Long Run
Smino Lyrics

Where I was growing up
Smino starts his song by telling the listeners about his humble beginning in a neighborhood where coroners were called every morning just around the corner.

They called a coroner
The neighborhood was violent, and people lost their lives every day, so they had to call a coroner regularly.

Around the corner
Every morning, somebody would lose their life just around the corner from where he grew up.

Where the fuck Tom Joyner?
Smino is asking where Tom Joyner, the famous radio host and philanthropist was back then when he needed the most.

No fair, it ain't fair how
He expresses his disappointment on how life isn't fair, especially when cops kill innocent black people.

The murder rate
Smino believes that the murder rate in his neighborhood is too high.

Fermanate Ferguson out to Fairground
He talks about how the local community in Ferguson was devastated by the murder of Michael Brown and asserts that racism goes beyond just his local community.

Shit made me wanna
Growing up in this environment made Smino want to do something about it.

Sell my soul through the music
Music seemed like the best way for him to make a living as it was his passion.

Put the streams on water
He hopes his music can flow like the water and reach all corners of the world.

Ancestors on my head
Smino feels the weight of his ancestors and their struggles on his head.

My uncle my barber
Smino's uncle is his barber, and this line expresses the closeness he feels toward his family.

Blood suckas want my bread
Smino talks about people who try to take advantage of him and take his money.

So I ordered the garlic
Smino takes measures to ward off these blood suckers, pulling a metaphorical move by 'ordering the garlic,' or putting up defenses.

Hustled too hard, these blessings ain't yours
Smino acknowledges that he worked hard to get where he is, but his success wasn't always straightforward.

So when I
Smino hints that he's achieved some kind of success.

Pull up and park it, my front seat a toilet
He can now afford a car with a functioning toilet in the front seat.

Shit of
He's acknowledging that he needs to use the bathroom.

Course I'm a target, they hope I get martyred
Smino is aware that he's a target for pushback against his success.

Lose ya
Smino fears losing himself.

Corpse in a corporation
He compares himself to a corpse that's been purchased, feeling like property that needs to be controlled and possessed.

Ten years of corroborating
He's been keeping up his commitment to music for a decade now, but it's not entirely clear what he's corroborating.

Been wanting to throw bows at Becky
Smino fantasizes about getting physical with some of the people who he feels have wronged him, primarily white people.

Been wanting to throw jabs at Jason
He also mentions wanting to harm white people in power.

Gotdamn need a long vacation
He recognizes that he's under a lot of stress and a long break would do him good.

Bong rip and a bad bitch
Smino enjoys smoking weed and being around attractive women, giving himself a break from the stress of the music world.

Thick fine with them dimples on it
He likes women with curvy bodies and dimpled buttocks.

Love how it shake when it's that thick
Smino finds joy in the way these women's bodies move.

Lil' seminar on the simmer down
He's taken a step back, receiving advice and suggestions from others about how to calm his mind.

Feel a lil' more ambitious now
After the 'simmer down' session, Smino feels energized and more ambitious.

Never doubt what you dream about
He advises his listeners to keep chasing their dreams without any doubt.

Never fear what you feelin' now
Smino believes that one should not be afraid of their feelings.

Even when you knew my truths
He's talking about someone close to him who knows about his past.

Even when you knew my mistakes
This individual knows about his mistakes and flaws.

Said you loved me anyway
This person has been supportive of him regardless of his past and mistakes.

Oh Lord, gimme a sign
Smino calls out to a higher power, asking for guidance.

Show me a way
He wants direction in life.

I been alone
Smino has felt lonely.

I been afraid
He's also felt afraid at times.

And you were s'posed to be there for me in the long run
He expected this person to be there for him throughout his whole journey.

What have you done?
Smino is disappointed that this person hasn't been there for him as he expected.

Stanley and Marlon
Two men from Smino's childhood neighborhood.

Did it big on the corner, every morning
These men were successful entrepreneurs, and operated their business every morning just like clockwork.

Had etcetera on 'em
Smino mentions that these men were always prepared, and had everything they needed with them.

Encountered a jump out
Police encountered these men, likely unprovoked.

Them boys undercover
He speculates that it may have been an undercover police operation.

To fuck us it all made sense now
Smino expresses his belief that this was all another example of police brutality and racism.

Tippy toe when I'm moving
He's cautious and careful in his movements.

Pray I don't get bothered
Smino prays that he can stay out of trouble with the police.

Cut my hair low for the gig
He's mentioning a gig he has coming up and is perhaps showing how he is conforming to expectations to be palatable to his audience.

Can't nap on the guala
He can't be lax about his career and the money he makes.

Only way they let me in
The 'they' in question is the gatekeepers to the music industry.

Was speaking so very proper
He felt like he had to alter his speaking habits to be taken seriously and given a chance.

But fuck that, no it don't stop here
Smino is making it clear that he's not going to keep living his life catering to other people's expectations forever.

I knock the sign over speeding
Smino does what he wants regardless of what people think he should be doing.

Traits of the greatest, I'm balling Tracy McGrady
He boasts about his greatness and how he's balling like Tracy McGrady, a former NBA champion.

I swear I, hate police, hate them
He's unequivocal in his disdain for police, whom he feels are out to harm him and other Black people.

Nah nigga, they don't wanna see me shine
He feels that police are trying to stop his success and advancement.

Straight to the paper regardless
He's focused on getting his money and achieving his dreams regardless of any obstacles.

Bitch we ballin'
Smino is triumphant about his current success.

Not a slave to the fear
He's asserting that he refuses to be held down by fear and intimidation.

Anymore, I won't allow it
He's taking control of his own destiny and choosing to not be afraid anymore.

Watchin' tapes of these kids gettin' killed
He's referring to the way police brutality is frequently caught on camera and how Black people are being killed continually.

Lookin' like me
He recognizes that the individuals dying are often similar to him in appearance and background.

Cut that shit off
Smino recognizes that he needs to move beyond the traumas inflicted upon his people.

They can't desensitize me
He's saying that he won't become numb to the trauma and violence that he's surrounded by.

I realized that in clusters they can't touch us
Smino and his community can be resistant to systemic oppression and violence when they stick together.

I've been tusslin' with my brothers and my sisters about lovin'
He's saying that he and his community have been discussing the importance of loving one another and how that leads to resistance and resilience.

'Cause this country don't love us
He's acknowledging that systemic racism is pervasive and that Black people can never truly feel that they are truly at home in the US.

It ain't for us, mane, fuck 'em
He's suggesting that Black people may be better off outside of this oppressive framework.

Don't give me no
Smino is warning someone not to mess with him.

Give me no reason to doubt you
He needs a solid reason to keep trusting someone.

'Cause I was living just fine
Smino has done well on his own.

Living my life without you
He doesn't need anyone else to care for him.

And you were s'posed to be there for me in the long run
He's disappointed with someone close to him for not being there for him when he really needed it.

What have you done?
He's asking this person what they've done for him recently.