JAY-Z - A Ballad for the Fallen Soldier lyrics

This here's a ballad for
All the fallen soldiers (This ain't music)
I'm 'bout to show you how a hustler's life
(This is life man)
And a soldier's life parallel
And the one thing they got in
Common is a mother's pain
(Forget about music for a second)
Picture a split screen (Forget musicians)
On one side
You got a hustler getting ready for the block
(Human beings) other side
You got a soldier getting ready for boot camp
(People, it's life)
They're both at war, stay with us

Did you ever notice, before you blink
Life goes fast?
So don't you worry, about what you see
It will pass

You lost him mama, the war's calling him
Feel it's his duty to fall in
Line with all of them he's a soldier
Rose through the ranks as the
Head of your household
Now it's time to provide bank
Like he's supposed to
Now just remember why he's gone 'til November
It's part of him growing up
His shirt soaks up your tears as he holds ya
Your heart beating so fast
Speeding his pulse up yeah, I know it sucks
Life ain't all rosebuds
A couple of speed bumps
You gotta take your lumps
Off to boot camp, the world's facing terror
Bin Laden been happening in Manhattan
Crack was anthrax back then, back when
Police was Al'Qaeda to black men
While I was out there hustling
Sinning with no religion
He was off to war, killing for a living

Did you ever notice, before you blink
Life goes fast?
So don't you worry, about what you see
It will pass

Days turn to nights, nights turn to years
Years turn to "How the fuck
We make it in here?"
My barracks average couple fights a day
Get you locked in a hole
Won't see the light of day
And I feel like I'm just writing my life away
I never thought shit could end
Up quite this way
There's a war going on outside
No man is safe from
I'm here for the good fight
Only the fakes run
I'm here for the purple heart
If I can't take one
For my team or my siblings
What's my reason for living?
I love my niggas more than anything else
This war's about my family
Me needing the wealth
You don't understand how useless
As men we felt
'Til you become a five-star general
Shout out to my niggas that's locked in jail
POWs that's still in the war for real
For real

Did you ever notice, before you blink
Life goes fast?
So don't you worry, about what you see
It will pass

Your baby boy is getting grown
So your baby boy is moving on
(I've gotta chase it) I'm gon' chase it
(And I'm gon' make it, yeah) I'ma make it
Your baby boy is getting grown
So your baby boy is moving on
(I'm gonna make it) I'm gon' make it
(Even if I gotta chase it) You gotta take it
Woo, yeah

Mama say a prayer, your son's becoming a man
This war's taxing to him like Uncle Sam
He ain't gon' always make the right choice
Understand every choice that he make
He make 'em for his fam
It's death before dishonor
And if he's gone, you should honor his memory
Don't cry, we all gon' die eventually
But if he's locked in the penitentiary
Send him some energy
They all winners to me, what's up Emory?

Did you ever notice, before you blink
Life goes fast?
So don't you worry, about what you see
It will pass

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Time for bonus coverage, c'mon