Jay-Z’s ‘Magna Carta Holy Grail’ Quotes R.E.M. In Addition To Nirvana
Jay-Z has released lyrics from another Magna Carta Holy Grail track, and just as “Holy Grail” interpolates the chorus from Nirvana‘s legendary grunge anthem “Smells Like Teen Spirit,” this one also dips into the early ’90s rock canon. “Heaven” lifts the refrain from R.E.M.’s iconic “Losing My Religion,” using the exact same line “That’s me in the corner / That’s me in the spotlight / Losing my religion.”
Even more notable, perhaps, is the song’s anti-religion bent (e.g. “Question religion / Question it all”). And while Jay has always referred to himself as the cheeky Jehovah variant J-Hova, he’s more direct with the deity comparisons here, rapping about turning arenas into churches and being a prophet — more along the lines of Kanye West‘s Yeezus/”I Am A God” fare.
See the full lyric sheet for “Heaven” below.
[via Stereogum]
