Imogene
David Sanborn Lyrics


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Imagine making it big in this rap game
And you think it's all good
I'm here to tell you it ain't baby
You got every eye in the world on you
You gotta understand these people fear what they don't know

Imagine life with no jails and no laws
And no harassment on brothers in fancy cars
Now why they want to trap me, make me a slave
They just mad cause a ghetto nigga break bread

I'm on the ground cuffed up like a dog
Said my cuffs too tight, but they laugh when they see me fall
I guess my skins too dark for them to hear me
I know they don't like me, for some reason I think they fear me
Quit tripping on my chains and my rangs
I want to hit em, but I didn't cause I maintained
They got me FED's on the scene and they sware I got the cream
And the stolen truck green, canine all up in my jeans
They don't realize I'm a soldier
I had a pissed, ask your son, I know he gotta see-Murder disc
Number one in every record store
Mom and pops tap my phones, but you know I ain't slangin' rocks
Take me to jail but I tell em take me off the scene
My first call go to P, he put my mind at ease
You told me not to trip cause it's a bigger picture
And if your tank don't put it on TRU, I'm a come and get ya

Woah, picture life without the crooked cops and without the cell blocks
Would you sell rocks, or would you be like me, I'm shell shocked
And I went through stressin' (why), cause I'm already strapped,
bulletproof vesting
Waiting to be tested by the devil on that level
I used to sit on the porch with my uncle Ben
And I watched the murder scene when I was 13, dad, why they come for me
And it made me crazy, and it made me lose my mind
And from time to time it crossed my mind
What if there wasn't a crime
Now Slim, would you kill for me and everything that's true for me
If there was no law, and nobody was superstars
No state trooper cars to follow, you wouldn't have to swallow
Your rocks, so toss the glocks with the hollow
I would kill a rich man and drink his blood, would it bring me riches
Or would I just be selling my soul to them wicked witches
We already in babylon, the world is a ghetto and God is like the don,
nigga woah

Now we get only get one minute to pray and a second to die
Could you picture the dark side before I let these bullets fly
From out my 4-5 see, I know what you mean
Is it life or that imagine living life with no breath
My imagination's a motherfucker with a bullet stretch
Too much killing, I won't supply the world with a vest
But that's impossible, killing its unstoppable
As long as they got bullets and guns they got niggas that's droppin' em
Real niggas from that ????? the world that's all about
Real niggas we won't have a reason to kill niggas, heal niggas
My plane it runs so deep I'm a share it with why'all




While my own niggas is trying to cut throat while I'm tryin' to ball
Dog, you ain't never seen what I seen what I seen

Overall Meaning

The song "Imogene" by David Sanborn is a rap song that gives insight into the hardships and injustices faced by Black people in America. It begins with a warning to aspiring rap artists that fame does not come without consequences. With success, comes scrutiny and fear from people who do not understand you. The next verse talks about life without laws and how that would benefit Black people who are often targeted and harassed by authorities. The rapper questions why they are perceived as a threat and why they are subjected to constant surveillance and scrutiny. The injustice that they face is further exemplified by the verse that describes the unfair treatment they receive from law enforcement. Despite being a successful artist who does not sell drugs, the police view him with suspicion and wrongfully accuse him of criminal activity.


The chorus of the song reflects on how different life would be if society was free from institutional racism and discrimination. The rapper imagines a world where police brutality is nonexistent and Black people are not over-policed and stereotyped. He believes that if these injustices are eradicated, Black people would not feel compelled to resort to violence to defend themselves. The last verse of the song is a call to action. It urges people to imagine the world they want to live in and work towards creating it. The rapper acknowledges the difficulty of the task at hand but remains hopeful that change is possible.


Line by Line Meaning

Imagine making it big in this rap game
Visualize becoming successful in the rap industry


And you think it's all good
And you believe it's easy and without troubles


I'm here to tell you it ain't baby
I want to inform you that's not the case


You got every eye in the world on you
You have the attention of every person in the world


You gotta understand these people fear what they don't know
You need to comprehend that these individuals are afraid of what they don't understand


Imagine life with no jails and no laws
Ponder existence with no correctional facilities and no regulations


And no harassment on brothers in fancy cars
And no unnecessary mistreatment of people with nice automobiles


Now why they want to trap me, make me a slave
Now, why do they want to imprison me, transform me into a servant?


