaceship. 

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What Chance the Rapper's new song "Buried Alive" means

The intricate lyrics to "Buried Alive" depict how Chance has been emotionally processing events in his personal life as he addresses his critics. He even touched on his recent divorce announcement and career arch, while weaving in Bible references, a common practice in his music to celebrate his Christian faith. Some of the track's most talked about lines are:

"The boy who lived got tied up for marryin'/ Tryna ride off into the sunset with nary goodbye/ Shot him off his high horse, ate his American pie," and "Where's his money now? Whеre his wife at? / Wherе his manager? Where his hype at? Then they threw the dirt in the casket and into the hunt for the baby in the basket".

"Buried Alive" is a possible track on Chance the Rapper's upcoming mixtape titled Star Line

RELATED: Chance the Rapper's Younger Brother, Taylor Bennett, Is Basically His Twin

When discussing the meaning behind the title of his second album, Star Line Gallery, in 2022 he explained on Sway in the Morning the deeper meaning behind "Star Line". 

“I was inspired by Marcus Garvey in the early 1900s, 1919 through actually 1922, so 100 years ago now,” he explained. “He started and ran this very important, integral shipping line. He had a fleet of ships, these giant ocean liners which are the size of cruise ships, that he owned and funded with common Black folks’ money."

He continued, “When I think about the Black Star Line and all the spaces that it’s been in, the Black Star is the representation of Ghana, in their flag, in the fabric of how their country was set up. They believe in global Blackness, Black connectivity and a free Africa.”

A closeup of Chance The Rapper during The Voice Season 25 Episode 9