Intro:

[Meek Mill]
Aye, look
Ima tell you like this
If you in school, stay in school
If you got a job, stay at work
If you a family man, stay with your family
Cus this ain't meant for everybody

Verse 1:

Sex, drugs, crime, and liquor
You choose whichever vice gets the job done quicker
Runnin' from your problems faster than Usain Bolt
Think you know how to solve em but you're in love with the coke
So

Your mind is addled, synthetic substances have traveled
Through a system still developing, your symptoms have you frazzled
Mix it up, pour a cup, the epicenter of the party
Live it up, only young once, now you bout to burn some Marley

You do this every night, but you also take medication
Combinations can be deadly, think of Michael, Heath, and Amy
Aside from health complications, think of the social implications
You're impaired, drugs are shared, you aren't prepared to have a baby
But your friends showed you the ways, it gets you praise when you do as they, so it's okay
I mean, as Kurt Cobain would say, better to burn out like a star than to fade away
You're probably skippin' with your crowd, blowin' down that loud to ease your instability
Thinking nothing bad could ever happen to you: the illusion of invulnerability

Chorus:

So you think you wanna hang with the cool kids?
You got the intensity; in school they call that grit
Just remember popularity is temporary
And you decide what comes next on your itinerary

Life is a gift, unless it's given by the court
Perseverance means you keep going even if you fall short
Get yourself some friendly figures, a system that'll support
Or get lost in the system doin' time for class F's you can't afford

Verse 2:

Boys will play you fast and get you hurt, but females that are worse
We feel too much at times, our emotions both a blessing and a curse
Highschool sometimes is like the jungle; don't know when the big cats are gonna bite
But suspension for 10 days, a record that won't go away, just ain't worth the fight

'Ol girl tried to try me one time, guess she was salty I was dating her old guy
Seen her gossipin' at her lunch table like I'd just committed a crime
I was past the stage of wanting peer acceptance; I laughed and turned a blind eye
She approached me, Ms. Popularity, always in the light of lime
Had to pull myself together, cus I almost called her Your Royal Highness
Instead I let her run her mouth like her clique and killed her with my kindness
I went back to my unfinished lunch, think it was some cheddar cheese with ham
That girl grew up like we all do, now she follows me on Instagram

Keep your head up high bae; don't pay no mind to what the haters say
Who you interact with now, won't be paying your bills once you graduate
Every day is a clean slate; you alone are responsible for your fate
The best is yet to come; I promise the future will be worth the wait

Chorus

Verse 3:

We go through times of trials and tribulations so we can overcome
All born with different predispositions but we determine the outcome
Take action now, lay your vices down, before the damage is irreversible
It's never too late to send your sins to the grave and live a life for you that's purposeful

The keys are in your hands; don't leave your one life up to chance
Maintain resilience to meet the obstacles and the demands
Let your information process; you're gaining useful adult knowledge
Learning doesn't end with the high school you attend; learning is a lifelong progress

Go with your gut and moral code; don't get caught up with no gangs
You can't do the same things everyday and expect something to change
I've already been through all those phases; trust that I know what I am sayin'
I'm here to raise the bar for women like my name was Sarah Palin
I want to help adolescents find their purpose when I get my BSHM diploma
Don't wanna be 30 years old still kickin' it rent free livin' on my parents sofa
That ain't adult to me; I got some big dreams
Notebooks with some big schemes
Life is a blessing but only if you let it be;
Just remember to stay positive... on ya Charlie Sheen

Chorus