What's on My Mind Pt. 2
The Dayton Family Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Yeah, I want to dedicate this song to Jonathan Myers,
Morris Peterson, Gemini Smith, and Matthew Hingle.
What's on yo mind?

[Shoestring]
No demonstration on this nation, as a murderfest
Got us locked in the jailcell, the others they was put to rest
I had no teacher, it was like my pops had passed away
Bought me a sweet and snapped his fingers, he was gone away
My house is hell, I used bail down there on ?Acre? street
Whole hood on ABC, pops in penetentiary
Caught in the system, he's a victim of his shorty's past
His son's a killa on the for reala, you best to watch yo stash
What's on my mind, is my brotha's name Rodney King?
Coulda been Shoestring, instead the devil chose Malice Green
Can't go to sleep, not too deep cause I be hearin shots,
Down on my block bodies drop, it'll never stop
The ghetto drama for yo mama is a wicked sin
God save her soul, don't want to say it but my mom's a fiend
Stand in the rain, can't take the pain, the stress is kickin in
Mack's in the pen cause it was all about his dividends
Life was a struggle, had to hustle, and sometimes buckle
A swollen knuckle, lockin up was the ghetto couple
Out to get rich, but I'm no snitch, no need to drop a dime,
My future's blind, now tell me what's on yo mind

Chorus: Tell me, tell me, what's on yo mind? (2X)
(What's on my mind, what's on my mind,
Was it the chrome, too ??? the crime?)

[Bootleg]
Apply the pressure, drastic measures made the victim's fall
One shot to the head, before they fled, they made em beg and crawl
Can't stop the thunder in my mind, so who controls the storm?
I fill my body full of drank and dank to keep it warm
Please stop the killin, Lord a killa's what I'm born to be
My mind's on murder God, homicides are all a see
Please set me free from all the enemies that haunt my mind
Why do the righteous, poor, and black suffer all the time?
My mother talks to me, and tells me, "Stop the violent killin"
Workin hard all day, tryin to make my pay
Now how you think I'm feelin?
What's on my mind, it's sad, look so small in kid's faces
Knowin their daddy's doin 20 for some drug cases
Never knew my daddy so I never could respect a man
Learned to cook up drugs and hold my ground while other yougsters ran
Gotta be a man, so my plan is to pursue my dreams
My family's gotta eat so I'm gon keep on feedin fiends
Know what I mean, the same routine almost everyday
Law's pushin me, so I'm gon keep on stackin hay
Out to get rich, but I'm no snitch, no need to drop a dime,
My future's blind, now tell me, what's on yo mind?

Chorus (2X)
[Night and Day]
Try to stop these fires, but they got me trapped inside the fence
want to represent his death, cause murder's what I'm up against
It makes no sense to me, the troubles that run through my head
Wakin up in the mornin, knowin the grave might become my bed
I shoulda fled, but from my problems, I can't get away
No matter when or where I go, they're with me everyday
I'm shootin the dice and drinkin the liquor to set my mind free
And tryin to find a piece of my mind, where problems can't find me
No matter what, I'm stuck, my mind is trapped inside the sin
So I release my anger through a chamber, gin, a pad, and pin
Your so called friends
ain't really your friends because they don't stay true
Besides the smokin and drinkin, now tell me, are they there for you?
Cash or credit, gotta get it, can't be po no mo
Some gangstas roll into the heaven's say no roll no mo




Out to get rich, but I'm no snitch, no need to drop a dime,
My future's blind, now tell, me what's on yo mind?

Overall Meaning

The Dayton Family's song "What's On My Mind Pt. II" is a deeply reflective and introspective track that explores the experiences and thoughts of several individuals living in impoverished communities. The song's opening shoutouts to people who have likely passed away already, Jonathan Myers, Morris Peterson, Gemini Smith, and Matthew Hingle, set the tone and add a somber note to the track. The lyrics express feelings of despair, frustration, hopelessness, and a pervasive sense of oppression that afflicts the lives of those living in the ghetto. Shoestring laments the loss of his father-figure and the fact that he had no one to mentor him. He talks about growing up in a rough neighborhood, where people die frequently, always listening to gunshots that signal another body drop. His mother is a drug addict, and his brother is a killer on the run. Bootleg raps about his predilection for violence, his dreams of getting rich through drug deals, and his struggles with his identities as a black man and a criminal. He also raps about wanting to please his mother, who is working hard to provide for him, by leaving his life of crime behind.


