[Intro] Yeah Back in my day little homie We used to see the old heads on the block Brown bags, red eyes Never thought we'd turn into them Listen close [Verse 1] We used to call them winos, leaning by the bodega Slumped on milk crates, city dirt on they sneakers Laughing at them back then, we ain't know they was bleeding Bottle was they bandage, numbing pain they was keeping Saw them every morning like the sun came up Whole block knew the smell when they cracked that cup Never knew life was dying, toxins flooding inside them Never knew the liquor owned them, they ain't really buy it 'Cause somebody profit every time you lose your focus Somebody pushing poison where they know the hood is hopeless Furious Styles told us, liquor store on every corner But no investment building, no jobs, no lawyers We ain't listen though, we was kids on them curbs Mimicking what we saw, every laugh, every word Now years done passed, I look around and it's cold The people I grew up with took the same damn road [Chorus] Don't be a wino, don't let the bottle be the thing that define you I seen kings turn weak, seen dreams go cheap Just a sip turn a beast to a man on his knees Don't be a wino, I'm just talking 'cause I love you, I remind you 'Cause the ones we used to clown now the mirror looking wild That reflection hit heavy when the kid become the child [Verse 2] I seen uncle's fade fast, eyes yellow like the streetlights Doctor say the liver look like something chewing deep bites Alcohol a beast fight, every shot a cheap price 'Til your heart beat sound like somebody tapping weak twice And who own the liquor? Not the ones who drink it Corporations cash checks while the hood sink deeper They plant stores in the places where they know we ain't thinking Where we drown every trauma in the poison they bringing And I ain't preaching little homie, I'm warning I done buried too many good souls by the morning Saw good men fail by the fifth every day Saw fathers lose children 'cause the liquor took their way I ain't saying don't sip, just don't drown in it Don't let the buzz be the bed where you lay down limits 'Cause the winos we saw had a life once too 'Til the bottle took the crown, don't let it happen to you [Chorus] Don't be a wino, don't let the bottle be the thing that define you I seen kings turn weak, seen dreams go cheap Just a sip turn a beast to a man on his knees Don't be a wino, I'm just talking 'cause I love you, I remind you 'Cause the ones we used to clown now the mirror looking wild That reflection hit heavy when the kid become the child [Bridge – Elder Tone] They told me, “Life get heavy when the pain ain’t healed.” But runnin’ to the bottle make the reaper real. Listen son… Guard your soul, guard your health, guard your pride — ’Cause that liquor ain’t your friend, it just waits outside. [Outro] So when you walk past the block and you see an old soul, Don’t laugh, don’t judge — that could be you when you old. Learn from us… Break the chain, be wise — stay woke. Don’t become what we called ’em… Don’t turn into a wineo. Want more motivation? Follow Grind U-N_I_V Media on Facebook Time Don't Stop So The Grind Don"t Stop
