Red Lights, Cold Streets

Yeah… Late nights, cold streets,

sirens in the distance

Ain’t no sleep when the city got a memory Uh

Red lights flash, hear the sirens goin’ Everybody tough till the violence

start showin’

Cold world, gotta watch where you goin’ Too many names on the

wall, candles glowin’ They talk murder,

but they don’t know the pain Lost another brother,

now it’s hard to stay sane Chicago nights,

everybody know the game One bad move and your whole life changed

I came from a place where the night don’t sleep Where the

pavement got stories that the streets still keep Mama told me,

“Son, don’t get caught in the heat” But the block raised kids

with a heart full of grief Black hoodie,

cold wind, walking through the rain Thinking ‘bout the homies who ain’t

make it to change Everybody want revenge,

everybody want a name But revenge got a price and the price

ain’t fame Sirens in the background,

helicopter overhead Another candle burning,

another young life dead I ain’t glorifying death,

I’m just telling what I saw When the streets start talking,

somebody pays the cost

Red lights flash, hear the sirens goin’ Everybody tough till the violence

start showin’

Cold world, gotta watch where you goin’ Too many names on the

wall, candles glowin’ They talk murder,

but they don’t know the pain Lost another brother,

now it’s hard to stay sane Chicago nights,

everybody know the game One bad move and your whole life changed

Everybody got a story,

everybody got scars Some chase money,

some just wanna see stars But the streets turn dreams into prison-yard

bars And the quickest way down ain’t always the hardest I seen

anger turn a brother to a stranger Seen one moment change everything

like danger Now his mama at the funeral,

screaming his name While the neighborhood whispers who they think is to

blame So I keep my head high,

but my heart stay heavy Life moving fast,

gotta keep my mind ready

Ain’t no glory in a body laid cold Real power is surviving

when the streets want your soul

Chicago nights…

Cold streets… Too many candles… Too many names… We ain’t gotta add

another one. No sleep.