FEAR. Lyrics - Kendrick Lamar

1 (I don't think I could find a way to make it on this earth)

2 What's up, family? Yeah, it's yo cousin Carl, man, just givin' you a call, man. I know you been havin' a lot on yo mind lately, and I know you feel like, you know, people ain't been prayin' for you. But you have to understand this, man, that we are a cursed people. Deuteronomy 28:28 says, "The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness, and astonishment of heart." See, family, that's why you feel like you feel like you got a chip on your shoulder. Until you finally get the memo, you will always feel that way…

3 Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?

4 Pain in my heart carry burdens full of struggle

5 Why God, why God do I gotta bleed?

6 Every stone thrown at you restin' at my feet

7 Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?

8 Earth is no more, why don't you burn this muh'fucka?

9 I beat yo ass, keep talkin' back

10 I beat yo ass, who bought you that?

11 You stole it, I beat yo ass if you say that game is broken

12 I beat yo ass if you jump on my couch

13 I beat yo ass if you walk in this house

14 With tears in your eyes, runnin' from poopoo and 'prentice

15 Go back outside, I beat yo ass, lil nigga

16 That homework better be finished, I beat yo' ass

17 Yo' teachers better not be bitchin' 'bout you in class

18 That pizza better not be wasted, you eat it all

19 That TV better not be loud if you got it on

20 Them Jordans better not get dirty when I just bought 'em

21 Better not hear 'bout you humpin' on Keisha's daughter

22 Better not hear you got caught up

23 I beat yo ass, you better not run to your father

24 I beat yo ass, you know my patience runnin' thin

25 I got beaucoup payments to make

26 County building's on my ass

27 Tryna take my food stamps away

28 I beat yo ass if you tell them social workers he live here

29 I beat yo ass if I beat yo ass twice and you still here

30 Seven years old, think you run this house by yourself?

31 Nigga, you gon' fear me if you don't fear no one else

32 If I could smoke fear away, I'd roll that mothafucka up

33 And then I'd take two puffs

34 I'm high now, I'm high now

35 I'm high now, I'm high now

36 Life's a bitch, pull them panties to the side now

37 (I don't think I could find a way to make it on this earth)

38 I'll prolly die anonymous

39 I'll prolly die with promises

40 I'll prolly die walkin' back home from the candy house

41 I'll prolly die because these colors are standin' out

42 I'll prolly die because I ain't know Demarcus was snitchin'

43 I'll prolly die at these house parties, fuckin' with bitches

44 I'll prolly die from witnesses leavin' me false accused

45 I'll prolly die from thinkin' that me and your hood was cool

46 Or maybe die from pressin' the line, actin' too extra

47 Or maybe die because these smokers

48 Are more than desperate

49 I'll prolly die from one of these bats and blue badges

50 Body slammed on black and white paint, my bones snappin'

51 Or maybe die from panic or die from bein' too lax

52 Or die from waitin' on it, die 'cause I'm movin' too fast

53 I'll prolly die tryna buy weed at the apartments

54 I'll prolly die tryna diffuse two homies arguin'

55 I'll prolly die 'cause that's what you do when you're 17

56 All worries in a hurry, I wish I controlled things

57 If I could smoke fear away, I'd roll that mothafucka up

58 And then I'd take two puffs

59 I've been hungry all my life

60 I'm high now, I'm high now

61 I'm high now, I'm high now

62 Life's a bitch, pull them panties to the side now

63 Now…

64 When I was 27, I grew accustomed to more fear

65 Accumulated 10 times over throughout the years

66 My newfound life made all of me magnified

67 How many accolades do I need to block denial?

68 The shock value of my success put bolts in me

69 All this money, is God playin' a joke on me?

70 Is it for the moment, and will he see me as Job?

71 Take it from me and leave me worse than I was before?

72 At 27, my biggest fear was losin' it all

73 Scared to spend money, had me sleepin' from hall to hall

74 Scared to go back to Section 8 with my mama stressin'

75 30 shows a month and I still won't buy me no Lexus

76 What is an advisor? Somebody that's holdin' my checks

77 Just to fuck me over and put my finances in debt?

78 I read a case about Rihanna's accountant and wondered

79 How did the bad girl feel when she looked at them numbers?

80 The type of shit'll make me flip out

81 And just kill somethin', drill somethin'

82 Get ill and fill ratchets with a lil' somethin'

83 I practiced runnin' from fear, guess I had some good luck

84 At 27 years old, my biggest fear was bein' judged

85 How they look at me reflect on myself, my family, my city

86 What they say 'bout me reveal

87 If my reputation would miss me

88 What they see from me

89 Would trickle down generations in time

90 What they hear from me

91 Would make 'em highlight my simplest lines

92 I'm talkin' fear, fear of losin' creativity

93 I'm talkin' fear, fear of missin' out on you and me

94 I'm talkin' fear, fear of losin' loyalty from pride

95 'Cause my DNA won't let me involve in the light of God

96 I'm talkin' fear, fear that my humbleness is gone

97 I'm talkin' fear, fear that love ain't livin' here no more

98 I'm talkin' fear, fear that it's wickedness or weakness

99 Fear, whatever it is, both is distinctive

100 Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth

101 And I can't take these feelings with me

102 So hopefully they disperse

103 Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax

104 Searchin' for resolutions until somebody get back

105 Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth

106 And I can't take these feelings with me

107 So hopefully they disperse

108 Within fourteen tracks, carried out over wax

109 Wonderin' if I'm livin' through fear or livin' through rap

110 Damn

111 Goddamn you

112 Goddamn me

113 Goddamn us

114 Goddamn we

115 Goddamn us all

116 Verse two says you only have I known of all the families of the Earth, therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities. So until we come back to these commandments, until you come back to these commandments, we're gonna feel this way, we're gonna be under this curse. Because he said he's gonna punish us, the so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians, are the true children of Israel. We are the Israelites according to the Bible. The children of Israel, he's gonna punish us for our iniquities, for our disobedience, because we chose to follow other gods that aren't his son, so the Lord, thy God, chasten thee. So, just like your children, your own son, he's gonna chastise you because he loves you. So that's why we get chastised, that's why we're in the position we're in. Until we come back to these laws, statutes and commandments, and do what the Lord said, these curses are gonna be upon us. We're gonna be at a lower state in this life that we live here in today, in the United States of America. I love you, son, and I pray for you. God bless you, shalom