Street Life by Geto Boys Lyrics
[Verse 1]
Up early in the morning lacin' up my British Knights
Throwin' up my Deuce sign, fuckin' with the street life
Never knew no better cause my mommy never taught me
Going out to get the shit that mommy never bought me
Only ten years old and I can't stay away from trouble
But you don't give a fuck 'cause you ain't never had to struggle
And everybody's tellin' me it's gettin' greater later
I need to get my shit right now, 'cause it ain't shit in my refrigerator
And I done struggled for my whole life
Seeing my mama laid up with a different nigga every night
And when you see me you can spot a crook
Because I'm roamin' through her motherfuckin' pocketbooks
I'm going out to get my papes
'Cause she don't give a fuck about me anyway, uh
And my daddy's doing two terms
And all she ever does is sits around and get shermed
My mama never hugs me
I'm callin' Deuce my family, because these niggas say they love me
I'm steady dustin' chumps off
And ready for the battle if the shit would ever jump off
So send my ass to Hell
It's either being covered up with some dirt or locked in a cell
Anyway, that's what it looks like
If I don't hurry up and get my ass up out the street life
[Interlude]
You know the streets is all I know
This is my way of survival
You know I've been dealt some bad cards, you know?
But I gots to play them
What else am I to do, look for a job
But until then let my family starve and be broke?
So I resort to the streets as a source of income
You know what I'm sayin'? I'm stuck here
[Verse 2]
I step out on my old block
And everyone's throwin' up the deuce to little J-Rock
And all my little homies that I hang with
Are either jackin', or mixed up with this gang shit
See it through reality
Never leavin' the gang 'cause it's the street life mentality
My homies got a proposition
Broke a nigga off some change and said he'd help in my position
So now I'm rollin' with the OGs
Puttin' in work on the jack for some OZs
And maybe in a year or two
I'll be able to roll in a Benz like the gangstas do
Makin' hoes ride dick
'Cause this poor, broke, desolate clique ain't hittin' on shit
I gotta lock my crew down
And sew this whole motherfucker up like the Jews town
Develop us a strong clique
Break my pops off some dope while he rot, pops would like that shit
Seeing his little nigga on his own two
Doing shit I heard my pops used to do
A real nigga to this crime thang
And had it going on 'fore his time came
I gots to get my shit right
Until my shit gets right, I'm rollin' with the street life
[Interlude]
You know what upsets me?
Is when whitey sits back in they lavish homes and BMWs
And tell me the streets ain't the place to be
See it from my perspective
Poverty stricken
Livin' on welfare and government's cuttin' that shorter every year
I'm shortin' on education 'cause I'm Black
The corner doesn't promise me a good life
But at least it shows me promise
[Verse 3]
Finally after shit got right
I'm wanting out of the gang because I'm searchin' for a new life
But I remember what was said
You come in alive, the only way you leave out is dead
So I'm kinda fucked on both ends
I thought I had friends, but I ain't got no fuckin' friends
'Cause if they were my friends, they'd let me break
Outie five thousand, fuck this shit, I'm packin' my .38
But, fuck, I gotta stay down
Until It's time for me to punch it out and just lay it down
And that's a motherfuckin' shame
Tonight I gotta steal another ride with my little gang
So slowly I walked up to it
With no hesitation, I broke the window and jumped into it
Unhooked his shit and was headed off
I opened up the door, that's what set it off
A nigga came out with a Glock, jack
And put a slug in my motherfuckin' back
And my so-called friends
Want me out of the gang 'cause they don't know if I'll walk again
Now tell me what's that Deuce like
Fucked up myself for good 'cause I was wrapped up in the street life
Up early in the morning lacin' up my British Knights
Throwin' up my Deuce sign, fuckin' with the street life
Never knew no better cause my mommy never taught me
Going out to get the shit that mommy never bought me
Only ten years old and I can't stay away from trouble
But you don't give a fuck 'cause you ain't never had to struggle
And everybody's tellin' me it's gettin' greater later
I need to get my shit right now, 'cause it ain't shit in my refrigerator
And I done struggled for my whole life
Seeing my mama laid up with a different nigga every night
And when you see me you can spot a crook
Because I'm roamin' through her motherfuckin' pocketbooks
I'm going out to get my papes
'Cause she don't give a fuck about me anyway, uh
And my daddy's doing two terms
And all she ever does is sits around and get shermed
My mama never hugs me
I'm callin' Deuce my family, because these niggas say they love me
I'm steady dustin' chumps off
And ready for the battle if the shit would ever jump off
So send my ass to Hell
It's either being covered up with some dirt or locked in a cell
Anyway, that's what it looks like
If I don't hurry up and get my ass up out the street life
[Interlude]
You know the streets is all I know
This is my way of survival
You know I've been dealt some bad cards, you know?
But I gots to play them
What else am I to do, look for a job
But until then let my family starve and be broke?
So I resort to the streets as a source of income
You know what I'm sayin'? I'm stuck here
[Verse 2]
I step out on my old block
And everyone's throwin' up the deuce to little J-Rock
And all my little homies that I hang with
Are either jackin', or mixed up with this gang shit
See it through reality
Never leavin' the gang 'cause it's the street life mentality
My homies got a proposition
Broke a nigga off some change and said he'd help in my position
So now I'm rollin' with the OGs
Puttin' in work on the jack for some OZs
And maybe in a year or two
I'll be able to roll in a Benz like the gangstas do
Makin' hoes ride dick
'Cause this poor, broke, desolate clique ain't hittin' on shit
I gotta lock my crew down
And sew this whole motherfucker up like the Jews town
Develop us a strong clique
Break my pops off some dope while he rot, pops would like that shit
Seeing his little nigga on his own two
Doing shit I heard my pops used to do
A real nigga to this crime thang
And had it going on 'fore his time came
I gots to get my shit right
Until my shit gets right, I'm rollin' with the street life
[Interlude]
You know what upsets me?
Is when whitey sits back in they lavish homes and BMWs
And tell me the streets ain't the place to be
See it from my perspective
Poverty stricken
Livin' on welfare and government's cuttin' that shorter every year
I'm shortin' on education 'cause I'm Black
The corner doesn't promise me a good life
But at least it shows me promise
[Verse 3]
Finally after shit got right
I'm wanting out of the gang because I'm searchin' for a new life
But I remember what was said
You come in alive, the only way you leave out is dead
So I'm kinda fucked on both ends
I thought I had friends, but I ain't got no fuckin' friends
'Cause if they were my friends, they'd let me break
Outie five thousand, fuck this shit, I'm packin' my .38
But, fuck, I gotta stay down
Until It's time for me to punch it out and just lay it down
And that's a motherfuckin' shame
Tonight I gotta steal another ride with my little gang
So slowly I walked up to it
With no hesitation, I broke the window and jumped into it
Unhooked his shit and was headed off
I opened up the door, that's what set it off
A nigga came out with a Glock, jack
And put a slug in my motherfuckin' back
And my so-called friends
Want me out of the gang 'cause they don't know if I'll walk again
Now tell me what's that Deuce like
Fucked up myself for good 'cause I was wrapped up in the street life