Dead and Gone
T.I. feat. Justin Timberlake Lyrics

Ay
Introduction to the song

Let me kick it to you right quick, man
I'm about to talk real here, not about any gangsta stuff.

Not on some gangsta shit man, on some real shit
I'm being honest and upfront here.

Anybody done been through the same thing, I'm sure you feel the same way
If you've gone through this, I know you can relate.

Big Phil
This is dedicated to my friend Phil.

This for you pimpin'
This is for you, my friend.

Ooh (hey) I've been travelin' on this road too long (too long)
I've been on this journey for a long time.

Just trying to find my way back home (back home)
I'm just trying to return to where I came from.

The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone
I've changed, the person I was before is gone.

Ever had one of them days wish would've stayed home
Ever had one of those days where nothing goes right?

Run into a group of niggas who gettin' they hate on
Run into a group of people who are angry at everything.

You walk by
You try to ignore them and walk past.

They get wrong
They start talking to you, being rude.

You reply then shit get blown
You respond and the situation escalates.

Way outta proportion
Everything gets blown out of proportion.

Way past discussion
It goes beyond talking it out.

Just you against them, pick one then rush 'em
It becomes a fight, you have to choose a side and attack.

Figure you'll get jumped, hell that's nothing
You might get jumped, but that's just a small part of it.

They don't wanna stop there now they bussin'
They don't stop there, they start shooting.

Now you gushin', ambulance rushin'
Now you're bleeding and need an ambulance.

You to the hospital with a bad concussion
You're taken to the hospital with a head injury.

Plus ya hit four times
You were shot four times.

But it hit yo spine
One shot hit your spine.

Paralyzed waist down now ya wheel chair bound
You're now paralyzed from the waist down and bound to a wheelchair.

Nevermind that now you lucky to be alive
You're just lucky to be alive.

Just think it all started you fussin' with three guys
It all started because you argued with three people.

Now ya pride in the way, but ya pride is the way
Your pride caused this, but it's also what's getting you through it.

You could fuck around, get shot, die any day
You have to be careful, anything could happen to you.

Niggas die everyday
People die all the time.

All over bullshit, dope money, dice game, ordinary hood shit
People die over stupid things like drugs, gambling, and other things that happen in the hood.

Could this be 'cause of hip hop music?
Could this be because of the music, like hip-hop?

Or did the ones with the good sense not use it?
Maybe the people with good sense don't use it enough to stop the violence.

Usually niggas don't know what to do
Usually people don't know what to do in these situations.

When their back against the wall so they just start shootin'
When they feel trapped, they often start shooting.

For red or for blue or for blow I guess
They shoot for whatever reason, maybe even drugs.

From Bankhead up to your projects
This happens everywhere, from rich places to poor places.

No more stress, now I'm straight, now I get it, now I take
Now I understand and I'm not stressed about it anymore.

Time to think, before I make mistakes just for my family's sake
I need to think before I act, for the sake of my family and loved ones.

That part of me left yesterday
I have changed and that old part of me is gone.

The heart of me is strong today
I'm a stronger person now.

No regrets I'm blessed to say
I have no regrets and I'm grateful for what I have.

The old me dead and gone away
The old me is gone for good.

I ain't never been scared, I lived through tragic
I've been through some tough stuff and I've never been scared of it.

Situation could've been dead lookin' back at it
Things could have been much worse, looking back at it now.

Most of that shit didn't even have to happen
Most of it could have been avoided.

But you don't think about it when you out there trappin'
You're not thinking about the consequences when you're out there doing what you're doing.

In apartments, hangin', smokin', and rappin'
This is what a lot of people do in the hood.

Niggas start shit, next thing ya know we cappin'
People start fighting and then someone pulls out a gun.

Get locked up then didn't even get mad
When you get caught, you don't even get mad anymore.

Now think about damn what a life I had
Now you're thinking about your life and what you've been through.

Most of that shit, look back, just laugh
Most of it is funny to think about now.

Some shit still look back get sad
Some of it still makes you sad when you think about it.

Maybe my homeboy still be around
If I hadn't done what I did, my friend might still be alive.

Had I not hit the nigga in the mouth that time
If I had just walked away instead of hitting someone, things might have been different.

I won that fight
I won the fight but lost my friend.

I lost that war
I might have won the fight, but I lost the bigger war.

I can still see my nigga walkin' out that door
I can still remember my friend walking away from me for the last time.

Who'da thought I'd never see Philant no more?
Who would have thought I'd never see my friend Philant again?

Got enough dead homies I don't want no more
I have lost enough friends and I don't want to lose any more.

Cost a nigga his job
It cost someone their job.

Cost me more
It cost me even more than that.

I'da took that ass-whooping now for sure
I would have taken a beating instead of causing all this trouble.

Now think before I risk my life
Now I think before I do anything dangerous.

Take them chances to get my stripe
Take risks to prove myself and gain respect.

A nigga put his hands on me alright
If someone hits me, then it's on!

Otherwise stand there talk shit all night, so
Otherwise, they can just stand there and talk all night.

'Cause I hit you, and you sue me
If I hit someone and then they sue me.

I shoot you, get locked up, who? Me?
If I shoot someone, then I'll get locked up, not them.

(Hey, ayy)
Short musical interlude

I turn my head to the East
I look to the east.

I don't see nobody by my side
There's no one there with me.

I turn my head to the West
I look to the west.

Still nobody in sight
Nobody is there to help me or support me.

So I turn my head to the North
I look to the north.

Swallow that pill that they call pride
I put my pride aside and do what's best for me and those around me.

That old me is dead and gone
That old part of me is gone for good.

But that new me will be alright
But the new me will be okay.

But that new me will be alright, 'cause
I'll be okay, because...

The old me is dead and gone, dead and gone, yeah
That old version of myself is gone forever.