The song's music video does not have any shots of Shakur, since he was incarcerated at the time. Instead, the video features many celebrities such as Coolio, Ice-T, Adina Howard, and Warren G. Taking place in a hotel, the video opens and closes with the concierge (Ice-T) complaining about Coolio (a bellboy). The main plot of the video follows Coolio while he is working in the hotel.
Temptations
2Pac Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You know what time
Boo-ya, I know it's time for you
So grab one by the hand, you know what I'm sayin'?
And uh, throw up that finger
Hey yo, yo, yo throw y'all fingers up
Thug style, baby, thug style, y'know?
I can help ya if ya only let me touch ya
If I'm wrong, love, tell me, 'cause I get caught up
And the life I live is Hell, see, I never thought I'd see
The day when I would calm down, you ain't heard
I've been known to clown and get around, that's my word
See you walkin' and you lookin' good, yes, indeed
Got a body like a sex fiend, you're killin' me
With your attitude to match right, don't be phony
'Cause I hate it when you act like you don't know me
I've be stressin' in the spotlight, I want the fame
But the industry's a lot like a crap game
Ain't no time for commitment, I gotta go
Can't be with you every minute, miss, another show
And even though I'm known for my one night stands (look here)
I wanna be an honest man, but temptations go
Throw up the finger
And all my homies go
Throw them the finger
You know what? Baby, it's like
I know you've been searchin' for someone
To make you happy, and get the job done
You say you needed a man with money
But I can't be there, and will you still care
Will I cheat or will I be committed, heaven knows
Gettin' weak and I wanna hit it, so here I go
In my ride and I'm all in, gettin' high
I can hear the people callin', I'm passin' by
Everybody knows I'm ballin', and to God
Gotta keep myself from fallin', but it's hard
All the cuties know I'm under pressure, what do I do
Gettin' shaky when she pull the dress up, and say it's cool
Should I stroke or should I wait a while? You decide
If you tell me that you don't want it, that's a lie
Move close and let me whisper some dirty words
In your ears as I kiss ya on every curve
Slow down, baby, don't rush, I like it slow
Can't hold it any longer, so let it go
Open the gates to your waterfall up in heaven
And don't worry, I let myself in, all I heard was
Give 'em the finger
All my homies go
Throw your fingers up
That's just the thug in me girl, you know
Peep out all my homies, y'know, it's like
I know you've been searchin' for someone
To make you happy and get the job done
You say you needed a man with money
But I can't be there (what?), and will you still care?
A lotta people think it's easy to settle down
Got a woman that'll please me in every town
I don't wanna, but I gotta do it, the temptation
Got me ready to release the uh, the sensation
Sit down and conversate like you know me, take my hand
'Cause even thugs get lonely, understand
Even the hardest of my homies need attention
Catch you blowin' up the telephone, reminiscin'
I wanna take you to the movies and the park
Let's find a spot for you to do me in the dark
Now that's passion, hold me tight
Don't need lights, I can see you by the moonlight
I know your man ain't lovin' you right
You're lonely and depressed, you need a thug in your life
Enough talkin', you want me to leave, I'll get to walkin'
See you later, 'cause baby, I'm a player, and all I heard was
Give 'em the finger, and all my homies go
Yo, this how we gonna do this in the nine-trey, y'know?
Throw your fingers up
You know? They gon' peep this
This how we run game on you, check it out
All my niggas go
Uptown in the, give 'em the finger
Throw your hands up, give 'em the finger
In the song "Temptations," Tupac Shakur talks about his struggles with fidelity and commitment to a romantic partner. He admits that his difficult job as a celebrity makes it difficult to be in a committed relationship, as he's constantly on the go and has a lifestyle that makes it challenging to prioritize his relationships.
The song shows how Tupac grapples with temptation and the desire for a fulfilling, loving relationship, as he knows he struggles with commitment. He highlights that even the hardest of his homies need attention, showing his sensitivity to emotional vulnerabilities.
