things
B-Legit; E-40 Lyrics
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Gonna put it down. all these little crime thangs,
Homeless, the world is crazy bwoy
It's like this
It's the way it is
Heavy out there.. it's heavy.
And whooped with extension cords?
Did you forget that i was your creation,
And all i wanted from you all was love, hope, and motivation?
Son, you're disrespectful and you're talking back,
Get out my face, kicked me out the house
And wouldn't even let me plead my case.
Now i'm homeless and i'm freezing like the morgue,
The only thing keepin me alive is the lord
Needless to say it's times like this i'd rather be locked up then
Drinkin water out my hands and eatin out of garbage cans
Can i come back home, huh could i?
Son, you're on your own, why should i?
[Chorus]
Things will never change, that's just the way it is
Nobody's even concerned
Some things will never change, that's just the way it is
When will we ever learn?
Huh. three years from now, i think i'm gon be straight, (straight)
I put my name on the list for section 8
Tried out for the army but i was flat footed,
Didn't do no harm to me, 'cause i was used to it
If i apply for some work, let's make a bet,
I'll get the nine
'Cause i don't know about the internet
What do you think we need to do to change about this nation?
Need to provide more jobs and better education
Nuclear weapons (puh) should be stopping crimes,
Already got enough to blow the world up
A thousand times
The birds and the bees, deadly disease,
Teenage pregnancies, std's
[Chorus]
A-wuh a wait a minute, i hear sirens
Oh that's the couple down the street
Domestic violence
Either them or the little girl in 306
She's always telling everyone that she gon slice her wrists
I guess that's the way it is in the life of sin
Where you'll probably end up dead, or in the pen
But my family ain't no better than the next
My auntie brenda turned her own sister in
For writing bad checks
And save folks try to hit you where it hurts
Knowin' they the biggest hypocrites in the church
We need to give our minds a bath and
Do some scrubbin'
Stop the hate and start the lovin'
[Chorus: x4]
The lyrics of "Things" by B-Legit and E-40 paint a vivid picture of societal issues, including poverty, homelessness, domestic violence, crime, and the need for better education and job opportunities. The song tells the story of a young man who's been mistreated by his family and is now homeless, surviving on the streets. He reflects on his past and wonders if he deserved to be treated so poorly by his parents, who kicked him out of the house.
The chorus line, "Things will never change, that's just the way it is" speaks to the cyclical nature of poverty and systemic issues that plague society. It highlights the need for change, but also the feeling of hopelessness that can come with trying to overcome these obstacles.
Throughout the song, there are references to the need for better education and job opportunities, and the consequences of not addressing these issues. The lyrics also touch on the prevalence of crime and violence, and the need for society to address these problems.
The song is a powerful commentary on the state of society, and it challenges listeners to think about what can be done to create a better future for all.
Line by Line Meaning
Ah yeah..(ah yeah)..it's real.
I'm about to tell a story that's true and important.
Gonna put it down. all these little crime thangs,
I'm going to rap about the harsh reality of crime and how it affects people's lives.
Homeless, the world is crazy bwoy
Being homeless is a terrible way to live and shows how messed up the world can be.
It's like this
This is how things are.
It's the way it is
This is the harsh reality that people have to face every day.
Heavy out there.. it's heavy.
Life can be really difficult and tough to deal with.
Was i really such a bad child that i deserved to get hit with boards
I don't understand why my parents used violence to discipline me when I was a child.
And whooped with extension cords?
Why did my parents have to resort to using harsh and painful methods to punish me?
Did you forget that i was your creation,
As my parents, why did you forget that I'm your child and deserve love and respect?
And all i wanted from you all was love, hope, and motivation?
All I wanted from my parents was their support and encouragement to become a better person.
Son, you're disrespectful and you're talking back,
My parents didn't like it when I expressed my opinions or talked back to them.
Get out my face, kicked me out the house
My parents were so angry that they threw me out of the house and didn't want to deal with me.
And wouldn't even let me plead my case.
My parents didn't give me a chance to explain myself and only saw me as a troublemaker.
Now i'm homeless and i'm freezing like the morgue,
Being homeless is a horrible experience where you have to deal with freezing temperatures and no shelter.
