Now or Never
The Roots / Dice Raw / Phonte Lyrics

Everything's changing around me
The world is constantly evolving and I need to adapt to it

And I wanna change too
I want to change my ways as well to keep up with the world

It's one thing I know
I am sure of one thing

It ain't cool being no fool
It's not enjoyable being foolish

I feel different today
I have a different perspective today

I don't know what else to say
I don't have additional words to express my thoughts

But I'm-a get my shit together
I am going to organize my life and prioritize my responsibilities

It's now or never
I have to do it now or it might be too late

I'm sick, sick of waiting in vain
I am tired of waiting with no results

Tired of playing the game
I am exhausted from trying to fit into society's expectations

Thinking of making a change
I am considering a significant transformation in my life

Finally breaking the chains
I am finally freeing myself from my previous ways

Every phase, every happening craze
Every stage of my life and the current trends don't interest me anymore

When it's said and done
At the end of everything

My head is right back in a haze
I am still uncertain of what to do

I'm ready for the next chapter and page
I am prepared for the next phase of my life

To start acting my age and part ways
I need to start behaving more maturely and move on

With black thought from back in the days
I need to distance myself from my old mindset

I'm stargazing from the back of the stage
I am observing everything from afar

Questioning if who y'all praise is worthy of praise
I am wondering if the people being worshiped deserve it

What's the phrase--bygones is bygones?
Should I just forget my past and move on?

Niggas who used to be the underdog is icons
People who were once underestimated are now revered

People say the light shines once in a lifetime
Opportunities come once in a lifetime

Is this mid-life kind of crisis a little bit like mine?
Am I experiencing a crisis similar to a mid-life crisis?

I'm thinking not now, but right now
I am thinking that I need to take action immediately

I need some kinda sign that the future is bright now
I need a sign that my future will be promising

I fuck around, do the right thing like Spike now
I am going to start doing the right thing like Spike Lee

The quick and the dead--which is my look-a-like now
I have two options: either change or stay stagnant

I'm moving ahead
I am progressing forward

Yo, opportunities lost because I blew 'em
I missed out because I wasted my chances

On the sunniest days of my life, I cried through 'em
Even on my happiest days, I still felt unhappy

Mom's was out the picture and pops I barely knew him
My mom was absent and I barely knew my dad

And I would pray to God, but I'm tired of lying to him
I used to pray, but I feel like I was not sincere

Tired of trying to run from the things inside of us
I don't want to keep fleeing from my inner issues

Got a lot of fam' and a lot of admirers
I have a lot of family and fans

Who tell me that I should aspire to be changed
They encourage me to strive for personal growth

But when I think of changing, it's like why even try this shit?
I feel apprehensive about starting to change myself

My mind hazy and my thoughts they get distorted
I have trouble thinking clearly

I know my good and bad needs both get recorded
Both my good and bad actions have consequences

You do right so your soul can last
Doing the right thing will benefit me in the long run

But my role was cast before I even auditioned for it
My life was predetermined before I had control

So I don't really see an end to my vice
I don't see a way to get rid of my bad habits

It's just false reclamation, no end of my strife
I can't truly recover, and my struggles never cease

Feel the evil overpowering
I am being consumed by negativity

You can go ahead throw the towel in
I am close to giving up

'Cause, nigga, that's the end of the fight
I am about to lose the battle

When you can only see the tunnel at the end of the lights
I cannot see past my struggles

Like (?) it's the end of your life
It is as if my life is over

When I look into the mirror and see my own image
As I look at my reflection

It feels like there's something else far off in the distance
I sense something beyond what I can see

Something I wanna see, but something that's resistant
Something obstructs me from viewing what I desire

And every day the haunting is growing more persistent
Every day, my worries intensify

I never noticed it before, but now I can't miss it
I never used to notice it, but now I can't ignore it

And the constant pounding's driving me ballistic
The persistent stress is making me lose control

I ran from it for years, but it's still next to me
I've been running from it for a long time, but it's still here

And it's growing stronger, taking and leaving less of me
It's becoming more powerful and taking more of me away

I can't fight it now; I know it's just destiny
I can't resist it anymore because it's fate

And I just wonder what's gonna happen when it catches me
I wonder what will happen when it finally fully overcomes me

Will it leave me face down in (?)
Will it make me hit rock bottom?

Or will it just start bringing out the best of me?
Or will it turn out to be a catalyst for positive change?

But is the best of me really just the worst of me?
Is the version of me that seems the best, actually the worst?

And if so, yesterday could be my anniversary
If so, my past self would be considered my 'best' version

In sinners' court it's important to have church with me
It's important to have faith when going through rough patches

I'm trying to get rid of these ghosts that's cursing me
I am attempting to rid myself of negative thoughts and feelings

I feel that change is an absolute certainty
I am certain that change is necessary

'Cause what's going on is a state of emergency
The current situation is urgent and requires action