[Produced by Kanye West]

[Intro]
Yeah
Ya know?
Yeah

[Verse 1]
We sell crack to our own out the back of our homes
We smell the musk of the dusk and the crack of the dawn
We go through episodes too, like Attack of the Clones
Work 'til we break our back and you hear the crack of the bones
To get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
We commute to computers
Spirits stay mute while your egos spread rumors
We survivalists turned to consumers
Just to get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
Ask Him why some people gotta live in a trailer, cuss like a sailor
I paint a picture with the pen like Norman Mailer
Mi abuela raised three daughters all by herself with no help
I think about her struggle and I find the strength in myself
These words melt in my mouth, they hot like the jail cell in the south
Before my n***a Cor' bailed me out
To get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
We do or die like Bed-Stuy
See the red sky out the window of the red-eye
Let the lead fly on some G. Rap shit, livin' to let die
[Chorus]
Now this morning, I woke up
Feelin' brand new, I jumped up
Feelin' my highs and my lows and my soul
And my goal's just to stop smokin' and stop drinkin'
And I've been thinkin', I've got my reasons
Just to get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by

[Post-Chorus]
By, by-by-by-by, by-by-by-by
By-by-by-by, by-by-by-by
Just to get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
By, by-by-by-by, by-by-by-by
By-by-by-by, by-by-by-by
Just to get by, just to get by
Just to get by, hey, hey

[Verse 2]
We keep it gangsta, say "fo' shizzle", "fo' sheezy" and stay crunk
It's easy to pull a breezy, smoke trees and we stay drunk
Yo, our activism attackin' the system, the Blacks and Latins in prison
Numbers have risen, they victims lackin' the vision
Shit, and all they got is rappin' to listen to
I let 'em know we missin' you, the love is unconditional
Even when the condition is critical, when the livin' is miserable
Your position is pivotal, I ain't bullshittin' you
Now, why would I lie? Just to get by?
Just to get by, we get fly
The TV got us reachin' for stars
Not the ones between Venus and Mars
The ones that be readin' for parts
Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers
Saturday sinners, Sunday morning at the feet of the Father
They need somethin' to rely on, we get high on all types of drug
When all you really need is love
To get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by
Our parents sing like John Lennon, imagine all the people watch
We rock like Paul McCartney, from now until the last Beatle drop, what?
[Chorus]
This morning, I woke up
Feelin' brand new, I jumped up
Feelin' my highs and my lows and my soul
And my goal's just to stop smokin' and stop drinkin'
And I've been thinkin', I've got my reasons
Just to get by, just to get by
Just to get by, just to get by

[Outro]
Yo-yo-yo, yo, yo
Some people cry and some people try
Just to get by, for a piece of the pie
We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie
And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo
When the people decide to keep a disguise
Can't see they eyes, see the evil inside
But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind
I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo, yo
Some people cry and some people try
Just to get by, for a piece of the pie
We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie
And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo
When the people decide to keep a disguise
Can't see they eyes, see the evil inside
But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind
I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo
As long as somebody's feelin' it, that's what's up