Throughout the song, Tupac alternates between rapping about his emotional troubles and bragging about his life as a successful rapper. He talks about the difficulties of the industry and the pressures it puts on him, but he also celebrates the glamorous aspect of his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Yo, Mo Bee, mane, drop that shit
Hey Mo Bee, drop the beat
You know what time
You know what it is
Boo-ya, I know it's time for you
I know you're ready for this
So grab one by the hand, you know what I'm sayin'?
Take someone by the hand, you know what I mean?
And uh, throw up that finger
And put your middle finger up
Hey yo, yo, yo throw y'all fingers up
Hey, everybody put your middle fingers up
Thug style, baby, thug style, y'know?
This is the thug way, you know?
Tell me, baby, are you lonely? Don't wanna rush ya
Are you feeling lonely? I don't want to pressure you
I can help ya if ya only let me touch ya
I can make you feel better if you let me
If I'm wrong, love, tell me, 'cause I get caught up
If I'm doing something you don't like, tell me because I get carried away
And the life I live is Hell, see, I never thought I'd see
My life is hard, and I never expected it to be like this
The day when I would calm down, you ain't heard
The day when I would settle down, you haven't heard about it
I've been known to clown and get around, that's my word
I've been known to act foolishly and have many relationships, that's what I've done
See you walkin' and you lookin' good, yes, indeed
I see you walking and you look attractive, for sure
Got a body like a sex fiend, you're killin' me
You have a very attractive body, it's driving me crazy
With your attitude to match right, don't be phony
Your attitude matches your appearance, don't act fake
'Cause I hate it when you act like you don't know me
I don't like it when you pretend like you don't know me
I've be stressin' in the spotlight, I want the fame
I've been under a lot of pressure because of my fame, but I still want it
But the industry's a lot like a crap game
The music industry is like a game of chance
Ain't no time for commitment, I gotta go
I don't have time for commitment, I have to leave
Can't be with you every minute, miss, another show
I can't be with you all the time, I have another show to perform
And even though I'm known for my one night stands (look here)
Even though I'm known for having short-term relationships
I wanna be an honest man, but temptations go
I want to be honest, but it's hard to resist temptation
I know you've been searchin' for someone
I know you've been looking for someone
To make you happy, and get the job done
To make you happy and satisfy you
You say you needed a man with money
You said you needed a man with financial stability
But I can't be there, and will you still care
But I can't be there for you, will you still care about me?
Will I cheat or will I be committed, heaven knows
Will I cheat on you or be faithful? Only God knows
Gettin' weak and I wanna hit it, so here I go
I'm getting weak and I want to have sex with you, so I'm going ahead with it
In my ride and I'm all in, gettin' high
I'm in my car and I'm fully committed, getting high
I can hear the people callin', I'm passin' by
I can hear people calling me as I drive past them
Everybody knows I'm ballin', and to God
Everyone knows I'm doing well financially, and even God knows it
Gotta keep myself from fallin', but it's hard
I have to keep myself from giving in to temptation, but it's difficult
All the cuties know I'm under pressure, what do I do
All the attractive women know I'm under pressure, what should I do?
Gettin' shaky when she pull the dress up, and say it's cool
I'm getting nervous when she takes off her dress and says it's okay
Should I stroke or should I wait a while? You decide
Should I have sex with her now or wait? It's up to you to decide
If you tell me that you don't want it, that's a lie
If you tell me that you don't want sex, you're lying
Move close and let me whisper some dirty words
Come closer and let me say some vulgar things to you
In your ears as I kiss ya on every curve
As I kiss you all over your body
Slow down, baby, don't rush, I like it slow
Take it slow, I like it that way
Can't hold it any longer, so let it go
I can't hold it back any longer, so I'll let it out
Open the gates to your waterfall up in heaven
Let me pleasure you and bring you to orgasm
And don't worry, I let myself in, all I heard was
And don't worry, I made myself welcome there, all I heard was moaning
A lotta people think it's easy to settle down
Many people think it's easy to have a committed relationship
Got a woman that'll please me in every town
I have a woman who will please me in every place I go
I don't wanna, but I gotta do it, the temptation
I don't want to, but I have to give in to temptation
Got me ready to release the uh, the sensation
I'm ready to orgasm
Sit down and conversate like you know me, take my hand
Let's talk like we know each other, and hold hands
'Cause even thugs get lonely, understand
Because even tough guys get lonely, you know?
