And when I was one, was just the first son
To carry the burden, I was barely a person
My folks were young, but committed to keep up their end of the bargain
Protect me from harm and grow a garden
I was loved, I was fed, might sleep through the night
I was taught how to talk and how to read you from left to right
I learned to argue and fight from a distance
Where my vulnerability gets no recognition
And by the time I was eleven, I was already defensive
An extension of environment and reinforced messages
Preemptively believed eventually I'll be a failure to my family and friendships
And when you mix it and blend it with contemporary pressures
Of adolesence, emphasis on the consensus of
A book full of portraits, but didn't consider
That we've been sketchin' stick figures underneath bigger pictures
[Verse 2]
And on my twenty-first birthday, already had my first born
Baby boy and maybe homie saved my life
But papa kept the motor runnin', I'ma come and see you later
Tryin' to color up some paper, tryin' to make this right
I realize most experiences are coincidental
But I'll never let go of these regrets I hold
That's why the pieces that were missin' always felt more special
Better bring some bigger pencils to sketch my soul
But yo, when I was thirty-one, both ends burnin' 'em
Thought that I was lost in the jungle, but I was in search of something
Learnin' how to deconstruct my puzzle
Permanently nervous, I was in love with the hustle
The Devil went to Hell, just to sell that selfishness
They tried to make me feel important, I fell for it
Embarrassment and trepidation, plus a healthy dose of
Self imposed limitations over my own illustrations
And when I struggled with the number forty-one, I had a couple more sons
And it feel like my real life had just begun
It's gettin' harder to translate
It's likely I've already played my part of this landscape
And all of this time, I've been followin' my design
Tryin' to find a little solace in how the stars aligned
It kinda looks like glitter, but every pixelated flicker
Gets the proper position in the biggest of pictures
And when I was fifty-one...
[Outro]
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
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On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
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On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on
On and on, and on, and on