Grief
Earl Sweatshirt Lyrics
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Uh, uh, uh
Good grief, I been reaping what I sow
Nigga, I ain't been outside in a minute
I been living what I wrote
And all I see is snakes in the eyes of these niggas
Momma taught me how to read 'em when I look
Miss me at the precinct getting booked
Fishy niggas stick to eating off of hooks
Say you eating, but we see you getting cooked, nigga
I don't act hard, I'm a hard act to follow, nigga
Like it or not, when it drop, bet he gotta listen
Chasing dragons, tryna make it happen, on a mission
Step into the shadows, we could talk addiction
When it's harmful where you going and the part of you that know it
Don't give a fuck, pardon me for going into details
3-7-6 was a brothel
We had females come in every hour on the dot
And the shit sound like a gavel when it knock
Focus on my chatter, ain't as frantic as my thoughts
Lately I've been panicking a lot
Feeling like I'm stranded in a mob
Scrambling for Xanax out the canister to pop
Never getting out of hand, steady handling my job
Time damaging my ties
Who turn to get up? Get dude turned to dinner quick
You circus niggas, you turning into tricks
I was making waves, you was surfing in 'em
Dealing with the stomach pains just from birthing niggas' shit
Cut the grass off the surface
Pray the lawnmower blade catch the back of a serpent, nigga, shit
Bitch
Good grief, I been reaping what I sow
Nigga, I ain't been outside in a minute
I been living what I wrote
And all I see is snakes in the eyes of these niggas
Momma taught me how to read 'em when I look
Miss me at the precinct getting booked
Fishy niggas stick to eating off of hooks
Say you eating, but we see you getting cooked, nigga
I'm fleeting thoughts on a leash
For the moment, high as fuck
I've been alone in my shit for the longest
Snakes sliding in the street
Mama taught me how to not be like the bodies lying in them
Pigs, riding in 'em
I'm a target so it's hard to even eye me in 'em
If he ain't dying for me, then I ain't riding with him
There's no time for that
Making sure my man wallet's straight like a collar
When you iron that
Thinking 'bout my grandmama, find a bottle
I'mma wallow when I lie in that
I just want my time and my mind intact
When they both gone, you can't buy 'em back
Earl Sweatshirt's song "Grief" delves into the rapper's struggles with fame and the isolation that comes with it. In the first verse, Earl reflects on the consequences of his behavior and choices, admitting that he has been "reaping what [he] sow." He feels like he's been living in a bubble, unable to leave his house for fear of being recognized and bothered by fans. Despite his fame, he still sees the hatred and deceit in the world, referring to the "snakes in the eyes of these n***as." Earl also references his mother's teachings and how she taught him to recognize and avoid these types of people.
The second verse touches on Earl's addiction struggles, as he admits to feeling like he's "panicking a lot" and "scrambling for Xanax." He also mentions his desire to cut ties with negative influences in his life and take control of his thoughts and actions. The lines, "Thinking 'bout my grandmama, find a bottle, I'mma wallow when I lie in that, I just want my time and my mind intact" suggest that Earl is grappling with depression and feelings of hopelessness.
Overall, "Grief" is a raw and introspective look at Earl Sweatshirt's state of mind and his struggles with fame, addiction, and societal pressures.
Line by Line Meaning
Good grief, I been reaping what I sow
I'm experiencing the consequences of my actions and decisions.
Nigga, I ain't been outside in a minute
I haven't been out in a long time.
I been living what I wrote
I'm living the life I wrote about in my lyrics.
And all I see is snakes in the eyes of these niggas
I see that everyone around me is fake and untrustworthy.
Momma taught me how to read 'em when I look
My mother taught me how to see past people's facades.
Miss me at the precinct getting booked
I'm not getting arrested.
Fishy niggas stick to eating off of hooks
Fake people stick to following others.
Say you eating, but we see you getting cooked, nigga
You may think you're successful, but you're really just a failure in disguise.
I don't act hard, I'm a hard act to follow, nigga
I'm not trying to act tough, I'm just a unique person.
Like it or not, when it drop, bet he gotta listen
I'm confident that when my music comes out, people will pay attention.