Even the hardest of my homies need attention
Even the toughest of my friends need love and affection
Catch you blowin' up the telephone, reminiscin'
I catch you calling me on the phone, reminiscing
I wanna take you to the movies and the park
I want to take you to the movies and the park
Let's find a spot for you to do me in the dark
Let's find a place to have sex in the dark
Now that's passion, hold me tight
That's passion, hold me close
Don't need lights, I can see you by the moonlight
We don't need lights, I can see you by the moonlight
I know your man ain't lovin' you right
I know your man isn't treating you right
You're lonely and depressed, you need a thug in your life
You're lonely and unhappy, and you need a tough guy like me in your life
Enough talkin', you want me to leave, I'll get to walkin'
Enough talking, if you want me to leave, I will
See you later, 'cause baby, I'm a player, and all I heard was
Goodbye, because I'm a womanizer, and all I heard was moaning
Yo, this how we gonna do this in the nine-trey, y'know?
This is how we do it in 1993, you know?
They gon' peep this
They're going to notice this
All my niggas go
All of my friends do this
Uptown in the, give 'em the finger
In uptown areas, put your middle finger up
Throw your hands up, give 'em the finger
Throw your hands up and put your middle finger up
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: David Spradley, Garry Shider, George Jr. Clinton, Larry Troutman, Ostin Jr. Harvey, Reggie Noble, Roger Troutman, Shirley Murdock, Tupac Shakur
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Agent Bosconian
on So Many Tears - Live
I fear only God and no human being
Even in the face of danger, I will stay strong
I have cried so much and fear that I might die soon
God, please guide me and take me to heaven if I die
I grew up in a sad, and lonely environment and it affected me in a gravely manner
I was abandoned; all alone and grew up in a community that was doomed to fail
My mind was greatly troubled and I couldn't be able to find my inner peace
I found solace and comfort in adopting a tough and rebellious lifestyle
Do you understand my pain and sorrow? I don't ever dwell on the past memories
To survive in a dangerous environment, you must react aggressively and quickly; in order to stay alive
I will always remember my friend, Kato. A good friend who has tragically died, and is no longer with us, anymore
I witnessed the day Kato perished on the streets and was calling for help
May Kato, and those who died before him, truly find peace in death
Is there really a place in heaven for a gangster like me? Always think and never forget about me
The friends that I once shared my laughter with; are now buried in their graves in the cemetery. I continue to shed countless tears for them; as I grieve for them
As I face many difficulties in the music industry, I will do whatever it takes to overcome it
People call me greedy and selfish for making money, yet they rarely can see me
I feel like I'm being cursed by the world and havin' disturbing; yet horrible premonitions
I have a fear that I will die and lie inside a coffin on a hearse, and want God's guidance and empathy
I want to escape from the problems, stress and the hurting of life
I yearned; longing for happiness and clarity in my troubled life
I'm trapped in jail and my life is in shambles
I feel like I'm doomed to go to Hell, but I don't know why
I'm in denial about my life, and I'm scared of death
If I go to hell, I will be in eternal pain and cry so much
I'm lost and tired, and I've cried so much
I'm contemplating suicide, so stay away from me
I'm intentionally moving towards death
I'm ready to die, and I feel like I have nothing to live for
The streets were ruthless, and I couldn't find peace
I'm on the verge of breaking down, and I long for peace
I lost my soul and my identity, but I was unaware
I had demons in my mind that were taking over
The demons inside me grew and ignited a fire
My head felt like a bomb ready to explode, it was a nasty game
I have no happy memories, only pain and sadness
I imagine my enemies murdering me in my sleep
I wonder if I'll live to see the next day
I ask God to pardon me for my wrongs as death approaches
God knows I tried my best, but I've seen people get killed
