Stay Down
akon Lyrics


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How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets
How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat
You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way

How many blacks gotta die by the hands of another
Don't you understand that man's the same color so that man is your brother
That's what happens when that man is from the gutter
And that man is a hustler trying to survive, moving grams of that butter
See, his momma was a dope fiend, poppa was a rolling stone
He never knew what family was he grew up in a broken home
Ever since twelve years old he was known as grown
'cause ever since twelve years old he was on his own
And even though it seemed like school was the best plan
His only choice was distributing the rock like Def-jam
While everybody else was getting diplomas
He graduated from the middle of the strip to the corner
But I don't knock him cause he tryin' to bubble
There's no food on the table, the rents past due and that's why he hustles
And I ain't sayin' that its right to be dealin'
All I'm sayin' is I feel him I guess
I just see eye 2 eye wit his struggle you know

How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets
How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat
You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way

Now baby girl's got a promising future
But her moms passed away while she was younger and her father's a loser
He'd always abused her but what else you expect from a coward
He wasn't even proud when she got accepted to Howard
And even though she loves college everyday it would stress her
But it wasn't cause of exams or she hate her professor
It was her financial situation here she couldn't pay a semester
And the only means of making it better was totally reversing the role
Lap dancing working that pole even though deep down its hurting her soul
And even if it meant taking off her clothes
She was down for what ever to help her accomplish her personal goals
And I ain't trippin' off a-how shortie livin'
She gotta pay her tuition put food in the kitchen and that's why she strippin'
And I ain't sayin' I agree with her job but shit times is hard
I guess I just see eye to eye with her vision you know

How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets
How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat
You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way

Now see the moral of the story is this
If you ain't tryin' to help stop our troubles then don't knock our hustle
Cause really at the end of the day its not ya'll struggle
But you always got something to say
Well hear this fuck you
Yeah that's right I'm talking to you come try to sleep in our beds
Eat off our plates, take a walk in our shoes
Look at the world from our view try to live by our rules
Drink the same water we do, put your kids in our schools
I guarantee you won't maintain your health you'll probably try to end it all
And hang yourself or bang yourself
You couldn't possibly understand all pain we felt
And without folding your hands play the games we dealt
I'm being real I ain't tryin' to be evil
Look how we live, look how y'all live
C'mon be serious how is we equal
Matter fact I feel I'm wasting my time
I'm finished writing this rhyme
Y'all never gonna see eye to eye with my people you know

How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets
How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat
You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day
Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day




Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Stay down stay down just to live a better way

Overall Meaning

The song “Stay Down” by Akon is about the struggles that people face in trying to make ends meet. The first verse highlights the difficulty of living on the streets and the constant effort it takes just to find food to eat. The second verse describes the experience of growing up in poverty and turning to illegal activities to survive, as well as the racial tensions that arise from these circumstances. The final verse speaks to the importance of empathy and understanding in difficult situations, and challenges those who judge others without understanding their circumstances.


In each verse, Akon expresses empathy and understanding for the people he sings about, recognizing the difficult choices they make and the obstacles they face. He acknowledges the pain and struggle that they experience, and is critical of those who judge and criticize them without understanding their situation. Throughout the song, Akon emphasizes the importance of staying true to one’s values and persevering through tough times in order to achieve a better outcome.


Overall, “Stay Down” is a powerful song that speaks to the challenges that many people face in daily life. Through its raw and honest lyrics, Akon offers a message of hope and resilience that resonates with many people around the world.


Line by Line Meaning

How many days we gonna live our life struggling on the streets
How long will we continue to face hardship on the streets?


How many days we gotta live our life searching for a way to eat
How long must we continue to struggle for our basic needs?


You gotta stay down stay down just to see a brighter day
To achieve a better tomorrow, we must persevere and remain grounded in the present.


Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Continuing our struggle in the present will lead us to a more favorable future.


Stay down stay down just to live a brighter day
Persisting through present hardships is necessary for a brighter future.


Stay down stay down just to live a better way
Continuing to struggle in the present is key to a more prosperous future.


How many blacks gotta die by the hands of another
Why must members of our community continue to be killed by one another?


Don't you understand that man's the same color so that man is your brother
We are all the same race, and our community should view one another as family.


That's what happens when that man is from the gutter
Violence can arise from those who come from impoverished backgrounds.


And that man is a hustler trying to survive, moving grams of that butter
Those who engage in drug dealing often see it as their only means of survival.


See, his momma was a dope fiend, poppa was a rolling stone
The individual's family was plagued by drug use and absence of a father figure.


He never knew what family was he grew up in a broken home
The individual had no experience with a healthy family environment due to a traumatic childhood.


Ever since twelve years old he was known as grown
The individual had to mature quickly and take care of themselves from an early age.


'cause ever since twelve years old he was on his own
Since the age of 12, the individual had to navigate life and its obstacles on their own.


And even though it seemed like school was the best plan
Although education could have been a viable option, it was not feasible for the individual.


His only choice was distributing the rock like Def-jam
Drug dealing was the only option for the individual to make a living.


While everybody else was getting diplomas
While others were getting an education, the individual had to turn to drug dealing.


He graduated from the middle of the strip to the corner
The individual moved up in the drug dealing business, from selling in a specific area to a larger region.


But I don't knock him cause he tryin' to bubble
The individual's actions are not ideal, but they are trying to succeed and provide for themselves and their family.


