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.
Only God Can Judge Me
(Is that right)
Nobody else, Nobody else
All you other muthaf***as
Get out of my business
Perhaps, I was blind to tha facts
Stabbed in tha back
I Couldn't trust my own homies
just a bunch a dirty rats
Will I, succeed
paranoid from the weed
And hocus pocus try to focus
But I can't see
And in my mind
Imma, blind man doin' time
Look to my future
cause my past is all behind me
Is it a crime
to fight for what is mine
Everybodies dyin'
Tell me, what's the use of tryin'
I've been trapped since birth
Cautious, cause I'm cursed
and fantansies of my family
in a hearse
And they say
It's the white man
I should fear
But, it's my own kind
Doin' all the killin' here
I can't lie
Ain't no love, for the other side
Jealousy inside
Make 'em wish I died
Oh my lord
Tell me what I'm livin' for
Everybodies droppin'
got me knockin' on heaven's door
And all my memories
is seeing brothas bleed
And everybody grieves
But still nobody sees
regulate your thoughts
Don't get caught up in tha mix
cause the media is full of dirty tricks
Only God can Judge me
[Chorus]
Only God Can Judge Me(repeated several times)
I hear the doctor standing over me
screaming I can make it
Got a body full of bullet holes
Laying here naked
Still I can't breathe
something evil's in my I-V
'cause everytime I breathe
I think they're killing me
I'm having nightmares
Homicidal fantansies
I wake up stranglin'
Danglin'
from my bed sheets
I call the nurse
'Cause it hurts
To reminisce
How could it come to this?
I wish they dind't miss
somebody help me
Tell me where to go from here?
'Cause even thugs cry
but do the Lord care?
Tryin' to remember
But it hurts
I'm walking through the cemetery
talkin' to the dirt
I'd rather die like a man
than live like a coward
there's a ghetto up in heaven
and its ours
Black Power
Is what we scream
As we dream
In a paranoid state
And our fate
Is a lifetime of hate
Dear mama, can you save me
And f**k peace
'Cause the streets got our babies
We got to eat
No more hesitation
each and every black males trapped
And they wonder why we suicidal
walkin' around strapped
It's the police
please try to see to this
there's a million m**ha-fu**as
Stressing just like me
Only God can Judge Me
Only God Can Judge Me (repeated several times)
Powers that judge can not kill me
but only make me stronger
I don't see why everybody gotta feel
as thou that they gotta tell me how to live my life,
Let me live baby
Let me live
Pac I feel yah
Keep servin' it on the real ya
For instance, sayin'
Playa hatin' marks want to kill yah
Would you be wrong
For bucking a nigga into the pavement
He gonna get me first
If I don't get him
If you better start praying
Ain't no such thing
As, self defence
In the court of law
So Judges when we get to where were gonna
we're in the cross
that's real
Gotti, lurk thee
Creep tha f**k up on him
Sold a half a million tapes
No everybody want him
Now talkin' behind my back
Like, a bitch would
Tellin' them niggas, "you can fade us"
Punk, I wish you would
It be the same mutha-f**kas in your face
gotta rush up in your place
to get your safe
Knowing you on that paper chase
grass, glass
Big screen and leather couch
My new shit is so fine
I already sold a key of ounce
B*ch
Remember Tupac and 4-Tay
The same two brothas dodgin' bullets
And represtin' the Bay
Pac when you was locked down
That's when I'll be around
Start climbing up the charts
so sick but they try to clown
that's why they ride the band-wagon
Still we draggin' sellin' live
Don't think I don't see you playa haters
I know you all wear disguises
Guess you figure you know me
'Cause I'm a thug
that love to hit the late night club
drinkin' buzz
living lavish like a playa all day
I'm 'bout to floss 'em off
Playa stick with 4-Tay
Only God Can Judge Me
(Is that right)
Nobody else, Nobody else
All you other muthaf***as
Get out of my business
Perhaps, I was blind to tha facts
Stabbed in tha back
I Couldn't trust my own homies
just a bunch a dirty rats
Will I, succeed
paranoid from the weed
And hocus pocus try to focus
But I can't see
And in my mind
Imma, blind man doin' time
Look to my future
cause my past is all behind me
Is it a crime
to fight for what is mine
Everybodies dyin'
Tell me, what's the use of tryin'
I've been trapped since birth
Cautious, cause I'm cursed
and fantansies of my family
in a hearse
And they say
It's the white man
I should fear
But, it's my own kind
Doin' all the killin' here
I can't lie
Ain't no love, for the other side
Jealousy inside
Make 'em wish I died
Oh my lord
Tell me what I'm livin' for
Everybodies droppin'
got me knockin' on heaven's door
And all my memories
is seeing brothas bleed
And everybody grieves
But still nobody sees
regulate your thoughts
Don't get caught up in tha mix
cause the media is full of dirty tricks
Only God can Judge me
[Chorus]
Only God Can Judge Me(repeated several times)
I hear the doctor standing over me
screaming I can make it
Got a body full of bullet holes
Laying here naked
Still I can't breathe
something evil's in my I-V
'cause everytime I breathe
I think they're killing me
I'm having nightmares
Homicidal fantansies
I wake up stranglin'
Danglin'
from my bed sheets
I call the nurse
'Cause it hurts
To reminisce
How could it come to this?
