(Spoken Intro) "There are 'friends' who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother..." (Verse 1) Look, I used to have a "circle," at least that’s what I called ‘em A bunch of ghosts in a basement, waitin’ for the sky to fall in See, misery loves company, and man, we had a crowd Talkin’ loud, sayin’ nothin’, wrapped in a chemical cloud We were "brothers" in the gutter, "homies" in the trap But the moment I started sinkin’, they were lookin’ for the gap They didn't reach a hand down they just reached for my pocket When the ship started leakin’, they were the first ones to rocket That’s that "destruction" friendship, parasites in disguise Lookin’ at my pale face with those dilated eyes I was dyin’ in the light, they were livin’ for the dark Just a bunch of cold flints tryin’ to find a dying spark. (Chorus) So give me one real soul... over a thousand fake smiles Someone to walk beside me... through these agonizing miles ‘Cause when the shadows start creepin’... and the cravings start to itch I need a brother in the trenches... not a ghost in the ditch. (Post-Chorus) Yeah, I just need a brother... when that itch starts to burn I just need a brother... when I got nowhere to turn. (Verse 2) Yeah, we were "down for the cause" 'til the sirens started fadin' Then it’s every man for himself, backstabbing and tradin' I’ve seen "brothers" rip the shoes off a man while he’s OD'ing Too busy lookin' for a stash to care about a human being I’ve been robbed by the same hand I shared a plate with Lies so thick it’s a wonder anyone can even breathe with They’ll smile to your face while they’re plottin' on your sneakers The kind of "friends" who turn the volume up on the speakers Just to drown out the sound of you beggin' for some help While they’re strippin' your life for anything that they can sell Ripping and robbing, man, it’s a cold-blooded game Where the only thing they’re loyal to is the drug in their vein. (Chorus) So give me one real soul... over a thousand fake smiles Someone to walk beside me... through these agonizing miles ‘Cause when the shadows start creepin’... and the cravings start to itch I need a brother in the trenches... not a ghost in the ditch. (Post-Chorus) Yeah, I just need a brother... when that itch starts to burn I just need a brother... when I got nowhere to turn. (Bridge) I’m on my knees, knuckles white, lookin’ up at the ceiling Screamin’ to a God I barely know, lookin’ for a feeling Beggin’, "Please, oh please, just give me one sign I’m alive!" I’m loosing’ my grip, man, I’m just tryna survive I don’t need another liar, I don’t need a soul to deceive me I just need a break, a minute of reprieve, Lord, believe me! Just a second of silence from the war in my head Before I wake up tomorrow and I find myself dead Give me one real person, one heart that’s actually true I’m beggin' You, please... I don't know what else to do! (Chorus) So give me one real soul... over a thousand fake smiles Someone to walk beside me... through these agonizing miles ‘Cause when the shadows start creepin’... and the cravings start to itch I need a brother in the trenches... not a ghost in the ditch. (Verse 3) Now I’m lookin' at a brother, not a dealer, not a ghost He’s the 2:00 AM phone call, screamin' when I need him the most.. The one who’s pullin' me back when the enemy is calling with the dope... See, we survived the same poison, we survived the same hell We’re the ones who found the exit from that suffocatin' cell And you put me in a circle with these warriors of grit Who refused to let the darkness be the final place they sit? Then you’re lookin' at a fortress that’s impossible to shake A bond forged in the fire that nothing can break We’re standin' back-to-back, locked in, holdin' the line Defendin' every inch of this life that’s finally mine Yeah, we’re the triple-braided cord, man, we’re built to endure The world tried to kill us, but the brotherhood’s the cure. (Chorus) So give me one real soul... over a thousand fake smiles Someone to walk beside me... through these agonizing miles ‘Cause when the shadows start creepin’... and the cravings start to itch I need a brother in the trenches... not a ghost in the ditch. (Post-Chorus) Yeah, I just need a brother... when that itch starts to burn I just need a brother... when I got nowhere to turn. (Outro) "A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken..."
