Dear God how can I explain myself?   JOh God bless me indeed   When I'm so confused   JEnlarge my territory   JPlace your love and protection over me at all times   Help me   JKeep me away from evil   Somebody answer me!echoes   JAllow me not to cause pain      Police in the background, screamin put the thing down   That's how hard I was trying to put my thing down   Si-rens ringin out, old ladies screamin out   All this attention for me and I'm barely sixteen now   It's feelin like a dream now   Handcuffed, roughed up, I'm tossed in the bing now   I'm lyin next to fiends now, that's the end of the story   Let me bring y'all niggaz back to the very first scene now   December 4th, a child is born   Before I knew it, had my pops trousers on   That's how we do it when the man of the house is gone   You either, stand or fall, I chose to stand   The hawk outside, so I blow my hand   It's a cold cold world but I overstand   Tryin to stay focused but I feel hopeless damn   Can't cope with bein broke, I'm a man - c'mon      Son don't let these streets, get the best of you   I will be right by your side, when you goin through   Son just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Get the best of you      Late one night I was, rollin the streets   Just, thinkin about what's goin on with me and   Trapped in this thug life, tryin to break free but   This thug life just keeps callin me   I'm livin life way too dangerously   I'm drownin in my misery   Looked in the mirror, there's my enemy   Cause poppa never was a part of me   Take one step at a time, mama said   Sweet memories still remain in my head   All of my life been lied to, misled   Voices be like, "Don't you wish you was dead?"   No ground to place my feet   I feel the fire under me   A way out is all I need   Somebody, answer me      Son don't let these streets, get the best of you   I will be right by your side, when you goin through   Son just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Get the best of you      Now the only thing left is more spirit to roam free   Cause ain't no goin home for me   It's a cold cold world but I blew my hand   A true first cause I knew that man   I knew what he would do if I didn't draw first   And I couldn't stand the thought of my momma steppin foot inside a church   All I try to do is try to get up out the dirt   Guess he's tryin to do the same, told me get up out his turf   I wanted to talk to him, but that shit'd never work   We was cut from the same cloth and what was under his shirt was his   Momma's rent, his young brother's clothes   My nephew's food, and with that I suppose   And with that I froze   Now my life is frozen in time behind these iron folds   And this story is told, for young soldiers   Who never choose the life we chose      Son don't let these streets, get the best of you   I will be right by your side, when you goin through   Son just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Get the best of you      Tears in my eyes as I look up, I'm tryin to   Hold back my pride but reality is screamin   Gotta get a job cause mo-mma also screamin   Streets are just like drugs, and it's like I'm out here fiendin   Forget all the hits in the industry, cause   Ain't no exceptions in this game for me, look   Neither God or my enemies, I   Choose God cause he understands, this   Young man with a thuggish heart   Whole world in his hands but still torn apart   Like I'm so close, but it's still so far   Nightmares of me in a swervin car, ohhh   No ground to place my feet (my feet)   I feel the fire under me (heyyy)   A way out is all I need (all I need)   Somebody, answer me      Son don't let these streets, get the best of you   I will be right by your side, when you goin through   Son just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Just don't let it (just don't let it)   Get the best of you