Gangsta's Paradise
Dj Dave Lyrics

Tell me why are we so blind to see
Why are we unable to recognize

That the ones we hurt are you and me?
That we are causing harm to ourselves and others

As I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
As I navigate through dangerous situations

I take a look at my life and realize there's nothin' left
I reflect on my life and see that I've lost everything

'Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long
Because I've been involved in violent behavior for a long time

That even my momma thinks that my mind is gone
My behavior is so extreme that my own mother thinks I'm crazy

But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it
I've only targeted people who I believed deserved it

Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of
I refuse to be disrespected or treated like a weak person

You better watch how you talkin' and where you walkin'
Be careful about how you speak and where you go

Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk
Or you and your friends may end up dead

I really hate to trip, but I gotta loc
I don't mean to act crazy, but I have to

As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke
As my enemies die, I see my reflection in the gun smoke

Fool, I'm the kinda G that little homies wanna be like
I am the kind of gangster that young people aspire to be

On my knees in the night, sayin' prayers in the street light
Even with my violent lifestyle, I still pray at night

Keep spending most our lives
We continue to waste our lives

Livin' in a gangsta's paradise
Living in a world of violence and crime

Been spending most their lives
Others have also wasted most of their lives

We keep spending most our lives
We still continue to waste our lives

Look at the situation they got me facin'
Look at the dangerous situation I'm in

I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the street
I can't live a typical life because I was brought up in the violent streets

So I gotta be down with the hood team
I must align myself with the gang lifestyle

Too much television watching, got me chasing dreams
Watching too much TV has made me fantasize about living a violent lifestyle

I'm a educated fool with money on my mind
I may be literate, but I'm foolish for valuing money above all else

Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye
I carry a gun and have a look of excitement in my eyes

I'm a loc'd out gangsta, set trippin' banger
I am a violent gang member who is always looking for trouble

And my homies are down, so don't arouse my anger
My gang friends will help me if I get angry and violent

Fool, death ain't nothin' but a heart beat away
Death can happen anytime, anywhere

I'm livin' life do or die, what can I say?
I live my life knowing that any day could be my last

I'm 23 now, will I live to see 24?
I'm young and already contemplating whether or not I'll survive

The way things is going I don't know
Given the violence and danger, I'm not sure of my future

Power and the money, money and the power
Money and power are intertwined

Minute after minute, hour after hour
This cycle of money and power continues incessantly

Everybody's running, but half of them ain't lookin'
Many people are chasing money and power without fully understanding its consequences

It's going on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin'
There are shady things happening behind the scenes that I'm not aware of

They say I gotta learn, but nobody's here to teach me
People tell me I need to learn, but nobody is actually guiding me

If they can't understand it, how can they reach me?
If people can't comprehend my lifestyle, how can they help me change it?

I guess they can't, I guess they won't
I assume they can't help me or won't try to

I guess they front; that's why I know my life is out of luck, fool!
I suspect they're being insincere and dishonest; that's why I believe my life is doomed