The track's chorus asks listeners to weigh in on what's on their minds, creating a sense of communal sharing and cathartic release. The song ends on a poignant note, where Night and Day reveal their anguish and desperation to escape the cycle of poverty and crime. The song is a testament to the struggles of the working class, the disenfranchised, the voiceless, and the forgotten. It speaks to the human capacity to suffer and endure hardship and how one can be molded by their circumstances into an unrelenting killer or a creative artist.


Line by Line Meaning

No demonstration on this nation, as a murderfest
This country is going through a period of intense violence without any active efforts being made to stop it.


Got us locked in the jailcell, the others they was put to rest
Many people are being incarcerated for their crimes, while others have lost their lives entirely.


I had no teacher, it was like my pops had passed away
I didn't have anyone to guide me, it felt like my father had died.


Bought me a sweet and snapped his fingers, he was gone away
My dad gave me a lollipop and then disappeared from my life forever.


My house is hell, I used bail down there on ?Acre? street
My home is a nightmare and I used to run away from it on a regular basis.


Whole hood on ABC, pops in penetentiary
The entire neighborhood is getting in trouble with the law, and my father is in prison.


Caught in the system, he's a victim of his shorty's past
My father got caught up in the legal system due to his early life experiences.


His son's a killa on the for reala, you best to watch yo stash
My son is an actual murderer, so you better watch your belongings around him.


What's on my mind, is my brotha's name Rodney King?
I can't help but think about Rodney King and the injustices he faced.


Coulda been Shoestring, instead the devil chose Malice Green
Someone else could have easily been the victim of violence, but fate chose someone else.


Can't go to sleep, not too deep cause I be hearin shots
I can't sleep very deeply, as there are constantly gunshots in the area.


Down on my block bodies drop, it'll never stop
People are dying in my neighborhood and it seems like it will never end.


The ghetto drama for yo mama is a wicked sin
The problems that come with living in the ghetto are terrible and sinful.


God save her soul, don't want to say it but my mom's a fiend
I hate to admit it, but my mother is a drug addict.


Stand in the rain, can't take the pain, the stress is kickin in
I feel so stressed and overwhelmed that standing in the rain is a relief.


Mack's in the pen cause it was all about his dividends
Mack is in prison because he was too focused on making money.


Life was a struggle, had to hustle, and sometimes buckle
Life was tough and I had to work hard to get by, sometimes giving in to pressure.


A swollen knuckle, lockin up was the ghetto couple
Having a swollen knuckle was a normal part of my life, as was going to jail.


Apply the pressure, drastic measures made the victim's fall
There was intense pressure put on the victim, leading to their downfall.


Can't stop the thunder in my mind, so who controls the storm?
I can't stop the racing thoughts in my mind, so who has control over my fate?


I fill my body full of drank and dank to keep it warm
To make myself feel better, I drink and smoke marijuana to numb the pain.


Please stop the killin, Lord a killa's what I'm born to be
I wish the violence could stop, but it's hard to overcome my natural instincts to kill.


Why do the righteous, poor, and black suffer all the time?
I don't understand why good people who are poor and black always have to suffer.


Cash or credit, gotta get it, can't be po no mo
I need to make money, whether it's through cash or credit, as I can't afford to be poor anymore.


Some gangstas roll into the heaven's say no roll no mo
Some of my fellow gangsters have died and gone to heaven, no longer rolling in the streets.


Try to stop these fires, but they got me trapped inside the fence
I want to stop the violence, but I don't know how to escape my current circumstances.


It makes no sense to me, the troubles that run through my head
I can't make sense of all the problems and negative thoughts in my mind.


Your so called friends ain't really your friends because they don't stay true
People I thought were my friends have proven to be disloyal and fake.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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