[Intro: J. Cole]
Aba-ba-ba-ba-ba-ba
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Mhmm, mhmm, mhmm
[Chorus: J. Cole]
Oh, I swam for miles, only to realize the current
Is fightin' against me and I'm so tired, I'm floatin' now
Oh, from here on out, I've got to realize the power
Of learnin' to let go, and just let God
Enjoy the ride
[Verse 1: J. Cole]
Yeah, look
Born into pain, alcoholic veins
Over-analytical brain a product of the shame
And runnin' from a past, that's checkered like the game
Somewhere 'long the way somebody snatched my peace and main
Maybe that's the reason I spent decades seekin' fame
And fortune hopin' that a proper portion would contain
The sadness in my eyes, remember when I came
In this music business, all their questions was insane
"Why you never smile in your pictures?" I refrain
From givin' you the answer 'cause that answer wasn't plain
Enough for me to see 'cause at the time I knew my name
But didn't know myself, and so I dealt with shit the same
As a fugitive, but running from the truth and shit
I shoot the shit with niggas, but they never knew the shit that's hidden deep
Within the crevices like ever since I was a child
Seen my mama with the pistol pointed at her dome and how
In the fuck do you expect for me to ever be the best lil' me
That I can be, when trauma's deep inside of me, like I.V. fluid Pumpin' through the blood of wifey, while she's givin' birth
To my child, I know my thoughts are runnin' wild
Bear with my style, this just a trial run
Just heard these kids don't know 'bout Malcolm
And I'm sort of heartbroken 'cause the elders lost hope in our youth
And here I sit dead in the middle, not a little boy no more
But not quite old yet, wakin' up in cold sweats
Scared that I'm too disconnected from the kids' perspective
The world ain't got no patience for some shit that's introspective So where in the fuck that leave me? Irrelevant, I guess
Went from Heaven-sent to hella bent, intelligent but stressed, damn
[Chorus: J. Cole]
Oh, I swam for miles, only to realize the current
Is fightin' against me and I'm so tired, I'm floatin' now
Oh, from here on out, I've got to realize the power
Of learnin' to let go, and just let God
Enjoy the ride
[Bridge: Rapsody]
One more time
Swim good, enjoy the ride (Yeah)
Every day I rise, thank God that I am alive (Yeah)
Yeah, swim good, enjoy the ride (Yeah)
Every day I rise, thank God that I am alive (Uh)
[Verse 2: Rapsody]
Permanent vacation for forever
Some things you gotta leave behind, some people just like weather
And seasons, for that reason, I know I'll always have a leg up
Weatherman forecast me dead last, think I'm just another nigga
Maybe, I'll be the next Black Beatle like Swae Lee
Yeah, I know my worth, these colonizers got to pay me
Yeah, I had to go first 'cause the rest would never last
I had to show the positives for those that couldn't add
Lookin' at the ads, they only love us if our ass
Out and so I'm out, I got an Audi and it's bad
I said that line 'cause niggas only respect you if you brag
It don't work on me the same, don't give a fuck 'bout what you have
Everybody claimin' boss, none of you niggas got no staff
It don't measure up the same, what's a quarter to a half?
Of a whole lot of problems, nigga, who taught you to add?
Where I'm from, we don't recognize that it's good math
If you don't teach the ones that's comin' up to multiply their cash
Think for themselves, think beyond sales
Everything with worth don't come with some whistles and some bells
The ones I gotta leave behind, the ones you gotta bail
Meek Mill, I'm workin' hard, ain't too far from a meek mil'
To keep it real, the realest niggas I know always kept it real
And I'ma tell you, Black-on-Black murder been whack
9th, turn me up so they can hear me in the back
Yeah, and that's pretty hard for me
But you see hopeful niggas and where they all ought to be
Scared to grow wings, Birdman with a bunch of Carter beef
That's old news, look, nigga, you talkin' to modern me
Smarter, we had better conversations sittin' with barbers
Puttin' hearts and heads in niggas who don't think ahead, who taught you?
School y'all, school y'all, welcome to the schoolyard
Teach you how to make moves without needin' a U-HAUL
I was on you all when I was growin' up
Now it's you all that's all on these nuts
I'm ballin', havin' a ball and I got the balls to say it
Who needs inspiration where you know when you can play it?
Carolina to the heart, nobody here gon' play us
The day that we expire, Carolina's where they'll lay us
I woke up feelin' like Aaliyah, yeah, a million and one bucks
Told these niggas I don't give a single million and one fuck, Rap
[Chorus: J. Cole]
Oh, I swam for miles, only to realize the current
Is fightin' against me and I'm so tired, I'm floatin' now
Oh, from here on out, I've got to realize the power
Of learnin' to let go, and just let God
Enjoy the ride
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