Farewell
J. Cole Lyrics

Yeah, farewell
Saying goodbye to something or someone.

Hey, farewell
Expressing a fond farewell to something or someone.

All my n***** farewell
Bidding farewell to all the singer's acquaintances.

Fayettenam
A reference to Fayetteville, the artist's hometown.

Look, some n***** let their dirt out
Some people confess their wrongs, while some conceal it within themselves.

Some just keep it all in 'em
Some prefer to keep their misdeeds to themselves.

So when a man dies all his secrets go with him
When a person dies, their undisclosed actions and behavior also cease to exist.

And fade. A part of history no longer known
The secrets of a person who has died are now hidden history.

Done did a lot of dirt I'll bury with me when I'm gone
The artist has done many wrongs in his life, and he will take those secrets to his grave.

When my story's told, how will they tell it?
The artist is questioning how he will be remembered after his death.

Will they say I was a giver or remember I was selfish?
The singer is questioning if people will remember his charitable nature or his selfishness.

Will they say I was a sinner or pretend I was a saint?
The artist is questioning if people will view him as good or bad.

Will I go down as a winner, what's the picture they gon' paint?
The singer is questioning if he will be seen as successful in life or not.

Wouldn't say that I'm a quitter, that's one thing I know I ain't
The singer is sure that he is not a quitter.

Will they tarnish, will they taint?
Will people remember the singer as flawed or perfect?

Glorify me, over-think? Say they know me, say I'm great?
The artist wonders if he will be glorified or overly dissected by people.

Say I'm phoney, I was fake?
The artist is questioning if people will see through his facade and understand his true self.

Say the things about me they never told me to my face?
The singer is wondering if people will speak ill of him behind his back.

I was loved I was hated
The singer was both loved and hated throughout his life.

Just a n***** with a dream
The artist is an ordinary person with aspirations and desires.

I'm a liar, I was honest, I was all of these things
The artist recognizes that he has been both truthful and deceitful in his life.

When I'm gone let em talk, they discussing who I am
The artist is stating that people will continue to discuss his life even after he is gone.

When they bury me just know I wasn't nothing but a man
The singer wants people to remember him simply as a human being.

This for n***** climbin' heaven's stairwell
The song is dedicated to those who have passed away and are ascending to heaven.

I pray you farewell
The singer is saying goodbye and wishing good luck to those who have passed away.

If I should die Lord this here is my will
The singer is expressing his final wishes in the event of his death.

Reincarnate a n***** send me right back to the Ville
The singer wants to be reincarnated and sent back to Fayetteville, his hometown.

Let me relive my younger days just once again
The artist wishes to go back and relive his youthful days once more.

Reenact my memories from every friend to every sin
The artist wants to relive every memory, good and bad.

Keeping demons buried in my closet
The singer tries to keep his internal struggles and negative personality traits hidden.

But yet I put in work like a deposit on my bank account
The singer has worked hard and built up a good reputation over time.

My eyes lit while I think about my childhood now I'm blanking out
The artist remembers his childhood fondly, but is having difficulty remembering all the details.

Those were truly my best days
The artist considers his childhood to be the happiest part of his life.

The only thing I had to stress was how the hell to get laid
The artist's biggest concern during his youth was finding romantic partners.

Gradually turn into me stressin' how the hell to get paid
As the singer matured, their priorities shifted to financial success.

Been making songs so long, now how the hell they get played
The artist has been in the music industry for a while and is now questioning how his songs are received.

Ok, I'm blowing up quickly, I guess the flow is sickly
The singer's music is gaining popularity quickly and is almost overwhelming.

But yet I can't forget my past and hope it won't forget me
The singer's past is an integral part of his identity, and he hopes it will not be overlooked.

Got good grades but A's can't stop strays so pray for me
The singer has been successful academically, but that does not mean he will not make mistakes.

Pour liquor for my n***** but hey, don't wait for me
The artist is asking his friends to celebrate his life with drinks in his honor before he has passed.

'Cause I'm trying to cheat death, she out to bury my ass
The artist is doing everything in his power to avoid death, but knows that it is ultimately inevitable.

You know the cliche 'life's a bitch' well I'm gon marry that ass
The singer acknowledges that life can be difficult, but is determined to persevere through it all.

And sign a pre-nup
A humorous reference to the singer's earlier comment about marrying life.

Think back to when we tore the skating rink up
The artist recalls a fun memory from his childhood where he and his friends had a good time at a skating rink.

Rapping and we scrapping, we got older hit the teen club
As the artist and his friends matured, they became interested in rapping and going to teen clubs.

Gave mean mugs to n*****s but we winked to all the girls
The artist and his friends put up a tough front to their male peers, but were friendly towards girls.

Then we went back to the crib thinking we had saw the world
The singer and his friends felt accomplished and experienced after their nights out, even though they had only been to a few places.

No sir, came a long way from having momma chauffer
The artist has come a long way from his humble beginnings, where his mother drove him around.

It's hard to think these hoes at some point were so pure
The singer is commenting on the fact that the women he associates with now were once innocent and pure.

But now we play the game, when it's over send me back
The singer acknowledges that they are now caught up in the game of life and hopes to do it all again.

I swear I'm not gon change a thing
The singer promises to remain true to who they are, even in the face of change.