Long Gone
Akon [Ft. Rock City] Lyrics
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I used to tell my homie
Slow down time after time
But he never would listen
Until he got some time
The life that he was living
I knew it wasn't right
The judge gave him that sentence
You don't miss the water
Til the well runs dry
Don't miss the living til they die
Don't know the reason
Don't know why
We just let life pass us by
[Chorus:]
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone (gone away)
Away away away away
Long long gone
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone away
Away away away away
Long long gone
[Rock City:]
See my best friend used to stay with me
Each and every day he'd chill with me
Always told me to pray for me
But I always thought that he'll be fine
Now I got to watch his mother cry
Cos she loved him child
Don't miss the water
Til the well runs dry
Don't miss the living til they die
Don't know the reason
Don't know why
We just let life pass us by.
[Chorus:]
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone away
Away away away away
Long long gone
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone away
Away away away away
Long long gone
So don't you take for granted
The life you've been handed
Be thankful and grateful
Cause life goes on
With or without you
Plus there's so many people worse off than you
With no chance of changing
It's truly up to you
[Chorus:]
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone away
Away away away away
Long long gone
Cause you never know (never know)
What you got (what you got)
Until it's gone away
Away away away away
Long long gone
The lyrics of "Long Gone" by Akon ft. Rock City talks about how people tend to take things for granted until they're no longer available. The first verse tells a story of Akon trying to convince a friend to slow down and change his lifestyle, but he ignores his advice until it's too late and gets put up for life. The chorus warns people not to overlook what they have before it's gone. The second verse continues the theme with Rock City telling his own story of a friend who used to spend time with him every day but didn't take care of himself until he died, leaving his mother grieving. The bridge encourages listeners not to take their lives for granted or to compare themselves to others who may be worse off but to be thankful for what they have.
Line by Line Meaning
I used to tell my homie
I used to advise my friend
Slow down time after time
To take it easy and not rush towards certain things, I used to suggest repeatedly
But he never would listen
But he paid no heed to my advice.
Until he got some time
He didn't understand it until he got into trouble.
The life that he was living
I knew the way he lived wasn't right.
I knew it wasn't right
I had a strong feeling it was wrong.
The judge gave him that sentence
He got punished with a long sentence by the court.
And put him up for life
The court sentenced him to prison for life.
You don't miss the water
You only realize the value of something once it's gone.
Til the well runs dry
When you run out of something important, you miss its value.
Don't miss the living til they die
Do not realize the importance of someone until they are dead.
Don't know the reason
Do not understand why we fail to appreciate people or things until it's too late.
Don't know why
No particular reason; it is just a common human tendency.
We just let life pass us by
We end up taking for granted the most valuable things in our life and miss out on living our life to the fullest.
Cause you never know (never know)
Because one never knows
What you got (what you got)
What they have in life
Until it's gone (gone away)
Until it is no longer available
Away away away away
Long long gone
See my best friend used to stay with me
My best friend used to be with me all the time
Each and every day he'd chill with me
He would spend time with me every day
Always told me to pray for me
He always asked me to pray for him
But I always thought that he'll be fine
I was confident that he would always be okay.
Now I got to watch his mother cry
Now I see his mother crying because of his death.
Cos she loved him child
Because she loved him dearly.
So don't you take for granted
Therefore, do not undervalue
The life you've been handed
The life you have been given.
Be thankful and grateful
Express gratitude and appreciation.
Cause life goes on
Because life moves forward
With or without you
It will continue with or without your existence
Plus there's so many people worse off than you
Moreover, there are countless people who are in a more dire situation than you.
With no chance of changing
Who do not have the opportunity to change their situation.
It's truly up to you
It is genuinely your responsibility.
Contributed by Grace I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.