The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Yo Doc, what up my nigga? Snoop Dogg, this what it is
This record is so motherfuckin' gangsta, man
And I think it's time for me and you
To just tone it down a bit, come on
Imagine it never happened
Imagine no rappin', imagine niggaz trapped
Imagine it havin' action
Imagine how niggaz could be actin'
If you never got this shit crackin'
Imagine life's so hard
You can't imagine, it's like livin' in the City of God
You feel me? Imagine life on the yard
Or tryin' get that dollar on some shitty ass job
Imagine Biggie with his son
Imagine Pac gettin' call pop 'bout one
Imagine a mother struglin', dealin' with a system
That don't give a fuck about who shot her son
Imagine life where you can't win
When you get out of the ghetto and go right to the pen
When you get out the pen, you go right to the jenz
So if you get back to the streets, you go right back in
Imagine Russell still strugglin'
No Def Jam, just another nigga hustlin'
And there no rocks on them fellaz
Just rocks on them fellaz, just tryna keep it bubblin'
Imagine niggaz dressed up
From the East to the West Coast, everybody fucked up
I can't imagine no less
But it don't take imagination to know niggaz
Been blessed with hip hop
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life
Could you imagine bein' lit up by some hot shells?
Imagine bein' tossed around and put in jail
Imagine life when you can't get from under
Imagine niggaz at you when you done fo'
Remember how they asked you what you run for
And treat you like a bitch?
When they kick you in your dick and take your shit?
We actin' like they hate to see you gung ho
But just imagine if the rappin' got the gun, no
But you already know
Imagine niggaz in the LBC
Felt just like Snoop Dogg & D are E
And felt just like the niggaz in the 213
Then imagine that's what's comin' when you fuckin' with me
Imagine you was up on top of this shit
Imagine if the bitches could stay off this dick
I mean imagine we said fuck this shit
Imagine if my niggaz got together and tow up this bitch, yeah
You can't imagine growin' up in the jail, dunn
Happy just to be alive' watchin' all your people run
But you imagine growin' up to sell your 50 million records worldwide
Or fuckin' off somebody's son
Imagine if these niggaz never saw a color
Would it be peaceful in them streets where niggaz kill each other?
All the drunk fool get is pissed on balls
He fuckin' off my niggaz, they gon' murder us all, imagine that
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life, all my life
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life, all my life
Imagine, imagine
Can you imagine? Can you imagine?
Can you imagine? Imagine, imagine
In the name of Allah, in the name of God
The benificiant, the merciful
The one God to whom all praises due
Regardless of land labor, of title
No matter what name you call God by
Whenever life seems hard
Everybody know that you must talk to God
This record is so motherfuckin' gangsta, man
And I think it's time for me and you
To just tone it down a bit, come on
Imagine it never happened
Imagine no rappin', imagine niggaz trapped
Imagine it havin' action
Imagine how niggaz could be actin'
If you never got this shit crackin'
Imagine life's so hard
You can't imagine, it's like livin' in the City of God
You feel me? Imagine life on the yard
Or tryin' get that dollar on some shitty ass job
Imagine Biggie with his son
Imagine Pac gettin' call pop 'bout one
Imagine a mother struglin', dealin' with a system
That don't give a fuck about who shot her son
Imagine life where you can't win
When you get out of the ghetto and go right to the pen
When you get out the pen, you go right to the jenz
So if you get back to the streets, you go right back in
Imagine Russell still strugglin'
No Def Jam, just another nigga hustlin'
And there no rocks on them fellaz
Just rocks on them fellaz, just tryna keep it bubblin'
Imagine niggaz dressed up
From the East to the West Coast, everybody fucked up
I can't imagine no less
But it don't take imagination to know niggaz
Been blessed with hip hop
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life
Could you imagine bein' lit up by some hot shells?
Imagine bein' tossed around and put in jail
Imagine life when you can't get from under
Imagine niggaz at you when you done fo'
Remember how they asked you what you run for
And treat you like a bitch?
When they kick you in your dick and take your shit?
We actin' like they hate to see you gung ho
But just imagine if the rappin' got the gun, no
But you already know
Imagine niggaz in the LBC
Felt just like Snoop Dogg & D are E
And felt just like the niggaz in the 213
Then imagine that's what's comin' when you fuckin' with me
Imagine you was up on top of this shit
Imagine if the bitches could stay off this dick
I mean imagine we said fuck this shit
Imagine if my niggaz got together and tow up this bitch, yeah
You can't imagine growin' up in the jail, dunn
Happy just to be alive' watchin' all your people run
But you imagine growin' up to sell your 50 million records worldwide
Or fuckin' off somebody's son
Imagine if these niggaz never saw a color
Would it be peaceful in them streets where niggaz kill each other?
All the drunk fool get is pissed on balls
He fuckin' off my niggaz, they gon' murder us all, imagine that
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life, all my life
Before we go, can you imagine?
Picture years with your mom, can you imagine?
Paint a picture in the sky, can you imagine?
Call emergency, I've been dreamin' all my life, all my life
Imagine, imagine
Can you imagine? Can you imagine?
Can you imagine? Imagine, imagine
In the name of Allah, in the name of God
The benificiant, the merciful
The one God to whom all praises due
Regardless of land labor, of title
No matter what name you call God by
Whenever life seems hard
Everybody know that you must talk to God
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Imagine Lyrics as written by Dawaun Parker Andre Young
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Songtrust Ave, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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