In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
[Havoc] Huh, No Doubt...Yea, Yea
[Capone] CNN!
[Havoc] CNN once again...
[Capone] Capone-N-Noreaga, shit is live, live...
[Havoc] Illegal life...
[Capone] Illegal life...
[Havoc] Illegal lif.e..
[Capone] Take over...son...
[Havoc] Know Wha Saying...41st side
[Havoc] [Chorus 2x:] We hate the law so we break it,
Loyal to this life there`s no way to escape it,
You either make it or you take it,
If the game`s in you, dedicated stay true
Illegal Life
[Noreaga] Yo, I was in Vermada, laid up with gold saga
Jungle room, cowboy hat around June
Monaga, had the 45th draga, Capone-N-Noreaga
The saga, sega, mega, network and bodega
Dream marvelous, scandelous, black mantis
Illegal life is like my aerolight,
We be your light, hustle night to life
Desert storm, and cold form on your norm
Run through, hard-boil you like John Woo
The law we hate, drop a cake cut like mix tape
Spoil coke plate, you buying fake weight
The next state, contemplate and score jake hesus
Conduce, claim bishop in juice, bloody up your goose
Now who screamed for truce, Lefrak is Iraq
Illegal life contract, keep `em back, load up the big macs
[Havoc] Chorus 2x
[Capone] We hate the law, escalated war with jake, raise the crime rate
Criminal minds regulate the tri-state,
The legacy it never end, illegal life veteran salute
Get loot and stay true, corupt jake make it happen
Snatch `em catching O Z`s, put the game on freeze
Dedicated hustling won`t stop regardless
Whatever charges, getting the dough til you go,
Observation, direct sale, connects giving, reaching for ceiling
On the streets again, wild born, the enemy became your best friend
Meet the game closer, maped out many ways to get rich
[Havoc] Ay yo, for real crime pays
[Capone] 9 6 the deal, we real about this cheddar, forever
Corner standing, in any weather, heat holding you down
Controlling your ground, stick-up kids come around
And taste the pound, CNN, put our soul on the line
For this life of crime, 2 5 forever shine
[Tradegy Khadafi] 9 6 stay hungry, son collect roughly
While the streets change, me and my man remain tough (ly)
[Havoc] Chorus 2x: We hate the law so we make(break) it
Loyal to this life there`s no way to escape it
You either make it or you take it,
If the game`s in you, dedicated stay true
Illegal Life
[Tradegy Khadafi] see A P O N E with me, pappy, Hav and Pee,
Tradegy Khadafi, N O why D, a man and me
On some mobb shhh, spark up cigar shhh
Cubans sit back jack, my niggas smoke dat
Generate, be the coke razor on a coke plate
Back up the crime son, and try to see a triple double
And get my loot back on a time table,
Ay yo it`s CNN, you soon to see us on cable
At the round table, networked through the label
[Havoc] Illegal life, illegal life, illegal life
Illegal life, illegal life, illegal life
[Capone] CNN!
[Havoc] CNN once again...
[Capone] Capone-N-Noreaga, shit is live, live...
[Havoc] Illegal life...
[Capone] Illegal life...
[Havoc] Illegal lif.e..
[Capone] Take over...son...
[Havoc] Know Wha Saying...41st side
[Havoc] [Chorus 2x:] We hate the law so we break it,
Loyal to this life there`s no way to escape it,
You either make it or you take it,
If the game`s in you, dedicated stay true
Illegal Life
[Noreaga] Yo, I was in Vermada, laid up with gold saga
Jungle room, cowboy hat around June
Monaga, had the 45th draga, Capone-N-Noreaga
The saga, sega, mega, network and bodega
Dream marvelous, scandelous, black mantis
Illegal life is like my aerolight,
We be your light, hustle night to life
Desert storm, and cold form on your norm
Run through, hard-boil you like John Woo
The law we hate, drop a cake cut like mix tape
Spoil coke plate, you buying fake weight
The next state, contemplate and score jake hesus
Conduce, claim bishop in juice, bloody up your goose
Now who screamed for truce, Lefrak is Iraq
Illegal life contract, keep `em back, load up the big macs
[Havoc] Chorus 2x
[Capone] We hate the law, escalated war with jake, raise the crime rate
Criminal minds regulate the tri-state,
The legacy it never end, illegal life veteran salute
Get loot and stay true, corupt jake make it happen
Snatch `em catching O Z`s, put the game on freeze
Dedicated hustling won`t stop regardless
Whatever charges, getting the dough til you go,
Observation, direct sale, connects giving, reaching for ceiling
On the streets again, wild born, the enemy became your best friend
Meet the game closer, maped out many ways to get rich
[Havoc] Ay yo, for real crime pays
[Capone] 9 6 the deal, we real about this cheddar, forever
Corner standing, in any weather, heat holding you down
Controlling your ground, stick-up kids come around
And taste the pound, CNN, put our soul on the line
For this life of crime, 2 5 forever shine
[Tradegy Khadafi] 9 6 stay hungry, son collect roughly
While the streets change, me and my man remain tough (ly)
[Havoc] Chorus 2x: We hate the law so we make(break) it
Loyal to this life there`s no way to escape it
You either make it or you take it,
If the game`s in you, dedicated stay true
Illegal Life
[Tradegy Khadafi] see A P O N E with me, pappy, Hav and Pee,
Tradegy Khadafi, N O why D, a man and me
On some mobb shhh, spark up cigar shhh
Cubans sit back jack, my niggas smoke dat
Generate, be the coke razor on a coke plate
Back up the crime son, and try to see a triple double
And get my loot back on a time table,
Ay yo it`s CNN, you soon to see us on cable
At the round table, networked through the label
[Havoc] Illegal life, illegal life, illegal life
Illegal life, illegal life, illegal life
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