Real
Lupe Fiasco feat. Sarah Green Lyrics

Uh, Food & Liquor
Introduction to the song title and album name

Yeah, my man said he wanted something real,
A friend of Lupe's expressed the desire for something genuine

Real, real, real, real
Repeats the concept of 'realness'

Something he could recognize, something he could feel,
The friend wants something familiar, and emotionally evocative

Feel, feel, feel, feel
Repeats the desire to feel emotions

Baby girl said she was in the mood for something real,
A female expressed similar sentiments to the male friend

Something that could make her move
She wants something energizing

Lust, sometimes can override trust
Describes the often problematic and conflicting nature of lust and trust

She said that's why she gave it up
The female gave up on lust because it conflicted with trust

My man said blood spilled out of everything he touched
Lupe's friend had a destructive lifestyle

He crushed everything he crushed
Lupe's friend ruined everything he came into contact with

Ruined everything he loved, he just wanted to rush
Lupe's friend was reckless with his emotions

Blamed it on the times being rough
The friend used external factors as justification for his choices

Doing dirt, with the devil, chasing after the dust
Metaphorically describes his friend doing morally questionable things

Make a fuss, if it's them, but we hush, if it's us
People often complain when others do something they don't agree with, but accept it when they themselves do it

That's why, my momma said she wanted something real,
Lupe's mother also desires something authentic

Something she could be proud of, something she could feel,
She wants something that brings her joy and a sense of accomplishment

Feel, feel, feel, feel
Emphasizes the importance of emotions

She said they so used to not having nothing real,
Many people are accustomed to things that are not genuine

That they don't know how to act
People have a hard time knowing how to respond to authenticity

Life, ain't meant to come around twice
Life is a one-time opportunity

Yeah, that's why I gotta get it right
It's important to live life the right way

They said I got it honest now I gotta give it life
Lupe must take his talent and use it to do something great

But sleep on it, that's why God give you night
Time spent sleeping allows for reflection and rest

I mean, I had a dream that, God gave me flight
Lupe had a dream about being able to fly

Too fly for my own good so, God gave me plight
One's gifts and talents can also lead to hardships

If I wake up in the morning now I gotta give 'em sight
When Lupe wakes up, he must use his talent to inspire others

Make 'em see, break 'em free, ain't a G, sho' you right
Lupe wants to help others see the truth and break free from their troubles

The game is not to give 'em nothing real,
Society often focuses on false representations of life

Nothing they could use, nothing that they could feel,
People are often given things that are unfulfilling

Give 'em a bunch of lies and teach 'em that it's real,
Fake things are often presented as real

Real, real, real, real
Repeated emphasis on authenticity

So that's all that they a-know
People only know what they are taught

That's all that they a-feel, feel, feel, feel
The false concept of life is all they know how to feel

Struggle, yeah yeah, another sign that God love you
Struggles in life can be seen as a sign that God has love for you

Cause on the low, being po', make you humble
Being poor can make you humble because you understand struggle

Keep they names in my rhymes to try and keep them out of trouble
Lupe intends to use his music to influence people positively

Cause being po', also teach you how to hustle
Poverty can also teach you how to work hard and make something out of nothing

All they want is some shoes or some rims for they bubble
People often prioritize material possessions

Now that I got my own, I can hit them with a couple
Now that Lupe has his own success, he can share the wealth

Cuff, my homies so they ain't got no reason to cuff you
Lupe wants to keep his friends out of trouble and make sure they don't get arrested

That's my plan, if I can, on the man, up above you
Lupe's ultimate goal is to make the world a better place, if possible with the help of a higher power

To my homies on the block I gotta give 'em something real,
Lupe wants to give his friends authentic messages in his music

Something that'll make 'em stop
Music that will make them stop and think about what they're doing in their lives

Something they can feel, feel, feel, feel
The importance of evoking emotion in the listener

Yo! For real, really real, yeah!
An exclamation that further emphasizes the importance of authenticity

Know what it is, woo!
Acknowledgement of understanding the message being conveyed

Let's go!
Encouragement to take action in pursuing realness

So real, so real
Reiterating the importance and desired outcome of being genuine