I witnessed innocent people, including children, being killed by drive-by shootings
I wonder why these tragedies happen as I pass by
I feel sad as I see the outline of a body on the ground and turn to drugs for comfort
I don't want this life, I want something different
There is no promising future for me; I'm trapped in the cycle of crime and violence
I feel like I'm in a never-ending maze
Alcohol made me act out and lose my mind
I've been disillusioned and now want a family
I want a family to see a better side of myself that isn't tainted by my past
I don't trust my girlfriend because she's been influenced by the negative environment around us
I hear rumors that my girlfriend is cheating on me with my friends, and I can't handle it
I collapse and pray for God to let me into heaven
I've cried countless tears and beg for God's mercy to let me into heaven
I've lost so many years and cried so many tears
God, I lost so many friends and associates, and...
God knows I tried my best, but I've seen people get killed
I witnessed innocent people, including children, being killed by drive-by shootings
I wonder why these tragedies happen as I pass by
I feel sad as I see the outline of a body on the ground and turn to drugs for comfort
I don't want this life, I want something different
There is no promising future for me; I'm trapped in the cycle of crime and violence
I feel like I'm in a never-ending maze
Alcohol made me act out and lose my mind
I've been disillusioned and now want a family
I want a family to see a better side of myself that isn't tainted by my past
I don't trust my girlfriend because she's been influenced by the negative environment around us
I hear rumors that my girlfriend is cheating on me with my friends, and I can't handle it
I collapse and pray for God to let me into heaven
I've cried countless tears and beg for God's mercy to let me into heaven
I've lost so many years and cried so many tears
God, I lost so many friends and associates, and cried so many tears
Aliyu
on 'Pac's Life
Nice
A.Bosconian
on So Many Tears
I am not afraid of anything or anyone other than God.
Even when I am in the darkest of times and places.
I have cried so many tears because of the pain and hardships I have faced in my life.
I ask God to guide me and be with me in my journey through life.
Even as a child in elementary school, I found myself attracted to and surrounded by sadness and hopelessness.
I was abandoned and grew up among a generation of people who were doomed to fail.
My mind was constantly struggling, and I could not find a sense of peace or comfort anywhere.
I found a sense of identity and belonging when I got the tattoo of 'Thug Life' on my chest.
Do you understand the struggles and pain that I have experienced in my life?
I am not dwelling on my past mistakes, and if you want to be successful, you shouldn't be either.
In order to defend yourself and your community from violence, you must be the first one to take action. We should never forget Kato, who was killed due to senseless violence.
Kato is no longer with us and has passed away.
I witnessed violent crimes, and I've seen the aftermath of people being killed on the streets.
I hope Kato, and all those who have passed before him, are resting in peace.
Is there a place in heaven for someone like me, who has lived a life of violence and crime?
Remember me and all of my friends who have died and are now buried in the cemetery.
I address God.
I have experienced a lot of suffering throughout my life.
I have cried so many tears because of the pain and hardships I have faced in my life.
Now that I am struggling in the music industry.
I will do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means being labeled as greedy and only focused on making money.
Even though I am chasing success, I rarely get to enjoy it or be seen by others.
I feel cursed and have a negative outlook on the world.
I am having visions of dying and leaving this world in a coffin.
I ask God if he can understand what I am going through and help me.
I want to be relieved of all the stress and suffering I feel.
I want to experience happiness again, which has been absent from my life for some time.
I feel like I am losing sight of what's important in my life.
