Get By

Yeah Ya know? Yeah We sell crack to our own out the back of our homes We smell the musk of the dusk and the crack of the dawn We go through episodes too, like Attack of the Clones Work 'til we break our back, and you hear the crack of the bones To get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by We commute to computers Spirits stay mute while your egos spread rumors We survivalists turned to consumers Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by Ask him why some people gotta live in a trailer, cuss like a sailor I paint a picture with the pen like Norman Mailer Mi abuela raised three daughters all by herself with no help I think about her struggle and I find the strength in myself These words melt in my mouth, they hot like the jail cell in the south Before my nigga Cor' bailed me out (my nigga) To get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by We do-or-die like Bed-Stuy See the red sky out the window of the red-eye Let the lead fly on some G, rap shit, livin' to let die Now this morning, I woke up, feelin' brand new, I jumped up Feelin' my highs (yeah) and my lows (yeah) and my soul (yeah) And my goal's just to stop smokin' and stop drinkin' (what?) And I've been thinkin' (what?), I've got my reasons Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by-bb-bby (just to get by) Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by (ooh, hey, hey) We keep it gangsta, say, "fo' shizzle, fo' sheezy", and stay crunk It's easy to pull a breezy, smoke trees and we stay drunk Yo, our activism attackin' the system, the Blacks, and Latins in prison Numbers have risen, they victims lackin' the vision Shit, and all they got is rappin' to listen to I let 'em know we missin' you, the love is unconditional Even when the condition is critical when the livin' is miserable Your position is pivotal, I ain't bullshittin' you Now, why would I lie? Just to get by? Just to get by, we get fly The TV got us reachin' for stars (c'mon), not the ones between Venus and Mars The ones that be readin' for parts (yeah) Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers Saturday sinners, Sunday morning at the feet of the Father They need somethin' to rely on, we get high on all types of drug When all you really need is love Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by Our parents sing like John Lennon, imagine all the people watch We rock like Paul McCartney, from now until the last Beatles drop, what? Now this morning, I woke up, feelin' brand new, I jumped up Feelin' my highs (yeah) and my lows (yeah) and my soul (yeah) And my goal's just to stop smokin' (c'mon) and stop drinkin' (yeah) And I've been thinkin', I've got my reasons Just to get by, just to get by, just to get by, just to get by Yo-yo-yo, yo, yo Some people cry and some people try Just to get by, for a piece of the pie We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo When the people decide to keep a disguise Can't see the eyes, see the evil inside But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo, yo Some people cry and some people try Just to get by, for a piece of the pie We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo When the people decide to keep a disguise Can't see the eyes, see the evil inside But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo (As long as somebody's feelin' it, that's what's up) (can you feel it? Can you feel it?)