Agony
MF Grimm Lyrics

Agony is the key to a happy life
It is difficult to understand the true meaning of joy without experiencing pain.

You can't know joy if you don't know strife
In order to truly appreciate happiness, one must have experienced difficult times.

There's no good or bad by itself
The concepts of good and bad are relative and can only be understood in comparison to each other.

You can't have poverty if there is no wealth
Poverty and wealth are relative and exist in comparison to each other.

My dad is an optimistic man
The artist's father is a positive person.

Everybody's gonna wanna dis you
The singer believes that everyone will try to undermine or criticize him at some point.

They'll build you up and they'll break you down
People will support and encourage you at times, but can also do the opposite and tear you down.

But you're stronger for the next time they come around
Going through tough times can prepare you for future challenges.

They'll smile in your face and they'll give you praise
People can pretend to be supportive and say nice things to your face, even if their true intentions are negative.

And they try to destroy you in a thousand different ways
People can harm you or bring you down in many different ways and for various reasons.

'Cause with every bad there's a little good
Even in the worst situations, there can be some positive aspects.

And with every good there's a little bad
Even in the best situations, there can be some negative aspects.

So you're gonna get happy and you're gonna get sad
Everybody experiences good and bad times in their life.

So keep movin on like my good ol' dad
Keep going forward and persevering like the singer's father.

There's no Tribe Called Quest if there is no Fife
The rap group named Tribe Called Quest would not exist without its member Fife, highlighting the importance of collaboration and individuals working together.

I like my ice cream straight and I like it fried
The artist likes ice cream in all its forms.

The words that I speak are a mere hypothesis
The artist's words are only a theory and may not represent the full truth.

Pure agony might not be what it's about
Agony may not be the sole factor in achieving happiness.

But comparisons of one state to another, no doubt
Comparing one state of being to another can provide understanding and perspective.

Agony might be more than I can claim
The artist may not have experienced enough agony to fully understand its importance in life.

I have no pure joy and I have no pain
The artist does not experience extreme happiness or sadness.

I know a person we can ask who's known Agony
The artist knows someone who has experienced significant agony and could provide insight into its importance.

Hundreds of years, hell's been America
America has a long history of difficult and tragic events.

Auctioned of yes, sold like eBay
People were bought and sold as slaves in America, likened to the buying and selling of items on eBay.

Told to be a good boy, listen to what they say
Those in power in America have told people to obey and not question authority.

Don't get smart boy, life will be easy
People who are too smart and question authority are punished.

Try to run boy, the dogs get angry
If someone tries to escape or rebel, they will be punished.

Picked at cotton in the field, be happy
Former slaves were forced to work long hours picking cotton and were told to be happy with their lives.

What you say to me, you nappy
Black people have been insulted and degraded with racial slurs.

Head little nigga, talkin' back
Black people who spoke their minds and dared to challenge authority were punished.

String him up good, then we whip off the black
Black people were often lynched and beaten.

Speed time up, meanwhile tell some facts
The artist wants time to move forward quickly while telling factual information.

Power to the people? Nah, Nixon killed that
The artist believes that people in power, like President Nixon, have taken away power from the people and crushed their movements for change.

Nas pimpin' all the women, yeah bitches gettin' smacked
The artist believes that some rappers glorify abusing women in their lyrics.

Speed up time, whole nation on crack
The singer believes that the crack epidemic happened quickly and affected the entire country.

Drug wars and ghetto, dealers kidnapped
The war on drugs has had negative effects on poor and marginalized people, and drug dealers are often kidnapped or killed.

Ransom not paid, found all hacked
When someone is kidnapped, they are often murdered even if the ransom is not paid.

Hip hop daisy age, peace knapsacks
In the 1990s, there was a movement in hip hop towards peace and nonviolence.

Now we in the dizzy age, gangster rap
Currently, gangster rap dominates the hip hop genre.

Everyone is strapped, in the street bustin' caps
Many people in communities affected by violence carry weapons and use them to harm others.

Someone come save us, please 'cause we're trapped
The artist believes that his community is trapped in cycles of violence and needs help.

Taste all the agony, put some fear in ya
The singer wants listeners to fully experience the pain and suffering in his words to understand the gravity of the situation.

Get home safe now, goodbye America
The singer wants listeners to stay safe and says goodbye to America as a metaphorical way of saying goodbye to its problems.