I feel trapped in my current situation, and my quality of life is suffering as a result.
I already feel like I am destined to go to hell, and I question where I went wrong in my life.
I am unable to come to terms with my reality.
When I die, I fear that I will be punished forever in the afterlife.
I feel lost and tired.
I have cried so much that I am now having suicidal thoughts, so please don't be near me.
Everything I do feels like a complicated and difficult step.
To bring me closer to what I want to achieve.
I am prepared to accept death at any moment since I feel like I have nothing to live for.
Things were very rough and merciless on the streets.
I was never able to find peace or rest in that environment.
I am close to falling apart and screaming for peace.
Even though I was empty and lost, I couldn't understand or recognize it at the time.
My mind was plagued with negative thoughts and emotions, which were trying to escape constantly.
The negative thoughts and emotions had been planted long ago and have now taken root, and the flame of negativity is now growing stronger.
Just like a match can light a fire, the negative thoughts in my brain can also do the same, causing pain and suffering.
I have no good memories to comfort me, only sadness and suffering.
I am afraid of being attacked and killed by the people who hate me, even in my sleep.
I wonder if I will survive through the night to see the light of the new day?
I ask God for forgiveness for my past mistakes and wrongdoings.
I am trying to face my problems and come out stronger and better.
The Lord knows I have tried my best, and I have witnessed violent deaths in my community.
Drive-by shootings have resulted in the loss of many lives, including innocent children.
I wonder why these tragedies are happening in my community as I walk around and see the devastation.
I am saddened as I look at the markings on the pavement where someone has been killed, and the only way I can deal with this pain is by getting high.
I understand that this isn't the kind of life that I want for myself, and I want to change it.
I want to change my life for the better.
I feel like there is no future for me, no matter how hard I try to change.
I am trapped in the cycle of crime and violence that exists in my community.
I am lost and confused about how to get out of this situation.
The alcohol has influenced me to act more recklessly and dangerously.
I have lost faith and become cynical about life recently.
I have been wanting to have children and start a family.
I want to see a better version of myself in my children, someone who isn't always involved in negative activities.
I don't fully trust my partner because of the negative influence of our environment.
My partner has also been affected by the negative influences of our environment, and I am hearing strange noises because of how paranoid I am.
I am paranoid that my partner is cheating on me with my friends, and I can't handle the stress anymore.
I am begging God to forgive me and let me into heaven when I die.
I have lost many friends and acquaintances to violence and death.
As a result of these losses, I have cried many tears and experienced a lot of sadness.
I have experienced a lot of pain and suffering throughout my life.
A.Bosconian
on So Many Tears
The lyrics of Tupac Shakur's song "So Many Tears" explore the themes of paranoia, pain, and death. The first verse of the song presents Tupac's fearlessness of men, but not of God. The rapper then describes his life growing up, where he felt like he was surrounded by misery but found a sense of identity and belonging in the Thug Life culture. He mourns the deaths of his friends, particularly Kato, who was murdered in the streets. Tupac questions to himself whether there is heaven for a "G" and reflects on the many homies who died; that are now in the cemetery.
In the second verse, Tupac reveals his struggles in the music industry, where he feels overwhelmed by the pressure and pain. He admits to being greedy and having a vision of dying young. Tupac requests God to free him from the pain and suffering he experiences in life. The final verse of the song sees Tupac lost, weary, and suicidal. He delves into his struggles with addiction, and he starts to hear voices and experience demons in his mind. Tupac desires to change, but he feels trapped in the game, and he is unsure of his lady's loyalty.
Overall, Tupac Shakur's "So Many Tears" is a poignant song that reflects the artist's tumultuous life and his struggles with death and paranoia. The lyrics also tackle the harsh realities of growing up in the ghetto and the impact that violence and loss have on the psyche of an individual.
Gabriel Benard Cote
on California Love - Original Mix (Explicit)
2 pac is the best