Barbed Wire
Kendrick Lamar Feat. Ash Riser Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

One time, reporting live
Compton, California

Have you ever felt like, like you never get life?
Like you never get right? Sort of like a black sheep
Back down, backing out your dreams like some bad sleep
Chasing for the wind but you never win the track meet
Oh, what a cold world for a broke nigga, it's bitter
And life's a bitch, don't hit women so I bit her
I struck enough pain let her know I wasn't playing
I was so sincere like Nas first name, in Belly
They tell me, its very difficult to see 25
And if I survive it'll probably be with a celly
My opportunities are low because my brown complexion floats
In the ghetto rather in some heels like Giuseppe's
They want me unemployed, until I hit the streets
Fulfilling voids of broke D-Boys selling weed
Fucking up my prestige, 'til I live with the blues
BB King or the neighbors of Snoop, that's why I'm

In the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say I can't live comfortable
I'mma tell you that's a lie, lie, lie

So while I hold this bottle of Ciroc
With a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
(Through the barbed wire)

We are, we are (fine)
We are, we are (true)
Through the, through barbed (wires)
We will, will break (through)

So while I hold this bottle of Ciroc
With a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
(Through the barbed wire)

Have you ever felt like, like you never get life
Like you never did right? Sort of like a black sheep
Tryna get away from the World stereotype
Barbed wire got a barricade on your destiny, she desperately
In need of some inspiration, see what the people saying
She gon have a baby then flee from her education
At the age of 16, credit card scam schemes
See a scar on her eye, boyfriend brutality
She will never get by, no how no way
Welfare recipient, property of the state
Housing, Section 8, corner store, prostitute
The owner bout to prosecute, the niggas tell her that she's cute
Hood rat trashy, six baby daddies
And this baby daddy, is new to the family
Chilling in pajamis, waiting on the first
Fast forward spilling drinks on her fur, that's why she

In the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say I can't live comfortable
I'mma tell you that's a lie, lie, lie

So while she up in VIP
Pouring Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
(Through the barbed wire)

We are, we are (fine)
We are, we are (true)
Through the, through barbed (wires)
We will, will break (through)

So while she up in VIP
Pouring Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
(Through the barbed wire)

Have you ever felt like, you finally got life
You finally got right? No longer a black sheep
Living off ya dreams like Christina uh-Milian
In the front seat of a convertible eloping to get married
What a feeling of overcoming the odds
It's like I just hit the lottery, my God
There must be a God, cause golly
You done made it through the fight while squabbling Ali
Now ya lifestyles looking up and you escaped the crooked cops
And you ain't have to kill a nigga just to make a couple bucks
And she ain't have to go and fuck on everybody for a dollar
Making good decisions, got an independent business mind
And both of ya'll are steady grindin, doing it the legal way
Just tryna make a decent pay on every second of the day
But they won't give you the credit, disses out they mouth
You must have joined the Illuminati just to ball out

In the club like fuck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say I can't live comfortable
I'mma tell you that's a lie, lie, lie

So even though you overcame doubt and ya living ain't bad
Know there's a barbed wire that's always in your path
(Through the barbed wire)

And everybody say
(Cause I won't get caught again
And I'm here to stop the trends




You can catch me if you try
Disappear into the night, and I'm gone)

Overall Meaning

The song "Barbed Wire" by Kendrick Lamar feat. Ash Riser is a portrayal of the struggles faced by people living in the ghetto. The song starts with a description of Compton, California, the place where the artist comes from. The lyrics touch on the feeling of being left out, being unable to achieve dreams, and being treated like a nobody. The artist talks about the difficulties faced by people of color and how they have limited opportunities due to their complexion. This song portrays the artist's pain, frustration, and anger, which comes out quite powerfully in the lyrics.


The lyrics then shift to focus on a teenage girl that lives in the ghetto. The artist describes the various challenges that she faces in her life, from being a welfare recipient to having various baby daddies, and through all these challenges, the artist highlights the girl's strength and her resilience in the face of societal barriers. In the final verse, the artist switches the narrative to show a brighter side of life, where the singer has overcome all odds and reached a state of contentment. He emphasizes that people can defeat the odds and find a way through the barbed wires that society has set up in their lives.