There's no food on the table, the rents past due and that's why he hustles
The individual is driven to hustle due to a lack of financial resources and pressing bills.


And I ain't sayin' that its right to be dealin'
The artist does not condone the individual's actions of drug dealing.


All I'm sayin' is I feel him I guess
The artist empathizes with the individual despite disapproving of their actions.


I just see eye 2 eye wit his struggle you know
The singer can relate to the individual's difficult circumstances and understands their struggle.


Now baby girl's got a promising future
The artist references a woman with a bright future ahead of her.


But her mom passed away while she was younger and her father's a loser
The woman has faced significant loss and has no support system in her life.


He'd always abused her but what else you expect from a coward
The woman was mistreated by her father, a man the singer views as a coward.


He wasn't even proud when she got accepted to Howard
The woman's father did not show any appreciation or support when she was accepted to Howard University.


And even though she loves college everyday it would stress her
While the woman enjoys college, the financial burden of paying for tuition is overwhelming.


But it wasn't cause of exams or she hate her professor
The woman's stress is not related to academics, but rather her inability to afford tuition.


It was her financial situation here she couldn't pay a semester
The woman is struggling to pay for her education and is at risk of not being able to continue attending college.


And the only means of making it better was totally reversing the role
Stripping was the only option for the woman to pay for her education.


Lap dancing working that pole even though deep down its hurting her soul
The woman is forced to engage in stripping despite it affecting her psychological well-being.


And even if it meant taking off her clothes
The woman is willing to strip and expose herself in order to pay for her education.


She was down for what ever to help her accomplish her personal goals
The woman is committed to achieving her goals, even if it means engaging in activities that she is uncomfortable with.


And I ain't trippin' off a-how shortie livin'
The singer is not judging the woman for her actions/choices.


She gotta pay her tuition put food in the kitchen and that's why she strippin'
The woman is stripping to pay for her education and provide food for herself.


And I ain't sayin' I agree with her job but shit times is hard
The singer does not support the woman's decision to strip, but acknowledges the difficult circumstances that motivated her to do so.


I guess I just see eye to eye with her vision you know
The singer can empathize with the woman's difficult circumstances and understands her decision to strip.


Now see the moral of the story is this
The singer is concluding the narrative and tying together the themes in the song.


If you ain't tryin' to help stop our troubles then don't knock our hustle
If individuals are not working towards improving the community's struggles, they should not criticize those who are hustling to survive.


Cause really at the end of the day its not ya'll struggle
Those who are not directly affected by the community's struggles cannot truly understand the hardships faced.


But you always got something to say
Despite not understanding the struggle, outsiders often still have negative opinions towards the community.


Well hear this fuck you
The singer is addressing those who criticize the community and telling them to leave, using profanity to show their frustration.


Yeah that's right I'm talking to you come try to sleep in our beds
The artist challenges outsiders to physically experience life in the community and the struggles that come with it.


Eat off our plates, take a walk in our shoes
Outsiders should try to understand the community by experiencing their circumstances.


Look at the world from our view try to live by our rules
Outsiders should attempt to see the world from the community's perspective and follow their way of living.


Drink the same water we do, put your kids in our schools
By doing things such as drinking the same water and enrolling their children in the community's schools, outsiders can better understand the struggles faced.


I guarantee you won't maintain your health you'll probably try to end it all
The artist is suggesting that outsiders would struggle to live in the community and may even have suicidal thoughts.


And hang yourself or bang yourself
The singer is referencing the possibility of outsiders committing suicide due to the overwhelming struggles of the community.


You couldn't possibly understand all pain we felt
Outsiders can never fully comprehend the struggle and pain experienced by the community.


And without folding your hands play the games we dealt
Without experiencing the community's struggles first-hand, outsiders should not criticize or judge the actions taken to survive.


I'm being real I ain't tryin' to be evil
The artist is being truthful and honest in their perspective, not intending to be malicious or harmful.


Look how we live, look how y'all live
The artist is pointing out the stark differences in lifestyles and struggles between the community and outsiders.


C'mon be serious how is we equal
The singer is questioning how individuals from vastly different circumstances can be considered to be equal.


Matter fact I feel I'm wasting my time
The singer is expressing frustration and the feeling of being unproductive in trying to get outsiders to understand the struggles of the community.


I'm finished writing this rhyme
The artist has reached the end of the song and the final verse.


Y'all never gonna see eye to eye with my people you know
The artist acknowledges that outsiders will likely never truly understand the community's struggles and hardships.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: FRED NEAL, UNKNOWN WRITER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@davidhardcore704

It’s crazy how amazing and deep this song is and not many ppl know about it at all. I can definitely say it’s one of the best songs ever made. Just amazing. 10/10

@TJay531

I love this song since it came out back in the days! Classic!!

@Adam9306

One of the greatest songs ever made and no one knows of it which is really sad

@Markwealthful

You hit the nail Bro. Nobody still knows in 2020 but I just shared it as reference in a convo I was having

@tenydak6210

Bro who is that nigga with Akon
I just need the name

@uzzy1

@Teny Dak sheek louch

@laurentineouallo2774

That's real truth..... Should be more broadcast, both for blacks and every human being. To call on humanism, wisdom and practical daily activism

@laurentineouallo2774

@Teny Dak Flashy... A Master in sum!

@vusigivendulaza6952

I love this track because it speaks about life

@UssyMustyYS

Loved this song as a kid. Good time

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