[INTRO — CRACKLING 1960s SOUL RECORD, LONELY MALE TENOR] Somebody tell my mother, I didn’t mean to stay away. I was only looking for somebody, Who’d love me enough to stay… [SOUL RECORD SLOWS TO A STOP] [THE STREETS — VERY DEEP, OLDER MALE VOICE, GENTLE BUT SINISTER] You remember the first time we met? You was just a little boy. Nobody wanted you around. But I did. [BEAT DROPS — HEAVY, DUSTY EAST COAST BOOM-BAP] [VERSE 1 — THE MAN, RASPY, TIRED, NATURAL RAP] I was twelve when I first started hanging by the liquor store, Mama worked the graveyard shift, I hated being home alone. Used to watch the other children getting picked up by their dads, I just walked another block and tried forgetting what I lacked. There was Raymond on the corner, everybody called him Ray, Had a brand-new pair of sneakers, gave his old ones straight away. They were two sizes too big, but I wore ’em every day, Told my mama that I found ‘em, couldn’t tell her who was Ray. He would ask me how my day was, sometimes bought me something sweet, Said, “A little man like you shouldn’t have to worry ’bout a thing.” I remember feeling proud when he would introduce me around, For the first time in my life, somebody wanted me in town. Then the favors started changing, little packages to move, Said, “It’s nothing, just a favor, ain’t nobody watching you.” I was scared the first few times, but he smiled and shook my hand, Said, “You did good, little brother. Now you’re growing to a man.” I went home with eighty dollars, bought my mama groceries, She just stood there in the kitchen asking where I got the cheese. I said, “Mama, don’t you worry, I can help us out some more.” She looked at me and started crying. I didn’t know what she cried for. [HOOK — WOUNDED VINTAGE SOUL VOCAL] Oh, these streets of truth, You made a promise you couldn’t keep. You gave a lonely boy a family, Then you laid him down to sleep. You told him he was somebody, You told him he’d never be alone. But the streets don’t love their children… They just teach ’em how to die far from home. [VERSE 2 — THE STREETS, DEEP AND PERSUASIVE] Look at everything I gave you, boy. Remember all those hungry nights? Remember how they used to laugh at you? I made ’em treat you right. I gave you brothers, gave you money, Gave you women, gave you pride. When the world turned its back on you, Who was standing by your side? [THE MAN — RASPY, REFLECTIVE] Yeah, I remember all the money, all the nights we used to drink, All the times I woke up somewhere, couldn’t even stop to think. I remember Chris was seventeen, got hooked on something strong, We all laughed when he was stumbling, never knew something was wrong. Found him sitting in a bathroom with his head against the wall, His little sister kept on asking why her brother wouldn’t talk. I remember standing frozen while his mama screamed his name, And the following Friday night, we went right back to doing the same. [THE STREETS — CALM] People die, son. That’s just how it goes. [THE MAN — ANGRY] He was seventeen! He still had his whole life to go! [THE STREETS — COLD] And you still had yours. So why you wasting time crying? [THE MAN — QUIETER] That’s what you always told me. And I believed you every time. [VERSE 3 — THE MAN, STORYTELLING, INCREASING REGRET] By nineteen I had a daughter, little girl with mama’s eyes, She would grab my index finger, wouldn’t let me say goodbye. Her mama begged me, “Get a job, we don’t need expensive things, I just want you here on Sundays, wanna see you wear that ring.” But I was chasing after money, trying hard to make it big, Said, “I’m doing this for all of us,” like that excused the things I did. Missed her birthday in September, promised Christmas I’d be there, Bought a bicycle that December, left it sitting by the stairs. She was four when she first asked me, “Daddy, why you always leave?” I said, “Baby, I’m just working, making money for your dreams.” She said, “I don’t want no money, Daddy, can you stay tonight?” I kissed her forehead, grabbed my jacket, said, “I’ll see you when it’s light.” [BEAT SOFTENS] That’s the part that keeps repeating. Not the money. Not the fights. Just her standing in pajamas… Asking me to stay that night. [HOOK — SOUL SINGER, QUIET AND HEARTBROKEN] Oh, these streets of truth, You made a promise you couldn’t keep. You gave a lonely boy a family, Then you laid him down to sleep. You told him he was somebody, You told him he’d never be alone. But the streets don’t love their children… They just teach ’em how to die far from home. [VERSE 4 — THE STREETS, LOW AND SUSPICIOUS] You remember Marcus? That boy you called your brother? He been talking behind your back. You really think you can trust him? [THE MAN — TENSE, GRITTY] Marcus was my closest friend, we’d been running since thirteen, He was there when I got jumped, he was there when I had dreams. He was standing in the hospital the day my child was born, Held my daughter in his arms,
