For Once in My Life Lyrics – Kanye West & James Blake

Kanye West teamed up with James Blake on For Once in My Life back during those mysterious WAR sessions, one of three tracks previewed at a low-key Burberry after-party in London on September 26, 2022, and it’s the kind of haunting, soul-baring cut that still has fans holding out hope it’ll see daylight someday.

This snippet pulls from classic soul with Monica Martin’s tender intro sampling Stevie Wonder’s “For Once in My Life,” flipping it into something darker—Kanye repeating that lift from the “dark place,” promising no return, layered over what sounds like James Blake’s ethereal production with No I.D.’s touch adding depth. It’s melancholic gospel-trap: echoing vocals, sparse keys that build tension, and bars touching on invisibility (that Loch Ness line) and forgotten fights, all wrapped in themes of redemption, codependency, and pulling someone (or yourself) out of the void. Even in partial form, it feels vulnerable, like a confession booth track that could’ve fit somewhere between Donda’s introspection and Ye’s raw edges—uplifting yet trapped in the shadows.

The preview hit during a wild stretch for Ye, right after Yeezy Season 9 chaos, with Naomi Campbell’s IG Live capturing the vibe and James Blake confirming he produced all three played that night (including eulogies for Virgil and other unreleased gems). No official release ever came—the whole WAR project, meant as a collab album with Blake and No I.D., faded amid controversies, though leaks and fan comps keep the era alive. As of now in late 2025, it’s still vaulted, with Ye focused elsewhere on stuff like Bully delays and other ventures, but tracks like this remind why those sessions felt special.

Ye’s path has twisted a lot since then—from Vultures highs and lows to personal resets—but moments like this preview show flashes of the visionary pulling in talents like Blake for something timeless. Fans still trade snippets, hoping one day it’ll surface proper.

Dive into the For Once in My Life lyrics below and unpack its raw narrative. Don’t miss other leaked Ye tracks for more of that elusive depth.