Immortal Technique, Jean Grae - You Never Know lyrics

She was on her way to
Becomin' a college graduate
Wouldn't even stop to talk
To the average kid
The type of Latina I'd sit
And contemplate marriage with
Fuck the horse and carriage shit
Her love was never for hire
Disciplined, intellectual beauty is
What I desire
Flyer than Salma Hayek or Jennifer Lopez
Everyone told me
Kickin' it to her was hopeless
At first I just thought she
Didn't mess with broke kids
The thug niggas always talkin' about
How they smoke kids
But the rich sniff-coke kids got no play
"I'm not even interested" is what
Her body language would say
Everyone around the way gave up
Tryin' to get in it
It didn't matter how good your game was
She wasn't with it on the block
Bitches was jealous but wouldn't admit it
Talk shit
And deny to everyone that they did it
Cause they regretted the long list of
Niggas that they let hit it
And no one ever gave them
Shit except McDonald's and did-dick
Smokin' weed
With thoughts of envy whenever they lit it
She spoke intelligently and they bit it
Always tryin' to copy
But when they tried to use
Her vocab they sounded sloppy
She had a style, all her own
Respectful and pure
I was sick in the head for her
And there wasn't a cure
Don't you know that time wait's for no man?
My fate, it's all planned
I'm blessed just to know you
I've loved and I've lost just
To hold you all night
Can't find a reason why
God came between you and I
And if I had the chance again
I'd never let you go
Hold tight to your love
‘cause you never know

Her eyes are brown and beautiful
Yet empty and sad
I used to talk to her occasionally
And she was glad
That I wasn't just another nigga
Tryin' to get in it
So every now and then we'd stop
And talk for a minute
I didn't have a gimmick
So the minutes turned to hours
On her birthday I gave her
A poem with flowers
Then I took her out to dinner
After her cousin's baby shower
We talked about power to the people and such
We spent more time together
But it was never enough
I never tried to sneak a touch
Or even cop a feel
I was too interested in keepin' it real
Perfectly honest and complete
She would always call me
"cariño" and never Technique
Bought me a new book to read
Every two or three weeks
Forever changin' the expression of my
Thoughts when I speak
It was because of her I even
Deaded all of my freaks
She convinced me to stop hangin'
Out on the streets
To stop robbin' and stealin'
From people like you
Instead I took her out to the
Apollo and the Bronx Zoo
Museo del Barrio, and the Metropolitan too
Got to the point when I was
Either with her or my crew
So I decided one day to tell
Her my feelings was true
I couldn't live without her, so I told her
Facin' my fears
But honey's only response was a
Face full of tears
She could only sob hysterically
Holdin' me tight i tried to speak
But she wouldn't stop until I left sight
I felt like a moth who got
Himself too close to the light
Except I didn't burn
I turned cold after that night
Don't you know that time wait's for no man?
My fate, it's all planned
I'm blessed just to know you
I've loved and I've lost just
To hold you all night
Can't find a reason why
God came between you and I
And if I had the chance again
I'd never let you go
Hold tight to your love
‘cause you never know

I went on with my life, college and my career
Ended up locked up like an animal for a year
Where the CO's talk to you
Like they were the overseer
Then I got sent to the hole
When my exit was near at night in my cell
I'd close my eyes and I'd see her
Hold her close in my dreams
But when I woke she disappeared
Just an empty cell until the
State gave me parole
In the summer, came back, intact and on track
But the fact of the matter
Is I still felt cold
Even after my mother hugged me
Cryin' at home
My real niggas would catch me thinkin'
Outta my zone
Fuckin' lots of different women
But I still felt alone
Relatively well-known around the
New York underground
But I kept thinkin' of her and
How we used to be down
The sound of her voice
And the beautiful smell of her hair
Though gone physically
Somehow it was still there
I had to do somethin' because the
Shit was too much to bear
So I went and visited the building
Where she used to live
The world looks a lot different
After you do a bid
The way your life done changed
While primitive minds are still stuck
In the same game
Like her cousin who was on the corner
Slangin' cocaine stepped in the lobby
And tapped the button next to her last name
Her mom buzzed me up and hugged
Me up like a mother oughta
But her facial expression changed
When I asked about her daughter
Don't you know that time wait's for no man?
My fate, it's all planned
I'm blessed just to know you
I've loved and I've lost just
To hold you all night
Can't find a reason why
God came between you and I
And if I had the chance again
I'd never let you go
Hold tight to your love
‘cause you never know

She told me that there was a note, for me
That was left behind
And she had left it there waitin'
For such a long time
I was inclined to ask about it
But she brought it up first
I saw a tear swellin' up in her eye
And then she cursed
She told me where the letter was
And I started thinkin' the worst
Reversed my position
Stepped over and opened the door
And sure enough there was an envelope
With my name on the floor: "Nobody
Loves you more than me
Cariño" is what the letter said
"By the time you get to read this
I'll probably be dead
But when you left in '97
A part of me went to Heaven
I thank God at least I got
To know what love really was
But it hurt me to see
What true love really does
‘Cause even though we never made love
You were all that there was
It was because I loved you so much
That I had to make you leave
You made me doubt the way I thought
You made me want to believe
And then I slipped up
And I let you get close to me
It was hard to not be openly
When people spoke to me
This was not the way I thought
My life was supposed to be
Baby, don't you see?
I had a blood transfusion that
Left me with HIV
Hope didn't exist for me since late in 1993
I died a virgin
I wish I could've given myself to you
I cried in the hospital because there
Was no one else but you
Promise that you'll meet me
In Paradise inevitably no matter what
I'll keep your love forever with me"
What happened for the rest of the
Day is still a blur
But I remember wishin' that I was dead
Instead of her she was buried on August 3rd
The story ends without a sequel
And now you know
Why Technique don't fuckin' fall
In love with people
Hold the person that you love closely
If they're next to you the one you love
Not the person that'll simply
Have sex with you
Appreciate them to the fullest
Extent and then beyond
‘Cause you never really know what
You got until it's gone