They just mad cause a ghetto nigga break bread
They're just upset because an impoverished man is making money


I'm on the ground cuffed up like a dog
I'm on the floor restrained similar to an animal


Said my cuffs too tight, but they laugh when they see me fall
I mentioned my restraints are too constricting, yet they find it amusing when I stumble


I guess my skins too dark for them to hear me
I presume my complexion is too dark for them to heed my words


I know they don't like me, for some reason I think they fear me
I'm aware they don't appreciate me, and I suspect they're scared of me for some reason


Quit tripping on my chains and my rangs
Stop obsessing over my jewelry


I want to hit em, but I didn't cause I maintained
I thought about striking them, but I didn't because I remained composed


They got me FED's on the scene and they sware I got the cream
They have the Federal authorities present, and they believe I possess the money


And the stolen truck green, canine all up in my jeans
And the vehicle I took was green, and the dogs detected something on my person


They don't realize I'm a soldier
They don't comprehend that I'm a brave person


I had a pissed, ask your son, I know he gotta see-Murder disc
I was upset, ask your child, I know they have a See-Murder cd


Number one in every record store
It's the highest-selling album at every music shop


Mom and pops tap my phones, but you know I ain't slangin' rocks
While my parents monitor my calls, I'm not dealing drugs


Take me to jail but I tell em take me off the scene
Arrest me, but remove me from the area


My first call go to P, he put my mind at ease
I contact P first, as he calms me down


You told me not to trip cause it's a bigger picture
You explained there's a more significant perspective, so don't overreact


And if your tank don't put it on TRU, I'm a come and get ya
And if your fuel supply doesn't refill at True, then I'll come to assist you


Woah, picture life without the crooked cops and without the cell blocks
Wow, imagine existence devoid of corrupt police and prisons


Would you sell rocks, or would you be like me, I'm shell shocked
Would you peddle illegal substances or be similar to me, emotionally traumatized?


And I went through stressin' (why), cause I'm already strapped, bulletproof vesting
And I experienced tension because I'm already armed, wearing a bulletproof vest


Waiting to be tested by the devil on that level
I'm anticipating to be challenged by evil on that magnitude


I used to sit on the porch with my uncle Ben
I used to sit outside my home with my Uncle Ben


And I watched the murder scene when I was 13, dad, why they come for me
And I witnessed someone losing their life when I was thirteen, father, why are they targeting me?


And it made me crazy, and it made me lose my mind
And it drove me insane, and it made me mentally unstable


And from time to time it crossed my mind
And occasionally, the thought appears in my mind


What if there wasn't a crime
What if criminal activity didn't exist?


Now Slim, would you kill for me and everything that's true for me
Now, Slim, would you take someone's life for me and all that's authentic to me?


If there was no law, and nobody was superstars
If there was no legislation, and no one was famous


No state trooper cars to follow, you wouldn't have to swallow
No state police vehicles to trail, you wouldn't have to suppress your fear


Your rocks, so toss the glocks with the hollow
Your guns, so get rid of the guns with the empty bullets


I would kill a rich man and drink his blood, would it bring me riches
I would take the life of a wealthy person and consume their blood, would it grant me wealth?


Or would I just be selling my soul to them wicked witches
Or would I simply be trading my dignity to those evil females?


We already in babylon, the world is a ghetto and God is like the don, nigga woah
We're already in Babylon, the world is impoverished, and God is akin to a leader, wow


Now we get only get one minute to pray and a second to die
Nowadays, we only get one minute to pray and a moment to pass away


Could you picture the dark side before I let these bullets fly
Can you imagine the negative consequences before I discharge my ammunition


From out my 4-5 see, I know what you mean
From my .45 caliber firearm, I understand your implication


Is it life or that imagine living life with no breath
Is it better than life, or is it similar to living life without breathing?


My imagination's a motherfucker with a bullet stretch
My thoughts are dangerous and can lead to violent outcomes


Too much killing, I won't supply the world with a vest
There's too much murder, and I won't provide more protective equipment


But that's impossible, killing its unstoppable
But that's impractical, murder is incessant


As long as they got bullets and guns they got niggas that's droppin' em
As long as they possess ammunition and firearms, they have people using them


Real niggas from that ????? the world that's all about
that deals with issues like these


Real niggas we won't have a reason to kill niggas, heal niggas
Genuine people won't have a motive to take lives, but rather to restore them


My plane it runs so deep I'm a share it with why'all
My mindset is so profound; I'll impart it with all of you


While my own niggas is trying to cut throat while I'm tryin' to ball
While people from my circle attempt to sabotage me while I'm pursuing success


Dog, you ain't never seen what I seen what I seen
Friend, you've never witnessed what I have seen, what I have witnessed




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Ultra Tunes
Written by: CRAIG BAZILE, C MILLER, M PHIPPS, J TAPP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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