Mistakes
Immortal Technique Lyrics

It's hard to breathe and hard to run when your lungs blackened
Breathing becomes difficult and running becomes tiring when lungs are affected by smoking, causing a blackening of the lungs.

Coughing up blood like, what the fuck happened?
The smoker is coughing up blood and wondering why he started smoking in the first place.

Raising my risk of cancer's the answer homie
The smoker is knowingly increasing his risk of getting cancer.

But after drinking something it's nothing like puffin a bogie
While smoking cigarettes may be similar to drinking alcohol in some ways, it is not the same as smoking a cigarette.

Now I could blame the same product placements in movies
The smoker recognizes that he could blame the media for promoting smoking through product placements in movies and TV shows.

All the commercials, or scarface in a jacuzzi
The smoker is acknowledging that advertisements and movies like Scarface can influence people to smoke.

But now I'm living it, damn I shoulda never took that first cigarette
The smoker is regretting his decision to start smoking, and wishes he could go back in time to not take that first cigarette.

I fucked up, like your girl was riding on top of me
The artist made a mistake with a girl, comparing it to a sexual encounter he should not have pursued.

I shoulda took her to trial, and never copped a plea
The artist regrets not taking responsibility for his actions and going to trial rather than pleading guilty.

But this ain't a Christian nation, motherfucker please
The artist is acknowledging that this is not a perfect world, and that people make mistakes.

America never taught me to turn the other cheek
The singer was taught to be strong and assertive, rather than passive and forgiving.

Cause I'm from Harlem, the north of Manhattan,
The artist is from a tough neighborhood in New York City, and has had to be strong in order to survive.

We knock niggas out, and make 'em bounce like Ricky Hatton
People from the singer's neighborhood are known for being tough and aggressive, and can knock people out like Ricky Hatton.

But wildin' on the corner got me turned back from the Canadian border
The singer's reckless behavior in his youth has caught up with him and is still affecting him today, such as being turned back at the Canadian border.

I knew she was a virgin when I first met her
The singer met a girl who was a virgin and entered into a relationship with her.

Rockin' stocking, popping out of the Catholic school sweater
The girl in question is described wearing a Catholic school uniform.

Mom told me she could do better than a criminal
The artist's mother thought that her son should not be involved with the girl because he had a criminal history.

Seventeen year old psychotic trying to be lyrical
The singer admits that he was young and foolish, and was trying to be a rapper.

I never meant to break her heart or fuck up her life
The singer did not intend to harm the girl he was with.

But I was careless instead of treating her right
The artist was not careful with the girl and did not treat her as well as he should have.

I seen her again at some club, stripping
The artist saw the girl again later in life, working as a stripper in a club.

And wondered if I could have made her life different
The artist regrets not being a better influence on the girl's life and wonders if things could have been different.

I joined the army looking for money to go to college
The singer joined the army to earn money for college.

But they didn't pay me a quarter of what they fucking promised
The artist feels betrayed by the army, which did not pay him what he was promised.

Extended my tour, treated me like a sucker
The army extended the singer's tour of duty and did not treat him well.

That's the reason offices get fragged, motherfucker
The singer is referencing instances of fratricide or fragging in the army that occur due to feelings of betrayal and anger.

Don't give me speeches on how you respect and you love me
The singer is skeptical of the army's claims that they respect and love him.

But no body armor in a lightly armored Humvee
The army is not providing the artist with the necessary equipment, such as body armor for a lightly armored Humvee.

My family's lonely, and you want me to re-enlist for thirty grand homie?
The artist's family suffers while he is deployed, and the army is offering him thirty thousand dollars to re-enlist.

When I was young I got signed to a record label
The singer was signed to a record label when he was young.

The deal looked so good when it was on the table
The singer initially thought his deal with the record label was great.

It paid for my cable, cribs, cars and jewelry, the studios, the women
The record label provided the artist with all the material possessions he desired, including expensive homes, cars, and jewelry for himself and women.

There's nothing they wouldn't do for me
The record label was willing to do anything for the artist, as long as it helped sell records.

Except stop screwing me for publishing the royalties
The record label was more interested in making money than giving the artist the publishing royalties he was owed.

How the fuck are you my dog when there's no loyalty
The singer is questioning how someone can act like a friend when they are not loyal.

Word to the street, I shoulda gone independent like Immortal Technique
The artist is now advocating for independence and promoting Immortal Technique, who is known for being an independent artist.

Some people learn from mistakes and don't repeat them
Some people are able to learn from their mistakes and not make the same ones again.

Others try to block the memories and just delete them
Sometimes people try to forget their mistakes rather than learning from them.

But I keep them as a reminder they not killing me
The singer uses his past mistakes as a reminder of what not to do, and how to avoid being killed both physically and mentally.

And I thank God for teaching me humility
The artist is grateful to have learned humility through his mistakes.

Son remember when you fight to be free
The artist is imparting advice to his son to remember that freedom requires struggle and sacrifice.

You see things how they are, and not how you like 'em to be
The singer instructs his son to view the world as it is, rather than how he wants it to be.

'Cause even when the world is falling on top of me
The world can be difficult and challenging, and it may feel like everything is going wrong.

Pessimism is an emotion, not a philosophy
The artist reminds himself and his son that pessimism is a temporary emotion, not a permanent philosophy.

Knowing what's wrong, doesn't imply that you right
The artist understands that just because he knows what is wrong, it doesn't necessarily mean that he is right.

And its another when you suffer to apply it in life
It is difficult to apply what one has learned in life when there is suffering and other obstacles in the way.

But I'm no rookie, and I'm never gonna make the same mistake twice, pussy
The singer is experienced and wise, and vows to not make the same mistake again, asserting his strength and confidence in himself.