I wish they dind't miss
somebody help me
Tell me where to go from here?
'Cause even thugs cry
but do the Lord care?
Tryin' to remember
But it hurts
I'm walking through the cemetery
talkin' to the dirt
I'd rather die like a man
than live like a coward
there's a ghetto up in heaven
and its ours
Black Power
Is what we scream
As we dream
In a paranoid state
And our fate
Is a lifetime of hate
Dear mama, can you save me
And f**k peace
'Cause the streets got our babies
We got to eat
No more hesitation
each and every black males trapped
And they wonder why we suicidal
walkin' around strapped
It's the police
please try to see to this
there's a million m**ha-fu**as
Stressing just like me
Only God can Judge Me
Only God Can Judge Me (repeated several times)
Powers that judge can not kill me
but only make me stronger
I don't see why everybody gotta feel
as thou that they gotta tell me how to live my life,
Let me live baby
Let me live
Pac I feel yah
Keep servin' it on the real ya
For instance, sayin'
Playa hatin' marks want to kill yah
Would you be wrong
For bucking a nigga into the pavement
He gonna get me first
If I don't get him
If you better start praying
Ain't no such thing
As, self defence
In the court of law
So Judges when we get to where were gonna
we're in the cross
that's real
Gotti, lurk thee
Creep tha f**k up on him
Sold a half a million tapes
No everybody want him
Now talkin' behind my back
Like, a bitch would
Tellin' them niggas, "you can fade us"
Punk, I wish you would
It be the same mutha-f**kas in your face
gotta rush up in your place
to get your safe
Knowing you on that paper chase
grass, glass
Big screen and leather couch
My new shit is so fine
I already sold a key of ounce
B*ch
Remember Tupac and 4-Tay
The same two brothas dodgin' bullets
And represtin' the Bay
Pac when you was locked down
That's when I'll be around
Start climbing up the charts
so sick but they try to clown
that's why they ride the band-wagon
Still we draggin' sellin' live
Don't think I don't see you playa haters
I know you all wear disguises
Guess you figure you know me
'Cause I'm a thug
that love to hit the late night club
drinkin' buzz
living lavish like a playa all day
I'm 'bout to floss 'em off
Playa stick with 4-Tay
Only God Can Judge Me
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar, edited by rrrty
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"I couldn't trust my own homies just a bunch a dirty rats"
is really
"dirty facts" not rats...
I guess this song is about being in the eyes of the media and being criticized.
"There's a ghetto up in Heaven and it's ours."
heaven sounds bad for the african american community.
Its hard 4 a real thug on the streets 2 imagine heaven,So pac was a genius when he thought of a gehto heaven,(where thugs get in free but u gotta be a G).I can imagine a gehto heaven ,were the thugs unite without the guns,cussing and liquer..RIP PAC ...
pacaveli, Fuck learn how to spell
i feel this, but ultimately everyone judges
but you should judge on peoples actions.. not their words
WOW!! dis is so weird! ok. on msn, my name is "if it dont kill ya, it make ya strongah" and i've had it for about a month or more now, with pacs pic. and i juss read the lyrics to dis song and pac says "That which does not kill me can only make me stronger"!!!!! aint dat so damn weird? i never even heard dis song until today! im amazed! i meen, iss da same thing only in slitely different wording!!!! im still in shock! i no i probably sound like a dork but i juss cant help it!!!! WOW, WOW, WOW!!!!!!!!