Overall, "Barbed Wire" is a powerful and deep song that addresses social issues like race and poverty, and highlights the resilience and determination of the people living in the ghetto.


Line by Line Meaning

One time, reporting live Compton, California
The singer is in Compton and is reporting on what he sees or experiences.


Have you ever felt like, like you never get life?
Have you ever felt like you don't understand life or what your purpose is?


Like you never get right? Sort of like a black sheep
Have you ever felt like you can never get it right or that you are an outcast?


Back down, backing out your dreams like some bad sleep
Have you ever given up on your dreams or aspirations like waking up from a bad dream?


Chasing for the wind but you never win the track meet
Have you ever tried to achieve something but failed to succeed, like trying to catch the wind in a race?


Oh, what a cold world for a broke nigga, it's bitter
Life is difficult for someone who is poor and has no wealth.


And life's a bitch, don't hit women so I bit her
Life can be tough, but that doesn't justify hurting others.


I struck enough pain let her know I wasn't playing
The artist caused pain to someone to prove a point.


I was so sincere like Nas first name, in Belly
The artist was honest and sincere like the rapper Nas in the movie Belly.


They tell me, its very difficult to see 25
People have told the artist that it is unlikely he will live to see his 25th birthday.


And if I survive it'll probably be with a celly
If the singer survives, he'll likely be in jail.


My opportunities are low because my brown complexion floats
The artist's skin color limits his opportunities.


In the ghetto rather in some heels like Giuseppe's
The singer would rather be in the ghetto than in fancy shoes.


They want me unemployed, until I hit the streets
People want the singer to be jobless so he has to turn to crime.


Fulfilling voids of broke D-Boys selling weed
The singer is selling drugs to fill the void of being poor.


Fucking up my prestige, 'til I live with the blues
Selling drugs is damaging the artist's reputation and causing him to feel depressed.


BB King or the neighbors of Snoop, that's why I'm
The artist wants to be as famous as BB King or Snoop Dogg.


In the club like fuck it, though
The singer is in the club and doesn't care about anything else.


They say it's only one life, life, life
People say that life is short.


And if you say I can't live comfortable
If someone says the artist can't be comfortable in life.


I'mma tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
The artist believes it is possible to be comfortable in life.


So while I hold this bottle of Ciroc
The artist is holding a bottle of Ciroc vodka.


With a hand full of ass
The singer is holding onto someone's butt.


Celebrate the very day that I get past
The artist will celebrate the day he overcomes his challenges.


(Through the barbed wire)
The singer will overcome his challenges despite obstacles in his way.


We are, we are (fine)
We are okay.


We are, we are (true)
We are true to ourselves.


Through the, through barbed (wires)
Despite obstacles in our way.


We will, will break (through)
We will overcome and be successful.


Have you ever felt like, you finally got life
Have you ever felt like you finally understand life and your purpose.


No longer a black sheep
No longer an outcast.


Living off ya dreams like Christina uh-Milian
Living off of dreams like the singer Christina Milian.


In the front seat of a convertible eloping to get married
Getting married in a convertible in a hurry.


What a feeling of overcoming the odds
The feeling of overcoming obstacles.


It's like I just hit the lottery, my God
The feeling is like winning the lottery.


There must be a God, cause golly
There must be a God because it's amazing.


You done made it through the fight while squabbling Ali
You've made it through the difficulties like fighter Muhammad Ali.


Now ya lifestyles looking up and you escaped the crooked cops
Your lifestyle is improving and you've avoided corrupt police officers.


And you ain't have to kill a nigga just to make a couple bucks
You didn't have to resort to violence to make money.


And she ain't have to go and fuck on everybody for a dollar
She didn't have to have sex with everyone for money.


Making good decisions, got an independent business mind
Making smart choices and having an entrepreneurial spirit.


And both of ya'll are steady grindin, doing it the legal way
Both partners are working hard and earning money legally.


Just tryna make a decent pay on every second of the day
Trying to make enough money for a decent living every day.


But they won't give you the credit, disses out they mouth
They won't acknowledge their success and speak badly of them.


You must have joined the Illuminati just to ball out
People think the artist joined a secret society to become successful.


Disappear into the night, and I'm gone)
The artist can leave and disappear at any moment.




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: KENDRICK LAMAR, MARK SPEARS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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