Verse 1:
Further than they ever thought,
I made it this far learning what they never taught,
fingers is permanently curved, they’re forever crossed,
the clouds said I’m not alone if I ever walk,
but it’s easy to fall victim, harder to brush it off,
when any dream you dreamed will probably run along,
time flies when you staring at the stars,
but time dies when you clear away our heart,
& fuck seeing facades, none of that is paying,
neither is complaining, just thank God you made it,
but what if you didn’t make it, what if this whole time,
everything that you made was a product of closed eyes,
& by the time you wake, the time that you had prayed
would still be on your side took the time to fly away,
& before you even get to reflect,
the minute hands are walking & you’re missing your steps,
it’s ironic aint it?, you can try to wait it,
but there aint enough colors for you to try to paint it,
so tryna explain it to anyone will get them lost,
& points don’t exist if they don’t ever get across,
mama said it’s on me to keep the lights on,
I said “cool, long as God keep the lights on”,
I can speak the right song, & sing the right poem,
& I can find a way to light home
Hook:
I maintain, I maintain, I maintain, I just maintain,
I maintain, I maintain, as long as I can open my eyes I maintain
(Repeat 2x)
Verse 2:
The sacrificial lamb, the carrier of loads,
who showed no pains til’ he was carrying them home,
who showed no gain but if you added up his growth, it would show,
that it was off balance from the go, & from the go,
chance wasn’t nothing that he knew,
nothing that he was given or nothing he could’ve blew,
& the road was too dark to where he wanted to lead,
but he said he saw better when the sun was asleep,
so he starts foot stepping & he saw another set on the right,
& then he saw another on the left, & every night,
he’s judging off a coin toss,
clearing the way so that nothing throws the coin off,
when the decision is decided, he’s either tryna hide it,
or looking for somebody that he can ride with,
slow breathing, going for evens, tryna break the odds,
so close to a murder he can taste the charge, but,
people’s lives depended on what he scribes,
so now his pen moves differently & in time,
the pad may fill but the pen will never dry,
so as long as there’s a wall he can penmanship his mind,
it’s sorta like copping,
you only get half of what you wanted when you asked
but you can’t seem to stop it,
I told him it’s just the problems we face,
sitting on the stoop staring up at God everyday,
but I felt like I was talking to someone who couldn’t hear me,
until I looked up & saw that the one near me
who was looking for advice was in common,
I just wasn’t looking at him right, & his problems,
were similar, too similar, way too familiar,
looking into his eyes was looking into a mirror,
trying not to break it, along with who I be,
saw that the whole time I was arguing with me
Hook
16. Maintain (Produced By Nottz)
Verse 1:
Further than they ever thought,
I made it this far learning what they never taught,
fingers is permanently curved, they’re forever crossed,
the clouds said I’m not alone if I ever walk,
but it’s easy to fall victim, harder to brush it off,
when any dream you dreamed will probably run along,
time flies when you staring at the stars,
but time dies when you clear away our heart,
& fuck seeing facades, none of that is paying,
neither is complaining, just thank God you made it,
but what if you didn’t make it, what if this whole time,
everything that you made was a product of closed eyes,
& by the time you wake, the time that you had prayed
would still be on your side took the time to fly away,
& before you even get to reflect,
the minute hands are walking & you’re missing your steps,
it’s ironic aint it?, you can try to wait it,
but there aint enough colors for you to try to paint it,
so tryna explain it to anyone will get them lost,
& points don’t exist if they don’t ever get across,
mama said it’s on me to keep the lights on,
I said “cool, long as God keep the lights on”,
I can speak the right song, & sing the right poem,
& I can find a way to light home
Hook:
I maintain, I maintain, I maintain, I just maintain,
I maintain, I maintain, as long as I can open my eyes I maintain
(Repeat 2x)
Verse 2:
The sacrificial lamb, the carrier of loads,
who showed no pains til’ he was carrying them home,
who showed no gain but if you added up his growth, it would show,
that it was off balance from the go, & from the go,
chance wasn’t nothing that he knew,
nothing that he was given or nothing he could’ve blew,
& the road was too dark to where he wanted to lead,
but he said he saw better when the sun was asleep,
so he starts foot stepping & he saw another set on the right,
& then he saw another on the left, & every night,
he’s judging off a coin toss,
clearing the way so that nothing throws the coin off,
when the decision is decided, he’s either tryna hide it,
or looking for somebody that he can ride with,
slow breathing, going for evens, tryna break the odds,
so close to a murder he can taste the charge, but,
people’s lives depended on what he scribes,
so now his pen moves differently & in time,
the pad may fill but the pen will never dry,
so as long as there’s a wall he can penmanship his mind,
it’s sorta like copping,
you only get half of what you wanted when you asked
but you can’t seem to stop it,
I told him it’s just the problems we face,
sitting on the stoop staring up at God everyday,
but I felt like I was talking to someone who couldn’t hear me,
until I looked up & saw that the one near me
who was looking for advice was in common,
I just wasn’t looking at him right, & his problems,
were similar, too similar, way too familiar,
looking into his eyes was looking into a mirror,
trying not to break it, along with who I be,
saw that the whole time I was arguing with me
Hook