The Puzzle
Brother Ali Lyrics

Who's to blame for the state I'm in
Who or what is responsible for the situation that I'm currently in

I play my cards but somehow I can't win
Despite my efforts or strategies, I still can't succeed or come out on top

Listen when life leaves you beaten up
Pay attention when life knocks you down or wears you out

Don't lay around in it, hurry pick them pieces up
Don't wallow in your despair or challenges, quickly gather yourself and move forward

Cling closely to the people you love
Hold onto those you care about and who care about you

They're your umbrella when the weathers tough
They provide you comfort and protection when things get difficult

See to it that your head is up
Make sure you keep a positive attitude and outlook, even when things are rough

If not just remember this
If you can't do that, at least remember this advice

Just never let your chest and your chin touch in public
Never show weakness or defeat in front of others

Those that stand against us would love this
Those who oppose us or don't want us to succeed would enjoy seeing us look weak or defeated

Man fuck them, something's bugging em
Ignore them, they have their own issues or insecurities to deal with

They feel inadequate or something and that's been dug in em'
They have a deep-seated feeling of being insufficient or not good enough

So deep they can't stand someone else making shit
Their insecurity is so strong that they can't handle seeing others succeed or create something

Player hatred, same concept created Satan
Hatred and jealousy towards others is a destructive mindset, the same that led to the creation of Satan in religious teachings

Play em, no never mind let em play their part
Don't engage with them or let them distract you, let them continue their negative behavior

They're here to make us prove we are what we say we are
Their opposition or negativity is here to challenge us to prove ourselves and our abilities

We say we are the hard-hearted
We claim to be tough or strong-minded individuals

Been discarded from everything we've ever been part of
We've been rejected or pushed out of many places or groups we used to belong to

They just robbed it, unguarded, tormented and tortured
They took away what we had, leaving us defenseless and causing us pain and suffering

And got nothing but scars and grey hairs to show for it
They didn't gain anything positive from their actions, only the wounds and stress they caused

Fuck that, every stone that's ever been cast or blow that ever landed
Disregard that negativity, every attack or criticism we've received before

Helped to build that man that's standing before your bitch ass
Those challenges and struggles have helped shape us into the person we are now, standing strong and resilient

And back to wreak havoc and never retired, retreated or recanted
We've come back from those past battles or obstacles and we won't back down now or in the future

I don't expect you to have stood where I'm standing
I don't assume you've gone through the same experiences or challenges as me

Why, repsect is the only thing I'm demanding
That's why I only ask for respect and understanding from you

Try, you and I could build this understanding
If you try to empathize and relate to me, we could foster a better understanding of each other

You can't honestly shake unless you know where my hand's been brother
You can't truly understand or accept my perspective unless you know or have been through similar experiences as me, my friend

This is a piece of my puzzle now, through the years I found peace in my struggle now
This is a part of my journey or life story, where I've learned to find peace despite my struggles over time

If we were put here to carry a great weight, the very things we hate are here to build those muscles
If we were meant to tackle difficult challenges in life, then the things we dislike or fear are here to strengthen us and prepare us for those challenges

I was taught that mistakes made with great intentions were never sins but where life lessons begin
I learned that even if I make mistakes with good intentions, those mistakes are opportunities to learn and grow

Now that I'm 27, single father starting over yet again
At my current age and situation, being a single dad, I'm once again starting fresh or rebuilding

I am who I have to forgive
I need to forgive myself in order to move past my mistakes and become a better person

Lost my mumma to cancer, closed a 10 year chapter shortly after
My mother passed away due to cancer, and I also had to close a big part of my life a little while after

Can't deny that was some shit, alone in this life would've been at my throat with a knife chop
That was really tough and it would have been even worse if I had no one to support me

Follow my soul, not that I don't know the penalty
I'm following what I feel is true to myself, even if it means facing challenges or consequences

But that's the legacy that I pass to my kids
I want to pass on a legacy of staying true to oneself and following what's important to them, to my children

Heard of shining in the heat of the moment and won my freedom the moment I realised that's what this...
I've heard about people stepping up and succeeding in tough moments, and I finally achieved that freedom by realizing that this moment right now is my chance to shine as well

I can't believe my eyes Lord, I don't know what I'm seeing
I'm in shock or disbelief at what I'm witnessing

I done watched them smash into little pieces everything I've been building
I've seen them destroy or dismantle everything I've been working hard to create

I can't believe my ears Lord, I don't know what I'm hearing
I'm surprised or in disbelief at what I'm hearing

I heard they smash into little pieces everything I've been building
I heard that they destroyed or dismantled everything I've been working hard to create