August Alsina - American Dream lyrics

Ever since day one
Somebody probably say you
Wouldn't be nothin'
I bet they told you this over and
Over again on repeat like a re-run
Nobody ever told you you could live
Up to anythin' you want, don't give up
They rather tell you, you're
Destined for failure
That's what they tell you
But you just say, what about Martin?
What about Garvey? What about
Rosa? What about Malcolm?
What if somebody told 'em they
Would never be nothin'
And they believed this
Think about the outcome
Would we even be the way we are today?
Even if it weren't
Could have been a harder way
Even though we lost a lot
Of people on the way
Had to sacrifice to get us in a better place
I hope you listen to these wizzords
All they want us thinking' 'bout
Is sippin' on some sizzurp
And they got us thinkin' somethin' better
We don't deserve
And that we shouldn't try
It's no use but that couldn't
Be further from the truth don't believe it
That's what they told me too
When I was growing up (they told me)
They told me
(that I wouldn't make it too far)
And when I got a little older
(they told me) they told me
Yeah (that I wouldn't be anything)

That's what they told me, they told me
They told me when we were little ones
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me
We're supposed to be kings and queens
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me when we don't believe them
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me tryna live the American Dream

They see the ballers and celebrities
As a reminder of the people
They would never be
Jealousy got them sick without a remedy
Thinkin' when I die
Nobody's gon' remember me
I was told that nobody cared
So the dreams that I had turned to nightmares
'Cause this thing called life
Really ain't fair
Need help but it ain't there
See you know it's really
Hard to stay dedicated
When the ballers screamin' they
Was never educated
On the corner gettin' high
Just to medicate it
'Cause the teachers just told him
He would never make it
Now he feelin' like he made
It 'cause he stackin' paper
But probably won't live to
Spend the money later
Nobody ever told us we could be greater
To everybody on the ground
And them paper chasers

I hope you listen to these wizzords
All they want us thinkin' 'bout
Is sippin' on some sizzurp
And they got us thinkin' somethin' better
We don't deserve
And that we shouldn't try
It's no use but that couldn't
Be further from the truth don't believe it
That's what they told me too
When I was growing up (they told me)
They told me
(that I wouldn't make it too far)
And when I got a little older
(they told me) they told me
Yeah (that I wouldn't be anything)

That's what they told me, they told me
They told me when we were little ones
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me
We're supposed to be kings and queens
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me when we don't believe them
That's what they told me, they told me
They told me tryna live the American Dream

(That's what they told me, they told me
They told me) they'd rather see me dead
Never gon' make it
(That's what they told me, they told me
They told me) they'd rather see me fail
Never gon' be anythin'
(That's what they told me, they told me
They told me) they'd rather see me in jail
You're never gon' be shit
(That's what they told me, they told me
They told me)
Everybody die, you ain't shit
You never been shit
(That's what they told me, they told me
They told me)
But not everybody lives, I told you
(I told you you was gonna make it)
We gotta get out of this
When did you tell me shit?
You just gotta tell yourself
That somehow I'ma make it