To all my killaz, and my hundred dolla billaz
To emo kids that got too many feelings
He held the register open while he counted her change
I was next in line, which meant I was invisible
From where I stood, I could see that the till was full
He didn't look the type to play super-hero,
So I stepped forth and paid for my cigarettes
Crept out the store's front door to chase a little breath
Bangles in my head, shake the song off
Another Manic Monday night, it's gonna be a long walk
A car pulled up - a fixed up Cutlass
A woman and a child climbed out, and left it runnin'
They went inside of the deli,
Placed an order with the extra $1.50 bottled water, cause the daughter's picky
When they came out, mommy gave me a glance that said,
'Man can love an angel, but he's gotta take the chance'
Already knew the deal, I lit one up, and walked
So they got back in their Oldsmobile, belted up, and took off
Thug love on the corner by the Walgreens
Lookin' at me like I'm just another square saltine
As I get closer, I notice they're showin' each other sketches out of their notebooks, reminded me of my old roots
I walked past with a nod, and a reminisce,
Respect the life, and the fashions of the children
It's the only culture I've got, exactly what we've been buildin'
All of a sudden, I'm in front of some man - no, he's a youngin'
But he's got a gun in his hand
He looks 15, he looks frantic, no, he looks afraid
Immediately apprehensive till I heard him say,
'Do you want this? It's not mine, I promise
I found it on my block in-between a couple garages
Didn't want to leave it for a child to stumble over
I don't even know how to hold it.'
It was a 38, the poor man's machete
Held it in my hand, thinkin' damn man, it's heavier than expected
Wedged it behind my belt buckle, knowin' that it's evil
Even thought that I could smell trouble
The extra strength felt weak, but over there on the corner
Saw what I needed, and proceeded to cross the street
Put the heat in a mailbox, to lose it
Figured that the Post Office knows what's best to do with it
Mosey down the road, thinkin' 'bout the old
I used to roam this zone through two feet of snow
Right here, this used to be a record shop
I've gotten love, I've gotten drunk, I've gotten beat up in that parking lot
I've had my Lake Street pride for 3 decades
These alleyways and these streetlights have seen my best days
Before I was a germ, learnin' how to misbehave
All the way to the grave, Southside is my resting place
Took a ride on Lyndale, I'm gettin' near
But then the road became empty, and the people disappeared
The clouds ran away, opened up the sky
And one by one, I watched every constellation die
And there I was, frozen, standin' in my back yard
Face to face, eye to eye, starin' at the last star
I should have known, walked all the way home
To find that she wasn't here, I was still all alone
No matter where I am, no matter what I do
They can leave me for dead, they can take away my true
Through the lies and the sins that ride the wind that blew
As sure as the life in the garden that you grew
No matter where I am, no matter what I do
If only I had known what you already knew
From the heaven I've had to the hell I've been through
