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.
Uhh, uh
Yeah
Uhh, uhh
Uh! Yeah, yeah
Uhh
I'm on
Fuck 'em, yeah, uhh
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Fuck her, never knew her
Screw her, (dump her body, dump her body) sewer
Our father, uh-huh
What you expected from his next of kin
I'm loco bro, but ain't no Mexican
I got nines in the bedroom, Glocks in the kitchen
A shotty by the shower if you wanna shoot me while I'm shittin'
Uhh, the lesson from the Smith and Wesson is depressin'
Niggas keep stressin', the same motherfuckin' question
How many shots does it take, to make my heart stop
And my body start to shake, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Fluck that
Snap a nigga shit, smash him with the fifth, watch his body lift
Shut his hottie's lips, bitch screamin', hit her body quick
Got me like the trifest not knowin' how my life is
My life is, rap sheet long as the Turnpike is
The sheistest, hey fella, who bidded with the lifers
Did it with the Glocks, spit it witcha pops, you was in diapers
Loved me when you came to Rikers
Hated me all in the free cypher, mad you can't be like us
Some murderers who turn bikers, see Biggie Smalls
Recruited these snipers, alumni do it just like us
Some pied pipers, squeezin' life out y'all
It's all out war, be all wild as all outdoor
If a coward got beef, y'all be checkin' his palm
Paralyzin, my niggas thorough kid, how 'bout yours?
Real quick to screw a nigga then, hop out four
Clean the wipers, hit the party up and, hop out yours
Bitch nigga, whoah
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Yo when you fuckin' wit MAC, you fuckin' wit the best
Still goin' to war with them dusty TECs
Man you know how I handle my shit, S.K. can on my shit
Jump out of vans like Hannibal Smith
Man I spit a thousand rounds, your squad don't need it
Shredders in a riot pump leave you quadriplegic
When I squeeze don't breathe keep it lined and even
So when niggas get hit, they be cryin' screamin'
Lyin' bleedin', from that iron steamin'
And I ain't tryin' to hear that bullshit, I ain't mean it
Niggas start bitchin', when that pistol in they face
Or I sick two pits to come and get you in your place
If I catch you in my shit, I'm wakin' my bitch
Hear take this shit, crackin' the brick, facin' that shit
Takin' two sniffs, grabbin' my shit
Best believe if I get hit, y'all niggas takin' some shit
Picture niggas takin' my shit
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Niggas never thought they'd see Cube and Biggie
In the year 2000, all drunk and pissy
Off whiskey, you can miss me, actin' gay
He's the King of New York, I'm the King of L.A.
Doin' it the OG way, it's sorta like
The Brooklyn Way, it's just the crook in me
So this is dedicated to the memory of
The Notorious One, the glorious one
And if you go for your gun, I got to go for mine
Cock my nine, and seperate yo' head from yo' spine
So, "Grab yo' dicks if you love hip-hop" and
Fuck you niggas that shot Big Pop'
The conspiracy, of this nation, for assassination
Of the young black male in this black hell
And I can tell, no matter the weather
That you and Tupac got yo' shit together
California Love
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Yeah
Uhh, uhh
Uh! Yeah, yeah
Uhh
I'm on
Fuck 'em, yeah, uhh
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Fuck her, never knew her
Screw her, (dump her body, dump her body) sewer
Our father, uh-huh
What you expected from his next of kin
I'm loco bro, but ain't no Mexican
I got nines in the bedroom, Glocks in the kitchen
A shotty by the shower if you wanna shoot me while I'm shittin'
Uhh, the lesson from the Smith and Wesson is depressin'
Niggas keep stressin', the same motherfuckin' question
How many shots does it take, to make my heart stop
And my body start to shake, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Fluck that
Snap a nigga shit, smash him with the fifth, watch his body lift
Shut his hottie's lips, bitch screamin', hit her body quick
Got me like the trifest not knowin' how my life is
My life is, rap sheet long as the Turnpike is
The sheistest, hey fella, who bidded with the lifers
Did it with the Glocks, spit it witcha pops, you was in diapers
Loved me when you came to Rikers
Hated me all in the free cypher, mad you can't be like us
Some murderers who turn bikers, see Biggie Smalls
Recruited these snipers, alumni do it just like us
Some pied pipers, squeezin' life out y'all
It's all out war, be all wild as all outdoor
If a coward got beef, y'all be checkin' his palm
Paralyzin, my niggas thorough kid, how 'bout yours?
Real quick to screw a nigga then, hop out four
Clean the wipers, hit the party up and, hop out yours
Bitch nigga, whoah
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Yo when you fuckin' wit MAC, you fuckin' wit the best
Still goin' to war with them dusty TECs
Man you know how I handle my shit, S.K. can on my shit
Jump out of vans like Hannibal Smith
Man I spit a thousand rounds, your squad don't need it
Shredders in a riot pump leave you quadriplegic
When I squeeze don't breathe keep it lined and even
So when niggas get hit, they be cryin' screamin'
Lyin' bleedin', from that iron steamin'
And I ain't tryin' to hear that bullshit, I ain't mean it
Niggas start bitchin', when that pistol in they face
Or I sick two pits to come and get you in your place
If I catch you in my shit, I'm wakin' my bitch
Hear take this shit, crackin' the brick, facin' that shit
Takin' two sniffs, grabbin' my shit
Best believe if I get hit, y'all niggas takin' some shit
Picture niggas takin' my shit
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Niggas never thought they'd see Cube and Biggie
In the year 2000, all drunk and pissy
Off whiskey, you can miss me, actin' gay
He's the King of New York, I'm the King of L.A.
Doin' it the OG way, it's sorta like
The Brooklyn Way, it's just the crook in me
So this is dedicated to the memory of
The Notorious One, the glorious one
And if you go for your gun, I got to go for mine
Cock my nine, and seperate yo' head from yo' spine
So, "Grab yo' dicks if you love hip-hop" and
Fuck you niggas that shot Big Pop'
The conspiracy, of this nation, for assassination
Of the young black male in this black hell
And I can tell, no matter the weather
That you and Tupac got yo' shit together
California Love
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
With my hands gripped, praise the Lord shit
Our father, if I should die before I wake
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
If I Should Die Before I Wake Lyrics as written by Christopher Wallace O'shea Jackson
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Standing On The Edge Of Summer
Thursday
Thursday
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
Wu-Tang Clan
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.