This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
Yeah Short Dawg in the house
Survivin' the game man, it ain't easy when
You out here for uh ten years hanging with the cut-throats
Back stabbers, player haters ya know what I'm sayin'?
But I'm a bitch killer always was, and always will be
If you ain't in the right state of mind don't play with me
Cause they ain't never ended slavery
You fuckin' with my freedom, let's keep it real fool
Don't underestimate niggas who'll kill you
Cause everything changed, and everybody got a strap
Don't want to be attacked keep it on your lap
I'm smobbing in my drop, smiling like Priest
Superfly top down speeding through the streets
Killers on the prowl,and jacking is how
They get paid pull out a gat and break your ass down
Nigga show no fear, but you scared as hell
And your partner riding with you is prepared to tell
But you don't know it yet, you havin' hella fun
And when the shit hit the fan and you on the run
You better pray if they catch your homeboy first
Cause if they put him under pressure, he bound to burst
Into a long conversation bout everything you did
No more tusslin', time to do a bid
In the brand new jail that they built for you
Where the smallest little thing you get killed over
(survivin' the game)
Ain't to bailin' out, you mad as hell
Instead of send you to school, they keep you in jail
That cost way more, when you do time
When you creep through the hood and kill your own kind
They building county jails, and penitentiaries
They gettin' ready for the motherfucking 21st century
Computers taking over, money's obsolete
Now they buying all the houses in the ghetto streets
They way we live now, we can't last long
Cause everyday niggas gettin' they blast on
Funerals and court dates, plea bargain for your life
You'll be out in twelve years, once a month see your wife
Now how that sound?
You killed the black man, now they got you locked down
They let you learn a trade, working years for pennies
And that shit you building, was making white man plenty
Got the game fucked up, and you'll never be rich
It's all about respect and they treat you like a bitch
(survivin' the game)
I was born with the skills of a black man
To survive in the streets and keep stackin'
I'm thirty years old, and far from done
I don't care what you think, I ain't forgot where I'm from
East Oakland and that's where I learned
Everything I know, and when I got my turn
I never came fake on a microphone
I always let em know that the town is home
I wasn't born in Oakland, I was born a mack
Stay true to the game, always stating the facts
Bitch you can't stop my mack attack
I know you love this shit, when I rap like that
You never would get me to change my style
I spent 20 million dollars on a brand new house
I got bills to pay, no time to be fake
Eating top rump don't fuck with steak
Don't be jealous of me, cause it's well known
I could slip in a minute after hella songs
Make one fake album and I'm through
I be a broke ass nigga like you
So I just try to stay focused and do my job
Turn that shit up loud and watch a bitch head bob
Cause I'm the Too S-H-O-are-T
I take a square ass bitch and turn her into a freak
(survivin' the game)
Now growing old in the streets ain't no easy task
Losing homeboys every time the season pass
Gettin' phone calls, another soldier dead
Sittin' in the car got four in the head
Rush to his mama house the shit is real
Trying to find out why a nigga got killed
I'm about to hurt somebody, give a fuck who
Cause you already know what you need to do
Kill another black man that's what you figure
Just what we need, another dead nigga
Got your guns you don't want none
You stupid motherfucker where they come from
From the white man, get em like fast food
With an attitude to make a nigga blast you
You little violent motherfucker don't play with me
Cause they ain't never ended slavery fuckin with my freedom
(survivin' the game)
Survivin' the game man, it ain't easy when
You out here for uh ten years hanging with the cut-throats
Back stabbers, player haters ya know what I'm sayin'?
But I'm a bitch killer always was, and always will be
If you ain't in the right state of mind don't play with me
Cause they ain't never ended slavery
You fuckin' with my freedom, let's keep it real fool
Don't underestimate niggas who'll kill you
Cause everything changed, and everybody got a strap
Don't want to be attacked keep it on your lap
I'm smobbing in my drop, smiling like Priest
Superfly top down speeding through the streets
Killers on the prowl,and jacking is how
They get paid pull out a gat and break your ass down
Nigga show no fear, but you scared as hell
And your partner riding with you is prepared to tell
But you don't know it yet, you havin' hella fun
And when the shit hit the fan and you on the run
You better pray if they catch your homeboy first
Cause if they put him under pressure, he bound to burst
Into a long conversation bout everything you did
No more tusslin', time to do a bid
In the brand new jail that they built for you
Where the smallest little thing you get killed over
(survivin' the game)
Ain't to bailin' out, you mad as hell
Instead of send you to school, they keep you in jail
That cost way more, when you do time
When you creep through the hood and kill your own kind
They building county jails, and penitentiaries
They gettin' ready for the motherfucking 21st century
Computers taking over, money's obsolete
Now they buying all the houses in the ghetto streets
They way we live now, we can't last long
Cause everyday niggas gettin' they blast on
Funerals and court dates, plea bargain for your life
You'll be out in twelve years, once a month see your wife
Now how that sound?
You killed the black man, now they got you locked down
They let you learn a trade, working years for pennies
And that shit you building, was making white man plenty
Got the game fucked up, and you'll never be rich
It's all about respect and they treat you like a bitch
(survivin' the game)
I was born with the skills of a black man
To survive in the streets and keep stackin'
I'm thirty years old, and far from done
I don't care what you think, I ain't forgot where I'm from
East Oakland and that's where I learned
Everything I know, and when I got my turn
I never came fake on a microphone
I always let em know that the town is home
I wasn't born in Oakland, I was born a mack
Stay true to the game, always stating the facts
Bitch you can't stop my mack attack
I know you love this shit, when I rap like that
You never would get me to change my style
I spent 20 million dollars on a brand new house
I got bills to pay, no time to be fake
Eating top rump don't fuck with steak
Don't be jealous of me, cause it's well known
I could slip in a minute after hella songs
Make one fake album and I'm through
I be a broke ass nigga like you
So I just try to stay focused and do my job
Turn that shit up loud and watch a bitch head bob
Cause I'm the Too S-H-O-are-T
I take a square ass bitch and turn her into a freak
(survivin' the game)
Now growing old in the streets ain't no easy task
Losing homeboys every time the season pass
Gettin' phone calls, another soldier dead
Sittin' in the car got four in the head
Rush to his mama house the shit is real
Trying to find out why a nigga got killed
I'm about to hurt somebody, give a fuck who
Cause you already know what you need to do
Kill another black man that's what you figure
Just what we need, another dead nigga
Got your guns you don't want none
You stupid motherfucker where they come from
From the white man, get em like fast food
With an attitude to make a nigga blast you
You little violent motherfucker don't play with me
Cause they ain't never ended slavery fuckin with my freedom
(survivin' the game)
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Survivin' the Game Lyrics as written by Banks Shaw
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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