Chasing dragons, tryna make it happen, on a mission
I'm working hard to pursue my dreams and achieve success.
Step into the shadows, we could talk addiction
I'm willing to talk about my struggles with addiction.
When it's harmful where you going and the part of you that know it
Even when we know something is bad for us, we still do it.
Don't give a fuck, pardon me for going into details
I don't care what anyone thinks, I'm going to say what I want.
3-7-6 was a brothel
376 was a prostitution house.
We had females come in every hour on the dot
Prostitutes came in every hour.
And the shit sound like a gavel when it knock
The sound the prostitutes made sounded like a gavel.
Focus on my chatter, ain't as frantic as my thoughts
I'm focused on my music, not my chaotic thoughts.
Lately I've been panicking a lot
I've been feeling anxious and stressed recently.
Feeling like I'm stranded in a mob
I feel alone and lost even when I'm surrounded by people.
Scrambling for Xanax out the canister to pop
I'm searching for a quick fix to calm me down.
Never getting out of hand, steady handling my job
I'm always in control and focused on my music career.
Time damaging my ties
My relationships are being affected by my busy schedule.
Who turn to get up? Get dude turned to dinner quick
I'm willing to do whatever it takes to climb to the top, even if it means hurting others.
You circus niggas, you turning into tricks
You're all becoming fake and untrustworthy.
I was making waves, you was surfing in 'em
I was creating something new and exciting, while everyone else was just following along.
Dealing with the stomach pains just from birthing niggas' shit
I'm tired of all the fake music and artists out there.
Cut the grass off the surface
Expose what's really going on.
Pray the lawnmower blade catch the back of a serpent, nigga, shit
Hope that the truth comes out and those who were faking get exposed.
Bitch
An expression of anger and frustration.
I'm fleeting thoughts on a leash
I'm trying to control my racing thoughts.
For the moment, high as fuck
At the moment, I'm really high on drugs.
I've been alone in my shit for the longest
I've been dealing with my problems by myself for a long time.
Snakes sliding in the street
There are dangerous people around.
Mama taught me how to not be like the bodies lying in them
My mother taught me how to avoid being victimized like others.
Pigs, riding in 'em
The police are corrupt and use their power to harm others.
I'm a target so it's hard to even eye me in 'em
I'm a target of the police, so I have to be careful.
If he ain't dying for me, then I ain't riding with him
I'm only going to associate with people who are loyal and committed to me.
There's no time for that
I don't have time for fake friends.
Making sure my man wallet's straight like a collar
Making sure my friend has enough money to support himself.
When you iron that
When you straighten out his money.
Thinking 'bout my grandmama, find a bottle
I'm trying to cope with my problems, while thinking about my grandmother's death.
I'mma wallow when I lie in that
I'm going to drink and indulge in my sadness.
I just want my time and my mind intact
I just want to be healthy and focused.
When they both gone, you can't buy 'em back
When you lose your time and mental health, you can't ever get them back.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, PFIVE Entertainment Mexico, Missing Link Music, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Burt F. Bacharach, Thebe Kgositsile, Garry Dewayne Glenn, Emmanuel Karriem Riggins, Erica Wright, Osten Harvey, Hal David, Christopher Wallace, GARY THOMAS WILSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@endurex4180
I don't act hard, I'm a hard act to follow
@djghostface292
"I was makin' waves, you was surfin' in em"
@endurex4180
OMG EARL IS SO FUCKING UNDER-RATED
"All I See is snakes in the eyes of these niggas"
@dxp96
+coughdropper I didn't catch it on my first listen but that's a double entendre
@coughdropper
Drumma Dre Earl's songs require multiple listens to really be able to catch those nuances. Not many lyricists are like him
@YungJoonas
+Isaiah Simmons but earl isn't underrated tho
@ferguspitcher7911
You know the year’s been a struggle when this was your most played song on Spotify
@soyspit8585
Fergus Pitcher yeah, actually lmao
@lyfeoutlook7848
Pulls for a strong follow up, Hope things are better for you.
@yt.abhibhav
Brother, it was 2018...