Vampire Weekend "Ya Hey" Meaning Explained

Lyrical Break Down Of Vampire Weekend- "Ya Hey"

Ya Hey- Vampire Weekend Song Lyrics Explained

Ezra Michael Koenig (mostly known as Ezra Koenig), the lead singer of the rock band "Vampire Weekend" is known to be a lyrical master. 

In 2013, Vampire Weekend released their third studio album "Modern Vampires Of The City" and on this album, there were some great songs along with some deep meaning lyrics.

Talking about the term "deep meaning"- Vampire Weekend is prominent for this. As they proved this on their second single from the album "Ya Hey."

There have been many discussions on decoding the meaning of the song's lyrics. Different people had different opinions, so today I'm sharing mine.

But, before I start the explanation, here are some things I wanna clear up:

I used to think this song was anti-God/anti-religion but after actually listening and studying it I realized it is the opposite. Just like most people think Step is about being in a relationship that no else agrees with when really it is about loving music that is outdated or not conventional.

Vampire Weekend makes very smart and profound music. Usually to get the meaning to a song you have to look deeper and in places, you wouldn't have thought. Many people want the song to cater to their personal beliefs on religion but as an agnostic, I really think it is about a conflict on loving their God. Many people quoted that Ezra isn't religious so this can't be a love of God but Ezra has quoted very clearly that to be happy we must respect all religions.

Making an anti-religion song goes against this philosophy. Also, he is careful not to say Yahweh which Jewish people can't say because to them the word is very sacred so it shouldn't be uttered.

Lyrics Analysis and Meaning of Vampire Weekend "Ya Hey"

Oh, sweet thing
Zion doesn’t love you
And Babylon don’t love you
But you love everything

Zion is an elective name to Jerusalem, the capital of Israel, correspondingly, Babylon was an antiquated Iraqi city. Ezra and Rostam (another Vampire Weekend band member, Ya Hey songwriter) are additionally both from Jewish families, so the decision of segment here bodes well.

Ezra tells God, "sweet thing", that not one or the other "Babylon or Zion love you". This is abnormal, considering both Iraq and Israel are strict nations. Judaism starts to lead the pack at 76% just like the most worshipped religion in Israel, and Islam at 97% in Iraq.

However, this is actually what Ezra is pondering, the distinction between love and worship. Ezra is revealing to God that individuals don't really love you, rather than worship you, as a lifestyle, and an unfortunate chore. It's all a delusion.

America don’t love you
So I could never love you
In spite of everything

 This one is very straightforward, America is a vigorously Christian country.

And I can’t help but feel
That I’ve made some mistake
But I let it go

This is featuring the hypocrisy of strict individuals. It's communicating how everybody is miscreants, it's human instinct. Where it counts they know this, and they resort to religion to repudiate their blame, not to love God. 

Through the fire and through the flames
You won’t even say your name
Only “I am that I am”
But who could ever live that way

The "fire" and the "flames" speak to the injustice of humanity. The crimes, wars, destitution, and so forth. Ezra is asking God why these complications are being ignored when he was the capability and capacity to transform it and seemingly "loves everything".

God won't indicate his essence, or "say his name", just "I am that I am", the expression God reacted to Moses upon the inquiry of his genuine name. Which, incidentally, is "Yahweh". "Yahweh" - > "Ya Hey". This is the most probable origin of the serenade, I at first likewise expected it was simply nonsensical syllables to sustain the cadence.

Vampire Weekend decided to switch things up a bit, undoubtedly on the grounds that they didn't need the melody to be offensive, and henceforth the album boycotted. The Ruler's own name must not be utilized in vain. Similarly, "ut Deo" in Latin signifies "like God". 

At that point Ezra switches gears, he asks, "who could ever live that way?". It becomes obvious that Ezra is done criticizing God, however questioning his existence inside and out. He's saying, it's not possible for anyone to live that way — it can't be genuine!

Ut Deo, Ya Hey
Ut Deo, Deo

— see the previous paragraph.

Oh, the motherland don’t love you
The fatherland don’t love you
So why love anything?
Oh, good God
The faithless they don’t love you
The zealous hearts don’t love you
And that’s not gonna change

This is fundamentally the same as certain points made previously. The motherland and fatherland, being Jerusalem, don't "love you". Be that as it may, why?

I think Ezra is referring to the conflicts in Israel, and if God is a genuine motif for harmony, why is there violence? The faithless don't love you — atheists don't love you, surprise surprise?

All the cameras and files
All the paranoid styles
All the tension and fear
Of a secret career
And I can’t help but think
That you seen the mistakes
But you let it go

 There's a bit more to measure here. The "cameras" and "files" allude to God being the one to disregard mankind, watch out for everyone. In any case, how could that be? How time-consuming would this be able to be?

What's more, these "styles" (strategies) for collecting information, are an intrusion of privacy, "paranoid" could allude to God compulsively needing to monitor us, or people being paranoid that somebody is always watching us. 

Again, Ezra has switched gears, questioning God's existence, asking how a vocation with such mystery, tension, paranoia, and dread could exist? How might somebody do this? "Who could ever live that way?" On top of that, Ezra noticed how God "sees the mistakes" in humanity, and is equipped for making a change, yet doesn't act (see earlier sections).

NB: I spent a fair amount of time researching the themes behind this song, I am not Jewish, and hence unfamiliar with the concepts. The majority of the lyrical translations are just my opinions.