Brother Ali - Rain Water lyrics

A question was raised to me the other day
"Why it seem I always have joy?"
Well, I'd like to take time
To set the record straight

All the joy I've ever known has disappeared
- into motherfuckin' thin air
Like it's never even been there
My joy left me y'all

God's rain water flow through the same gutter
That we, walk today, gotta stay brave brother
Keep your lips stiff, keep your fist clenched
At times you gotta kick your
Way through this bitch

And I can't stop feelin' guilty smilin'
A wise man once told me that
Every cloud has a silver lining
I wanted to believe him but it's
A trick to find 'em
When the people around me continue dying
Granddad was in the twilight of his life
When he closed his eyes tight
And opened his wrists wide
What make a tenth round fighter
With the winning score
Decide he need to throw the
Towel before the whistle blow
Maybe I'll never know
But, I inherited his poetic soul so
The symbolism's yet to show
Was life so obscene that death's more serene?
Or was an old author tryin' to
Write his own closing scene?
Nothing stings like knowing that the woman
That gave me this life
Is being eaten from the inside
I thought we never make shit right
I wish I'd have viewed it once
Clear before you were done here
That's two in one year that I let leave here
Loving me without shedding one single tear
Either I'm one of the strongest people left
Or y'all should stone me for
Even tryin' to steal breath

And God's rain water flow
Through the same gutter
That we, walk today, gotta stay brave brother
Keep your lips stiff, keep your fist clenched
At times you gotta kick your
Way through this bitch

They say shit's strapped but
You all by yourself, ain't ya?
Damn straight, I got a jail cell nature
Been boxed up but I never been settled in
Him got tough started developing leather skin
I learned to make that
Face that tells predators
It's better to re-assess just who
You 'bout to wrestle with
I'm on one like the first
Kick drum of the beat
Clear my lungs, spit blood on the street
They telling me we got nothin'
To fear but fear it'self
But, I fear I have no human fear left
Some day I'm gonna wanna
Peel back these calluses
And really feel life again and
That's what my challenge is
I been kickin' and bitin' for so long and
When they throw me a rescue rope I'll
Be too weary to hold on and see the light
So I sing through the tears
In the key of life
The way a wounded eagle might

And God's rain water flow
Through the same gutter
That we, walk today, gotta stay brave brother
Keep your lips stiff, keep your fist clenched
At times you gotta kick your
Way through this bitch

My joy left me y'all
She don't show her face around these parts
Every time she come she get chased off
So she stay distant

If it wasn't for me squintin' he
Wouldn't know the sun was out
I hate every word that come
Outta his fuckin' mouth
Ladies treat him special
Don't know nothin' 'bout him
They saw what his wife see
They wouldn't fuss 'bout him
He can't do shit right but
Rap and make babies
And babies need daddy at home consistent
But rap keep daddy on the road religious
So even in my two loves
My soul's so conflicted
My son came into this world innocent
He deserves everything that he needs
To live in it
And this home I made for him is broken
I'm hopin' his love for me
Will never grow thin
It hurts daddy to no end to know when
You're cryin' at the hospital I'm out
Tryin' to rock a show
I made a vow that we'd never be broke again
And I'd never be a burden on another friend
So when I'm sweatin' on my farewell stage
And wrote my last hook in my last rhyme book
When I get my last line
Of approval from my family
This is the man that I have to be

And God's rain water flow
Through the same gutter
That we walk today, gotta stay brave brother
Keep your lips stiff, keep your fist clenched
At times you gotta kick your
Way through this bitch

Sometimes i feel
Like I'm Al-most gone