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.
I've been kind of tired
Lately I've been not myself
I'm feeling like I should be putting in
So much more than what I put in
The wife the kids are starting to get in the way of the important things
Like cars like ours
Like customers
Just keep smiling
And I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try hard
Is this is a joke?
I'm not laughing
I'm not trying to be difficult
Cause a scene
I dress real good
I talk real good
I act exactly like I should
Just like you taught me
Like I'm part of something bigger
More fulfilling
More worthwhile
Than anything left in my life
And I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
Lately I've been not myself
I'm feeling like I should be putting in
So much more than what I put in
The wife the kids are starting to get in the way of the important things
Like cars like ours
Like customers
Just keep smiling
And I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try hard
Is this is a joke?
I'm not laughing
I'm not trying to be difficult
Cause a scene
I dress real good
I talk real good
I act exactly like I should
Just like you taught me
Like I'm part of something bigger
More fulfilling
More worthwhile
Than anything left in my life
And I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
I'll try harder
Lyrics submitted by dukesup
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I think this song is about a husband who's trying as hard as he could to follow his fathers footsteps, to be successful, but isn't doing to well. This business life he's created is eating away at his personal life, so neither are going well. He tries to be professional to follow his fathers words, to be exactly what a business man should, and to make money, but regardless he's just not the most successful, so he constantly is trying to better himself and his work life. I picture a tired frusterated man who can only smile at customers, a man distrought at home, growing from his family in his personal life that he's attempting to work so hard for.
I could be way off though.. Anyone?
I agree. He's caught up in the machine-like bullshit of working too much. At times I'm either discouraged or inspired by the "I'll try harder.." lines. As if sometimes it's him trying to be strong, and other times just it's him mumbling and realizing the futility of it all, hence all the repetition.
Of course, there really -is- no bright side to this one. Still, it's good stuff.
I feel the same about this song. It doesn't really matter what the story is exactly, but it's definitely a void of meaning in one's life. The "I'll try harder" lines just have so much tired effort, like he's exhausted of just sticking it out year after year and getting no satisfaction in his life. Particularly touching for me is the part "I act exactly like I should Just like you taught me Like I'm part of something bigger More fulfilling More worthwhile Than anything left in my life," like there's nothing left living for in his personal life so he just becomes an indistinct cog in the machine of society... touching and so sad...