How Long Will They Mourn Me? featuring Nate Dogg
Thug Life Lyrics

How long will they mourn me?
The singer wonders how much time his friends will spend grieving for him after he passes away.

Yeah! This for my nigga Kato
The singer dedicates the song to his friend Kato, who has passed away.

It's still on nigga, believe that
The singer promises that he will continue to live the Thug Life in honor of Kato and all the other fallen homies.

We live a Thug Life, Thugs for Life
The artist and his crew are committed to living a life of crime and violence, and identify as 'Thugs for Life.'

Yeah (How long will they mourn me?) We handle this shit for you bwoy
The artist promises to take revenge on those who killed Kato, and says that his death will not be in vain.

All my homies drinkin' liquor
The singer and his friends are drinking alcohol to numb the pain of losing Kato.

Tears in everybody's eyes
Everyone is crying because of Kato's death.

Niggas cried, to mourn a homie's homicide
The artist's friends are mourning Kato's death by crying.

But I can't cry, instead I'm just a shoulder
The artist is not able to cry, but he is being strong for his friends and providing emotional support.

Damn, why they take another soldier?
The artist is upset that Kato died and wonders why he had to be another casualty of the street life.

I load my clip before my eyes blurry, don't worry
The singer is preparing for revenge and loading his gun, even though he is emotional and has tears in his eyes.

I'll get them suckers back before your buried (shit)
The artist promises to avenge Kato's death before his friend is even buried in the ground.

Retaliate and pull a one-eight-seven
The singer plans to retaliate and commit murder (which is given the code 187, the California penal code number for homicide).

Do real niggas get to go to heaven?
The singer questions whether real gangsters and street fighters can go to heaven after they die.

Bury me a motherfuckin' G
The singer wants to be buried as a gangster, with respect and honor.

Bitch don't wanna die, then, don't fuck with me
The artist warns his enemies not to mess with him, or they will face deadly consequences.

It's kinda hard to be optimistic
The artist doesn't have much hope or positivity because of all the death and violence around him.

When your homie's lyin' dead on the pavement twisted
The singer is describing the horrific sight of seeing his friend's dead body laying on the ground, contorted and twisted.

Y'all don't hear me doe, I'm tryin hard to make amends
The singer is frustrated that his friends aren't listening to his attempts to reconcile and make things right.

But I'm losin' all my motherfuckin' friends, damn!
The artist is losing all his friends to death and violence, and is upset about how many people he is losing.

They should've shot me when I was born
The artist expresses how much he hates his life and wishes he never even existed.

Now I'm trapped in the motherfuckin' storm
The artist feels trapped in a never-ending cycle of violence and turmoil.

I wish it would have been another
The singer wishes that someone other than Kato had died, because he was such a good friend.

Every motherfuckin' day homie
The artist thinks about Kato every single day and misses him dearly.

You stayed down when the other niggas didn't know me
The singer thanks Kato for being a true friend and sticking by his side, even when others didn't believe in him.

From my heart to the trigger you my fuckin' nigga
The singer and Kato were close friends, and he swore to always have Kato's back and avenge his death if necessary.

I remember kickin' back, you wanted a 'llac
The singer reminisces about the good times he had with Kato, including a time when they were relaxing and Kato expressed his desire to own a Cadillac car.

So confused not knowing which way to go
The artist is feeling lost and confused about how to move forward in life without Kato.

I'm goin' crazy and runnin' out of fuckin' time
The artist is losing his grip on sanity and feels like he doesn't have much time left to live a normal life.

So day after day, ride after ride
The singer promises to always remember Kato and honor his memory as he continues to live the Thug Life.

Watch over your family and your newborn
The singer promises to look after Kato's family, especially his new baby, who will never get to know him.

I wish it would have been another (Big Kato)
The artist repeats his wish that someone other than Kato had died, specifically calling out Kato's name.

Damn, a nigga tired of feelin' sad
The artist is tired of constantly feeling sad and grieving for his fallen friends.

I'm tired of puttin' in work
The artist is tired of the constant violence and street life that has led to the deaths of so many of his friends.

I'm tired of cryin' watchin' my homies leave the earth
The singer is emotionally exhausted from constantly crying and saying goodbye to his friends who have died.

Rest and love to my nigga Kato
The artist wishes Kato peace and love in the afterlife.

For now let me pour out some brew
The singer is pouring out a drink in memory of Kato and as a way to honor him.

I'll be always thinkin' of ya homie
The singer promises to always remember Kato and think of him often.

We know life's a fuckin' trip
The singer acknowledges that life is unpredictable and full of hardships and struggle.

And everybody gotta go
The artist acknowledges that everyone will die at some point, it's just a matter of when.

But why the fuck it have to be my nigga Kato?
The artist questions why Kato had to die, and why he was taken from their crew and the world.

Another nigga fell victim to the chrome
The singer is referring to the gun, and how Kato was killed by a bullet.

It's enough to make you crazy, it's fuckin' with my dome
The singer is losing it mentally because of all the death and violence around him.

You only live once on this earth a nigga had it bad
The artist acknowledges that life is short, and even though his experiences have been difficult and painful, he is grateful for them.

But niggas say they down and they always be my homie
The artist is frustrated that many of his friends claim to have his back and be on his side, but then abandon him when things get difficult or dangerous.

But when a nigga gone, how long will ya mourn me?
The artist questions whether his friends will truly grieve him after he dies, or if they will forget about him like they did with other deceased homies.