This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
Now if you want to be happy,let me tell you how to do it
You get up in the morning and you get right to it
You bring home the bacon and you make a little bread
You get a little sleepy and you go back to bed
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
If everybody says you're a little to tall
Go out and get yourself a basketball
Dye your hair orange and put a ring in your ear
You can make forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
If everybody says you're a little to short
Go out and get yourself a big ol' horse
You can be a jockey if you got no fear
You can make forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Be good to your sister and good to your brother
Be good to your poppa and good to your mother
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if you're a con man lookin' for a pigeon
Go out and start a brand new religion
Get on TV and make a money request
They can all go to heaven while they're starvin' to death
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if everybody says you're a little too rough
Go out and get yourself some boxing gloves
Beat somebody up around the ears
You can make fort y seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Be good to your sister and good to your brother
Be good to your poppa and good to your mother
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if everybody says you're a little to slick
Get yourself into politics
Get that office and get that power
And you can spend forty seven million dollars an hour
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if you can pick a guitar and sing through your nose
Get yourself a bunchy of cowboy clothes
Sing about dying and shedding them tears
You can lose forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
You get up in the morning and you get right to it
You bring home the bacon and you make a little bread
You get a little sleepy and you go back to bed
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
If everybody says you're a little to tall
Go out and get yourself a basketball
Dye your hair orange and put a ring in your ear
You can make forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
If everybody says you're a little to short
Go out and get yourself a big ol' horse
You can be a jockey if you got no fear
You can make forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Be good to your sister and good to your brother
Be good to your poppa and good to your mother
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if you're a con man lookin' for a pigeon
Go out and start a brand new religion
Get on TV and make a money request
They can all go to heaven while they're starvin' to death
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if everybody says you're a little too rough
Go out and get yourself some boxing gloves
Beat somebody up around the ears
You can make fort y seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Be good to your sister and good to your brother
Be good to your poppa and good to your mother
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if everybody says you're a little to slick
Get yourself into politics
Get that office and get that power
And you can spend forty seven million dollars an hour
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Now if you can pick a guitar and sing through your nose
Get yourself a bunchy of cowboy clothes
Sing about dying and shedding them tears
You can lose forty seven million dollars a year
Life don't have to mean nothin' at all
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Life Don't Have to Mean Nothin' at All Lyrics as written by Tom T. Hall
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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