Don't Cry For Me
Stormzy Lyrics

See, I love my hood, but the hood shit bugs me
I have a lot of love for my neighborhood, but the crime and violence is causing me distress

'Cause man ah put the chrome to my mum then they see me and spud me
I have had a gun pointed at my mother's head by someone who later showed me friendly acknowledgement

And plus I got childhood friends that are schemin' to rush me
I have some old friends who are plotting to physically harm me

So if I just pack my bags and I leave this fuckery
If I decide to leave the troubles behind by moving out of the neighborhood

Look, nobody judge me
I'm not asking for anyone to pass judgement on my decision to leave the area and forget about my old life

Now I'm just picturing charms all dressed in white
I'm imagining religious symbols surrounded by pristine white fabric

On the steps with Christ
These symbols and white cloth are placed at the feet of Jesus Christ

Tryna tell my young Gs to relax and invest in life
I want to encourage my younger peers to focus on more positive aspects of life

They invest in knives
These young people are currently spending their money on weapons rather than anything beneficial

Man, I was in my history class when my bredrin died
One of my close friends passed away while I was in a history lesson at school

So vexed that I cried
I was so frustrated and upset that I started weeping

But I come from a place where the mandem can't let shit slide
In my community, we don't let injustices go without some form of retaliation

So we rest in pride
We stand firm in our values and beliefs, maintaining our dignity and self-respect

And it kills us slow
Our tendency to hold grudges and value revenge is slowly destroying us

But, bro, I don't need all that
I don't need to hold onto these negative emotions and tendencies

'Cause the place where I live is the place I will die but I already preed all that
I have accepted the fact that I will most likely die in my neighborhood, but I have already come to terms with that

Can't chat about pain, just look at my veins
There's no need for me to vocalize my pain and struggles, you can see it in my veins and expressions

Look brudda, I bleed all that
Everything that causes me pain is already a part of me, I don't need to talk about it

Damn, I just want all my people back
I miss those who have passed away and those who are no longer a part of my life, and wish they were still here with me

Remember the time before things changed? Back in the day
Let's reminisce about how things used to be, before everything turned negative in our community

Everything can stay the same
I wish things could just be the same as they were in the past, before all the chaos and pain

Remember I came? Remember my name? Remember my face?
I want everyone to remember me, my name, my face, my contribution to the community before everything went wrong

I don't wanna fade away
I don't want to be forgotten or overlooked, I want to leave an impact on the community that will last

Heart on my sleeve, let me open up
I'm being vulnerable and honest with my emotions

TBTs on the block all posted up
I often see 'Throwback Thursday' pictures on social media of people from back in the day, when we were all together in our community

Me and them boy don't mix but I'll post it up
I may not be on good terms with some individuals, but I will still share these old memories on my social media

And it ain't no family pic but it's close enough
Even though these pictures may not include my immediate family members, these people are like family to me and hold sentimental value

And look man, I still reminisce when I'm rollin' up
I still think about these memories and people when I'm smoking marijuana

I think about the past sometimes and I sober up
These memories can sometimes have such a strong effect on me that it sobers me up from my high

'Cause if that boy looks back, it'll hold him up
If someone dwells too much on the past, it can prevent them from moving forward and progressing in their life

Man are out here beefin' like we ain't broke enough
People in the community are arguing and fighting with each other, despite the fact that we are all struggling financially

Swear these bruddas ain't woken up
These people are blinded by their own anger and are not aware of how foolish they are behaving

Like what have I done to deserve this life?
I question why I have to live in such a violent and negative environment

I got brothers in the pen that I'll never see again
I have friends who are imprisoned for life and I have no hope of ever seeing them again

Got my brothers dem servin' life
Some of my other friends have also been sentenced to life in prison

And I know that you think that it serves 'em right
Some people believe these individuals deserve their punishment for their crimes

But I come from a place where you burn or die
In our community, the options are limited to either dying young or living a life of crime and eventually going to prison

Or turn 'em right
The only other option is to encourage people to turn their life around and choose a different path

So don't blame us when we turn to the dirt, we tried
If someone does end up dying young, don't place the blame solely on them or their peers, because they tried to survive the best way they knew how

I just pray we fly, yo
I hope that one day we can all soar above the negativity and violence that plagues our community

Don't cry for me
Don't feel sorry for me, because I have accepted my environment and am trying to make my life the best it can be

Just take a shot for me
Raise a glass in honor of those who have been lost, and in memory of better times