Swivel
Dreamville Lyrics
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Trouble lurkin' 'round the corner
Run up on you any minute, you'll be gone
Yeah
Nigga, keep your head on a swivel
Trouble lurkin' 'round the corner
Run up on you any minute, you'll be gone
RIP my nigga Allen Dem, I wish you would've stayed at home
Learned to make the best out of shitty situation
No complaining, no more Xan, I leave the medicine alone
Y'all gon' swear to God that I'm changing for the better
Fuck whoever got the nerve to try to tell me that I'm wrong
I done made it up, I done made it out
I done made a way, we been makin' waves, we been making sounds
Rappers hella fake, they papier-mâché
Like piñata, they can't wait to break, I can animate
Promise mama she gon' see the day when we all okay
All it really take is time and dedication, I pray
For the hunger to be permanent, no matter what that make
Hey, batter, batter, swing, bake
Whip the batter for the cake
Nigga, keep your head on a swivel
Trouble lurkin' 'round the corner
Run up on you any minute, you'll be gone
I know niggas dead out of desperation
RIP my nigga Allen Dem, I wish you would've stayed at home
Learned to make the best out of shitty situation
No complaining, no more Xan, I leave the medicine alone
Y'all gon' swear to God that I'm changing for the better
Fuck whoever got the nerve to try to tell me that I'm wrong
I don't know what it is, man, I just
I don't think I'ma be here much longer, man
Something's watching me, man
Something's following me
Something want me dead, man
Pray for me, pray for me, please
Hell, when I was young, I ain't had to pop no guns
Nothing cracking in the slums you couldn't handle on your own
Shit around my block where we used to knock
Couple souls fly, wasn't nothin' like you guys, which I loan
Shit it wasn't nice, wasn't paradise
Wasn't lights back to back to back, many nights was on our own
Mama had to work, papa had three jobs
No, we not Jamaican, my sir, but we all was robbed, ha
Should've kept my head on a weave and bob, ha
I'd rather be dead than to weep and sob
So we solve any major prob with the quick resolve
Had to squab', circle that bitch up, feelings get involved
Neighborhood on lock, fuck we need a cop?
That was way back way 'fore Reagan passed the rock
Left us with a needle and a jump-shot
Leave you countin' seconds on the fingers through the gunshots
Nigga, keep your head on a swivel
Trouble lurkin' 'round the corner
Run up on you any minute, you'll be gone
I know niggas dead out of desperation
RIP my nigga Allen Dem, I wish you would've stayed at home
Learned to make the best out of shitty situation
No complaining, no more Xan, I leave the medicine alone
Y'all gon' swear to God that I'm changing for the better
Fuck whoever got the nerve to try to tell me that I'm wrong
Dreamville's Swivel is a song about the realities of life in the streets and the importance of keeping one's head on a swivel to avoid danger. The first verse is an ominous warning to keep watch for lurking trouble, reminding listeners that danger can come at any moment. The lyrics also reference the death of a friend, Allen Dem, and express regret that he didn't stay at home instead of going out and getting caught up in street violence. The second verse speaks to the hardships of growing up in tough neighborhoods, from witnessing violence to struggling with poverty. Despite these obstacles, the lyrics urge listeners to persevere, and to focus on making the best out of difficult situations. Overall, Swivel is a powerful reflection on the dangers of street life, and the importance of staying alert and focused to survive in that environment.
Line by Line Meaning
Head on a swivel
Be alert and aware of your surroundings
Trouble lurkin' 'round the corner
Problems or danger could appear at any moment
Run up on you any minute, you'll be gone
You could be in serious trouble or danger very soon
I know niggas dead out of desperation
People have died due to difficult circumstances and desperation
RIP my nigga Allen Dem, I wish you would've stayed at home
A friend died due to leaving home in a dangerous situation
Learned to make the best out of shitty situation
Make the most of a bad situation and find a way to improve it
No complaining, no more Xan, I leave the medicine alone
Stop complaining and avoid using drugs to cope with problems
Y'all gon' swear to God that I'm changing for the better
People will think I am improving myself
Fuck whoever got the nerve to try to tell me that I'm wrong
I don't care about anyone who criticizes me
I done made it up, I done made it out
I have succeeded and overcome obstacles
I done made a way, we been makin' waves, we been making sounds
I have created a path for myself and made a positive impact
Rappers hella fake, they papier-mâché
Many rappers are artificial and easily broken
Like piñata, they can't wait to break, I can animate
They're like piñatas that are easy to hit, but I am an animator in the game
Promise mama she gon' see the day when we all okay
I promised my mother that we will all be alright someday
All it really take is time and dedication, I pray
It just takes time and effort to make it happen, I hope
For the hunger to be permanent, no matter what that make
I want the drive and passion to endure no matter what happens
Hey, batter, batter, swing, bake
Move forward and take action to achieve success
Whip the batter for the cake
Put in the hard work to make something great
I don't know what it is, man, I just
I don't know what's going on, but
I don't think I'ma be here much longer, man
I don't think I will survive much longer
Something's watching me, man
I feel like I'm being monitored or watched
Something's following me
I feel like someone or something is following me
Something want me dead, man
I feel like something or someone is trying to kill me
Pray for me, pray for me, please
Requesting others to pray for me
Hell, when I was young, I ain't had to pop no guns
I didn't need to use guns when I was young
Nothing cracking in the slums you couldn't handle on your own
We could handle anything that happened in our poor neighborhood
Shit around my block where we used to knock
Occasions when we would get into fights around my neighborhood
Couple souls fly, wasn't nothin' like you guys, which I loan
A few people died during fights, it was different than what you see now
Shit it wasn't nice, wasn't paradise
It was not a pleasant place to grow up in
Wasn't lights back to back to back, many nights was on our own
There weren't consistent good times, and we spent many nights alone
Mama had to work, papa had three jobs
My mother had to work and my father had multiple jobs
No, we not Jamaican, my sir, but we all was robbed, ha
We weren't Jamaican, but we had been robbed before
Should've kept my head on a weave and bob, ha
I should have stayed alert and dodged problems
I'd rather be dead than to weep and sob
I would rather die than cry in sorrow
So we solve any major prob with the quick resolve
We solve big issues with quick solutions
Had to squab', circle that bitch up, feelings get involved
We would get into fights, and emotions would escalate
Neighborhood on lock, fuck we need a cop?
We controlled our neighborhood, why do we need law enforcement?
That was way back way 'fore Reagan passed the rock
That was before Reagan was president
Left us with a needle and a jump-shot
Left us with limited options
Leave you countin' seconds on the fingers through the gunshots
Leave you counting the seconds by using your fingers due to the frequency of gunfire
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Eian Undrai Parker, Olu O. Fann, Roosevelt III Harrell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind