The Message
Thomas Chong Lyrics

This one is for my brother, Tyree, R.I.P
Thomas Chong dedicates this song to his brother, Tyree, who has passed away.

A message to God
The song is a message to God, expressing the pain and confusion that Thomas feels after losing his brother.

Since you finishin' 'em early, what posessed you to start him?
Thomas questions why God would take his brother away at such a young age, and wonders why he was ever born in the first place if he was just going to die early.

We made a vow later we'll regret 'til death do us part
Thomas and his brother made a vow to each other that they will regret not being able to keep because of Tyree's untimely death.

Lord, I thought we was made for each other
Thomas believed that he and his brother were meant to be together and never expected to lose him so soon.

You shouldn't connect those, made to be taken away from each other
Thomas believes that people who are meant to be taken away from each other should not be connected, as it only causes more pain and sadness when they are inevitably separated.

Now what I'm supposed to do? I'm only half the man that I was
Thomas feels lost and incomplete without his brother and doesn't know how to move forward without him.

I'll never last, 'cause my better half is up there with you
Thomas feels that he will never be able to last without his brother because he was his "better half" and is now in heaven.

You knew what you was doin' when you made us; so with all due respect
Thomas acknowledges that God knew what he was doing when he created him and his brother, but still questions why Tyree had to die so soon.

You coulda forgave him, you didn't have to take him
Thomas wishes that God could have forgiven his brother instead of taking him away from their lives.

He can take the game with him, 'cause he defines the word
Thomas acknowledges that his brother was a true "G" and that he took that part of him with him when he passed away.

The one who puts the G in it, who you think put me in it?
Thomas credits his brother for being the one who introduced him to the "G" lifestyle and helped him become the person he is today.

I'm feelin like my whole world is blinded wonderin' why
Thomas feels like he is in a state of confusion and grief after losing his brother and wonders why this had to happen to him.

Cryin', pourin' out my heart, pourin' out liquor behind it
Thomas is mourning the loss of his brother and is crying and drinking to express his grief.

We fought like brothers, somethin' we never should do
Thomas and his brother had arguments and conflicts like any siblings, but Thomas regrets that they ever fought and wishes they could have spent more time just enjoying each other's company.

We coulda used time spent arguin tellin' the truth
Thomas realizes that the time he and his brother spent arguing could have been better-spent telling each other the truth and being honest with each other.

He had talent too, I had plans on watchin' him grow
Thomas acknowledges that his brother had a lot of talent and potential and he wanted to see him grow and reach his full potential.

Don't know what hurts more - seein' him leave, or watchin him go
Thomas is unsure which is more painful; watching his brother physically leave his life or knowing that he is gone forever.

Listen
Thomas is urging the listener to pay attention and hear what he has to say.

If you wonder why (why I live my life)
Thomas is explaining that he lives his life the way he does because of the pain and grief he feels from losing his brother.

The way that I do ('cause I got to get this money)
Thomas is hustling and making money because it's a distraction from the pain of losing his brother and a way to cope with his grief.

So don't worry about me (don't worry, don't worry worry)
Thomas is telling the listener not to worry about him, even though he's going through a hard time, because he's doing what he needs to do to get by.

I'm just hustlin' everyday, runnin this race, makin this paper
Thomas is working hard every day to make a living and support himself, even though he's still grieving the loss of his brother.

You'se a soldier, you're probably packin heat up there
Thomas imagines that his brother is now a soldier in heaven and might be carrying a gun there, just as he had on earth.

Met up with homies from the street, and got deep up there
Thomas imagines that his brother is making new friends in heaven and is getting "deep" with them, just as he did with his friends on earth.

If you only knew the way I felt before they ruined the crew
Thomas is expressing how he felt before his brother passed away and before their group dynamic was affected by his death.

I thought I learned from Eazy, now I'm goin through it with you
Thomas thought he had learned how to cope with the loss of a friend or family member from Eazy-E, but now he's going through it all over again with his brother.

We lost a thug, a son, and a father
Thomas acknowledges that his brother was many things to many people, including a thug, a son, and a father.

I spoke to your son, the other day, and told him Uncle Dre got him
Thomas spoke to his brother's son and promised to be there for him, even though his brother is no longer with them.

The Lord must be accidentally pulling your file
Thomas can't believe that God could do something like this to his brother and wonders if it was just a mistake on God's part.

Cause I'm still paging you, 911, straight in denial
Thomas is still in denial about his brother's death and keeps trying to reach out to him, even though he knows he's gone.

Prayin' you get it, but no man can choose the card he was dealt
Thomas is praying that his brother somehow gets his messages, but acknowledges that everyone has their own fate and no one can choose the cards they're dealt.

You either quit, or you gon' play 'em like you get it
Thomas believes that in life, you can either quit when things get tough, or you can keep playing and pretend that you know what you're doing.

I done been through all emotions, from in shock, to keepin a poker face
Thomas has been through a lot of emotions since his brother's death, from being in shock to trying to hide his pain behind a "poker face".

To straight breakin down and showin' all emotions
Thomas has also experienced moments of complete emotional breakdown where he can't hide his feelings anymore.

I'm anxious to believe in real G's don't cry
Thomas used to believe that real "G's" don't cry or show emotion, but he's starting to realize that this isn't always true.

If that's the truth, then I'm realizin I ain't no gangsta
Thomas acknowledges that if real "G's" don't cry, then he must not be a gangsta because he's been crying a lot since his brother's death.

It's just not me, but you know I'mma always ride wit you
Thomas may not be a gangsta, but he's still going to support and ride with his brother, no matter what.

I miss you, sometimes I wish I just died wit' you
Thomas misses his brother so much that sometimes he wishes he had died with him, rather than having to live without him.

Listen
Thomas repeats his call to listen and pay attention to what he's saying.

Listen
Again, Thomas urges the listener to listen closely.

If you wonder why (why I live my life)
Thomas is repeating himself to emphasize that he's living his life the way he is because of the grief he feels from losing his brother.

The way that I do ('cause I got to get this money)
Again, Thomas explains that he's hustling and making money to cope with the pain of losing his brother.

So don't worry about me (don't worry, don't worry worry)
Thomas reassures the listener that they don't need to worry about him, even though he's going through a tough time.

I'm just hustlin' everyday, runnin this race, makin this paper
Again, Thomas emphasizes that he's just trying to make a living and get by, even though he's still grieving.

Yeah, yeah, ah oh listen
Thomas is still urging the listener to pay attention and listen to what he's saying.

If you don't know why I, you gotta listen up right now
Thomas is emphasizing that the listener needs to listen very carefully to understand why he's living the way he is.

Ooh
An expression of emotion, emphasizing the gravity of the situation.

Listen, listen
Again, Thomas is urging the listener to pay attention.

Yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah, yeah yeah yeah
A repetition of words, emphasizing the emotional weight of the situation.

Yeah
Another expression of emotion.

Listen
Once again, Thomas is telling the listener to listen carefully to what he's saying.

Listen, children listen
Thomas is now addressing children, telling them to listen and take his message to heart.

I'm tryin' to tell you somethin' good
Thomas believes that his message is one that children need to hear and learn from.

Don't get caught up in the hood
Thomas advises children to stay out of danger and not get involved in the negative aspects of their environment.

Yeah hah, yeah hah, aooh
Another repetition of words and sounds to emphasize the message being conveyed.

If you don't know why
Thomas is emphasizing the importance of understanding why he's living the way he is and why his message is so important.

You gotta find out the reason why
Thomas believes that it's important to understand the reason behind his message in order to fully appreciate its value.

Brother brother
An expression of connection and unity, emphasizing the importance of family and brotherhood in Thomas's message.