Wise (The Art of Tragedy) Lyrics

Heed my words and learn from this

I won't give you respect unless you earned it

Kid better shake their hands with the firmest grip

Hands out your pocket when working

Quit walking around like you purposeless

Don't burn a bridge that's sturdy

Give earnest service to him, her, and them

You special but don't deserve shit

Real men these days, they hard to find

A mama's love is permanent

But no one else is on your side

Your girlfriend ain't your journal kid

Know when you have to start a fire

Or compromise or turn and sprint

Always have your keys in hand

Some ride-alongs ain't worth the trip

Don't trust a soul that has two eyes

A nose, two ears, and yapping lips

Hair of wool and skin of bronze

They look at us like savages

But you can be a warrior in a garden

That's a massive gift

What's money without management

Another nigga trapped again

Keep your mirror at hand as men

All that ego is damaging

You chilling with your gang and them

You lucky if you have one friend

By the time you reach my age

You'll develop a callousness

I wish someone had told me these things

In my adolescence shit

Please don't follow me

Just follow my words

I was still a child

During my child's birth

What makes up a man

I never quite learned

Before you can provide

Gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Please don't follow me

Just follow my words

I was still a child

During my child's birth

What makes up a man

I never quite learned

Before you can provide

Before you can provide

Gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

I walked out the store and wondered

Why this man had stopped me for

Shocked at how he oddly warned me

Like he knew me fondly

But this man I never saw before

He's yapping on and I ignored

He' s snappy, told me I was lost

Talking out of pocket

I stopped him like what's the problem dog

He started pouring his heart out more

I'm thinking when this guy gon' need

A dollar to go cop some water

Talking like some prophet

Then he grabbed me with a lot of force

He wiped his eyes, he starts to cry

He lost his son, the mom's divorced

Then lost his son on Project corners

All because his father wasn't around

And when his mom's divorced his pops

He found a father with his mobster boys

He said he'll probably take his life Tomorrow morning

All that trauma was a bridge

He couldn't walk across

PTSD no less than a soldier

That had fought and lost

People, he was looking right

At his dead son, but it was me

We looked alike, he took the time

To give me that lecture

He wished he told his son before

The streets had came and took his life

Please don't follow me

Just follow my words

I was still a child

During my child's birth

What makes up a man

I never quite learned

Before you can provide

Gotta be wise first

Gotta be wise first

Gotta be wise first

Gotta be wise first

Yeah, yeah, yeah

Please don't follow me

Just follow my words

I was still a child

During my child's birth

What makes up a man

I never quite learned

Before you can provide

Gotta be wise first

Gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

You gotta be wise first

Yeah, yeah, yeah