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