Holy Grail
Jay-Z Lyrics

You'd take the clothes off my back, and I'd let you
I am willing to sacrifice anything for you

You'd steal the food right out my mouth
You can take whatever you want from me

And I'd watch you eat it, I still don't know why
I don't understand why I am so devoted to you

Why I love you so much, oh
I am deeply in love with you despite all the pain you cause me

You curse my name
You degrade and humiliate me in public

In spite, to put me to shame
You do this intentionally to show your power over me

Hang my laundry in the streets
You expose my secrets and vulnerabilities to the world

Dirty or clean
Whether it's true or false, you are not afraid to speak ill of me

Give it up for fame
You are willing to do anything for fame and success

But I still don't know why (don't know why)
I am still trying to understand why I continue to love you

And baby
My dear one, my love

It's amazing I'm in this maze with you
Our complicated relationship is bewildering

I just can't crack your code
I can't figure out what you want or how you feel

One day you're screaming you love me loud
You fluctuate between intense love and hate

The next day you're so cold
You become extremely distant and uncaring the next day

One day you're here, one day you're there
You are inconsistent and unreliable

One day you care, you're so unfair
You act concerned but then are cruel to me

Sipping from your cup 'til it runneth over, Holy Grail
You are enjoying your success and power at my expense

Uh, Blue told me remind you niggas
A reference to his daughter Blue Ivy telling him to remind everyone how great he is

Uh, fuck that shit y'all talkin' about, I'm the nigga
I am the one in power here, not you

Uh, caught up in all these lights and cameras
I am overwhelmed by fame and the attention that comes with it

Uh, but look what that shit did to Hammer
I am reminded of MC Hammer's downfall and the dangers of fame

Uh, goddammit I like it
Despite the negative consequences of fame, I still enjoy it and want more

Bright lights is enticing
The allure of fame and fortune is captivating

But look what it did to Tyson
Mike Tyson's fame and wealth led to his downfall

All that money in one night
The temporary excitement of wealth and fame can be dangerous

Thirty mill for one fight
A reference to Tyson's large payout for a single fight

But soon as all that money blows
As quickly as the money comes, it can be gone

All the pigeons take flight
People who once supported you will leave when you are no longer successful

Fuck the fame, keep cheatin' on me
I do not care about fame or success if I cannot trust you

What I do, I took her back, fool me twice that's my bad
Even when you betray me, I still take you back and blame myself when you hurt me again

I can't even blame her for that
I am so devoted to you that I don't blame you for your actions

'Nough to make me wanna murder, mama please just get my bail
I am so angry and hurt that I am willing to commit violence and need my mother's help

I know nobody to blame
I realize that I am responsible for my own pain and mistakes

Kurt Cobain, I did it to myself, uh
A reference to Kurt Cobain's suicide and how he blamed himself for his own pain

And we all just entertainers
We are all just performers putting on a show for the world

And we're stupid, and contagious
We are foolish and our bad behavior spreads to others

Know we all just entertainers
I am acknowledging that I am just another performer in the entertainment industry

Now I got tattoos on my body
I have permanently marked my body with symbols that reflect my experiences

Psycho bitches in my lobby
I attract unstable and dangerous women

I got haters in the paper, photo shoots with paparazzi
My life is documented in the media and scrutinized by the public

Can't even take my daughter for a walk
I cannot even spend time with my daughter without being hounded by the paparazzi

See 'em by the corner store
I can't even escape the paparazzi when I'm in public

I feel like I'm cornered off
I feel trapped and unable to escape from the constant attention

Enough is enough, I'm calling this off
I am tired of the negative consequences of fame and want to end it

Who the fuck I'm kidding though?
I realize that I can't give up fame and still want it

I'm getting high, sittin' low
I am numbing my pain with substances while my fame and status decline

Sliding by in that big body
I am still trying to hold onto my wealth and luxury

Curtains all in my window
I am isolating myself and trying to escape from the world

This fame hurt but this chain worse
The pain of fame and the restrictions it places on me are worse than any physical chains

I think back you asked the same person
I remember that you once asked me if I could handle fame and I realize that I cannot

If this is all you had to deal with
This is asking if you had to deal with the negative consequences of fame, would you still want it?

Nigga deal with it, this shit just ain't work, this light work
This is telling myself that I just need to accept the negative consequences of fame because it's part of the job

Camera snapping, my eyes hurt
The constant attention of the paparazzi is physically painful

Niggas dying back where I was birthed
I am reminded of poverty and violence in the place I grew up, making my fame seem even more absurd

Fuck your iris and the IRS
I am frustrated by the constant surveillance and control by both the public and the IRS

Get the hell up off your high horse
This is addressing someone who is acting entitled and needs to be humbled

You got the shit that niggas die for
You have something that everyone desires and is willing to risk their lives for

Dry yours, why you mad take the good with the bad
Dry your tears and learn to accept both the good and the bad in life

Don't throw that baby out with that bath water you're still alive
Don't give up on everything just because of one bad thing that happens to you, you are still alive and can change things

Still that nigga nigga, you survived
You are still the same person and have made it through tough times in the past

Still getting bigger nigga living the life
You are still experiencing growth and success despite the negative aspects of fame

Vanilla wafers in a villa, illest nigga alive
A reference to his success and wealth, despite the triviality of it all

Michael Jackson thriller
A nod to Michael Jackson as the ultimate representation of fame and its effects

You get the air out my lungs, whenever you need it
You have complete control over me and can take away my breath at any moment

And you take, the blade right out my heart
You cause me intense emotional pain and suffering without hesitation

Just so you can watch me bleeding, I still don't know why (don't know why)
You enjoy causing me pain and I cannot understand why I remain so devoted to you

Why I love you so much
Despite everything, I am deeply in love with you

And you play this game, in spite, to drive me insane
You are intentionally trying to hurt me emotionally and make me lose my mind

I got it tattooed on my sleeve forever in ink, with guess whose name
I am permanently marked by my love for you, despite everything you have done to me

But I still don't know why
Despite all the pain you cause me, I still cannot understand why I love you so much

Why I love you so much
I am still deeply in love with you despite everything