Pray

[Intro: Beyoncé]

Deliver me from my enemies, o' God

Defend me from all that rise up against me

Deliver me from the work of iniquity

And save me from the Bloody Men

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]

Look, mind state of a gangster from the '40s

Meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy

Turned crack rock into a chain of '40/40's

Sorry, my jewelry's so gaudy

Slid into the party with my new pair of Mauri's

America, meet the gangster Shawn Corey

"Hey, Young World," wanna hear a story?

Close your eyes and you can pretend you're me

I'm cut from the cloth of the Kennedy's

Frank Sinatra, having dinner with the Genovese

This is the genesis of a nemesis

Mother America's not witnessed since

The Harlem Renaissance birthed Black businesses

This is the tale of lost innocence

As the incense burn

And the turntables turn and that Al Green plays

I see my mother's afro

As Mama taps her toes, as she rolls her J's

And my papa just left the house

In search of the killer of my Uncle Ray

And she's trying to calm her nerves

As I observe, this is just one day

And what tomorrow has in store, we can never be sure

So all we can do is pray

[Break: Beyoncé]

Because of your strength

While I walked upon thee

For God is my defense

Pray for me!

[Verse 2: Jay-Z]

As I head to my homeroom

I observe the ruins, dope needles on the ground

I hear a car go, "Vroom"

Drug dealer in the BM with the top down

As the girls start to giggle

I ask, "Why you laugh?" They say, "You're too little"

"One day, you'll understand when you become a man

About things you have to get you"

Fast-forward, freeze-frame on my pistol

Fistful of dollars, ignorance is so blissful

I didn't choose this life, this life chose me

Around here, it's the shit that you just do

I just left school

The same BM is pulled over by the boys dressed blue

They had their guns drawn, screaming, "Just move!" ("Don't move!")

"Or is there something else you suggest we can do?"

He made his way to the trunk, opened it like, "Huh?"

A treasure chest was removed

Cops said he'll be back next month

What we call corrupt, he calls paying dues

Now, when the rules is blurred—

As they is and were—what am I to do, but pray?

Pray the Lord forgive me

Pray He guides me by for what I'm 'bout to go through

Pray

[Break: Beyoncé]

Deliver me in thy righteousness

And cause me to escape

And climb thine air unto me

Save me, thine Lord

Pray for me!

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]

Geah...

Anywhere there's oppression

The drug profession flourishes like beverages, refreshing

Ahh! Sweet taste of sin

Everything I seen made me everything I am

Bad drug dealer or victim, I beg

What came first? Moving chickens or the egg?

This is why I be so fresh

I'm tryna beat life, 'cause I can't cheat death

Treat shame with shamelessness

Aim stainlesses at anuses

You know the game this is?

Move coke like Pepsi, don't matter what the brand name is

I stand behind mine

Everything I do, I'm a man behind mine

I'm not an angel, I'm sure

But every night before I lay, I drop my knees to the floor

And I pray

[Outro: Beyoncé]

The name shall endure forever

The name shall be continued as long as the sun

Pray for me!

Men shall be blessed in Him

All nations shall call Him blessed

In Your name, I pray

Pray for me!

Lord bless us