The only thing keepin me alive is the lord
When you're in a difficult situation like homelessness, having faith in God can give you hope and strength.
Needless to say it's times like this i'd rather be locked up then
Being in prison is often better than being homeless and living on the streets.
Drinkin water out my hands and eatin out of garbage cans
Homeless people have to resort to drinking dirty water and scavenging for food from garbage cans to survive.
Can i come back home, huh could i?
I want to know if my parents will ever let me come back home and reconcile with them.
Son, you're on your own, why should i?
My parents don't want anything to do with me and don't think they should help me out of my situation.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats the message that some things in life never change and we need to learn to improve our society.
Huh. three years from now, i think i'm gon be straight, (straight)
I hope that in the future, I will be in a better place and be able to take care of myself.
I put my name on the list for section 8
I applied for housing assistance to get help with my living situation.
Tried out for the army but i was flat footed,
I tried to join the army but was disqualified for having flat feet.
Didn't do no harm to me, 'cause i was used to it
I didn't feel bad about not being able to join the army because I've grown accustomed to disappointment.
If i apply for some work, let's make a bet,
It's difficult for me to find a job, but I'm willing to keep trying.
I'll get the nine
I'm confident that I can succeed and find work eventually.
'Cause i don't know about the internet
My lack of knowledge and experience with technology and the internet makes it harder for me to find a job.
What do you think we need to do to change about this nation?
We need to think about what we can do to improve our country and make it a better place for everyone.
Need to provide more jobs and better education
Investing in education and creating more jobs can help reduce poverty and improve the quality of life for people.
Nuclear weapons (puh) should be stopping crimes,
Nuclear weapons should be used to deter crimes and prevent violence from happening.
Already got enough to blow the world up
We have enough nuclear weapons to destroy the world multiple times over, which is a scary thought.
A thousand times
This exaggeration highlights just how many nuclear weapons we possess and how dangerous they are.
The birds and the bees, deadly disease,
We need to address important issues like sex education and access to healthcare to prevent the spread of deadly diseases.
Teenage pregnancies, std's
Teenage pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are serious problems that need to be addressed through education and healthcare services.
[Chorus]
The chorus repeats the message that some things in life never change and we need to learn to improve our society.
A-wuh a wait a minute, i hear sirens
I hear police sirens in the distance, which is a sign of the high crime rate in my community.
Oh that's the couple down the street
The sirens are related to a domestic violence incident involving a couple that live nearby.
Domestic violence
Domestic violence is a serious problem affecting many families and communities.
Either them or the little girl in 306
The sirens could also be related to a young girl who lives in apartment 306 who has talked about self-harm in the past.
She's always telling everyone that she gon slice her wrists
The girl is showing signs of depression and suicidal thoughts, which is a tragedy.
I guess that's the way it is in the life of sin
These problems are sadly common in our society and reflect the darker side of humanity.
Where you'll probably end up dead, or in the pen
People who engage in criminal or self-destructive behaviors are likely to end up in jail or worse.
But my family ain't no better than the next
My own family has its problems and imperfections, just like everyone else's.
My auntie brenda turned her own sister in
One of my relatives betrayed another family member by reporting them to the authorities for a crime they committed.
For writing bad checks
The crime was relatively minor, but still caused a rift in the family and led to one member being punished.
And save folks try to hit you where it hurts
Some people try to hurt others by attacking their weaknesses or exposing their vulnerabilities.
Knowin' they the biggest hypocrites in the church
These same people often pretend to be holy or righteous, but are actually hypocrites who don't practice what they preach.
We need to give our minds a bath and
We need to rethink our attitudes and beliefs in order to make positive changes in our lives and communities.
Do some scrubbin'
We need to clean out the negative thoughts and biases that can hold us back from progress and growth.
Stop the hate and start the lovin'
We need to replace hatred and animosity with love and compassion in order to build a better world for everyone.
[Chorus: x4]
The chorus repeats the message that some things in life never change and we need to learn to improve our society.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BRUCE HORNSBY, EARL STEVENS, MICHAEL MOSLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind