[Intro]
Looking for these better days

[Chorus]
Better days, hey, better days
Hey, better days
Got me thinking 'bout better days
Better days, better days, better days
Hey
Better days
Got me thinking 'bout better days

[Verse 1]
Time da question our lifestyle, look how we live
Smoking weed like it ain't no thing, so even kids
Wanna try now, then lie down and get ran through
Nobody watches 'em, clocking the evil man do
Faced with the demons, addicted to hearing victims screaming
Guess we was evil since birth, product of cursed semens
'Cause even our birthdays is cursed days
A born thug in the first place, the worst ways
I'd love da see the block in peace
Wit' no more dealers and crooked cops, the only way da stop the beast
And only we can change
It's up da us to clean up the streets, it ain't the same, too many murders
Too many funerals, and too many tears
Just seen another brother buried, plus, I knew him for years
Passed by his family, but, what could I say?
Keep yo' head up and try da keep the faith
And pray for better days
[Verse 2]
Thinking back as an adolescent
Who would've guessed that in my future years I'd be stressing?
Some say the ghetto's sick and corrupted
Plus, my P.O. won't let me hang with the brothers I grew up with
Tryna keep my head up and stay strong
All my homies slanging yayo all day long
But they wrong, so I'm solo and so broke
Saving up for some Jordan's, 'cause they dope
I got a girl and I love her, but she broke too
And so am I — I can't take her to the place she wanna go to
So, we argue and play fight, all day and night
Making passionate love 'til the daylight
Plus, we about to get evicted, can't pay the rent
Guess it's time da see who really is your friend
Tell me you pregnant and I'm amazed
So many blessings while we stressing, looking for them better days (For better days)

[Verse 3]
Now, me and you was real cool, hell on them square fools
Since back in high school, we was true, me and you
Hardly parted or separated, we stayed faded
Affiliated with gangbangers and still made it
Up in the gym, mess with me, gotta mess with him
Still dressing like grown men when rolling
Out in the dark, smoking Newports, gaming marks
Got a place in my heart, homie, stay smart
Locked you up in the pen', and gave you three to ten
I send you letters wit' naked flicks of old friends
Hoping you well, I know it's Hell
Doing time in the cells, you need mail when you in jail
And, me? I'm doing cool
I settled down, had a family, working and night school
Every once in a while, I reminisce
And I wonder how we ever came da this: I miss the better days
[Outro]
I send this one out to all the homeboys down in, uh
Clinton lockdown, Rikers Island
All them dudes I was, uh, locked up with, hehe
E Block, F Block, lower H
N-I-C in Rikers Island, downstate
All the peoples I met along the way
Better days is coming, homeboy, keep your head up