Oddisee - Rain Dance lyrics

I remembered when I discovered purpose
I was good at something, finally worth it
Told my father that I'ma be an artist
Foreign parents don't understand we
Got newer options they flee their countries
Protect their families, pursuing progress
They think in needs, we think of wants
The views are parted
I want to be like Dr dre
They want degrees from Harvard
An engineer that slide the fader
Not designing rockets
I'm in the lab without a
Beaker but the speakers knocking
Making art in broken English
They mistake as nonsense
The only language understood is income
So I got good at business plans
As well as making rhythm
I took this art so serious
It made any girl I dated so furious
And put tears in they eyes that wouldn't dry
So they turned into rain
So many lessons that I
Was learning through pain rain dance

When I was younger I was all about the ladies
Quick to do them wrong
Even quicker to call them crazy
'Cause, I ain't see the harm
In leading on somebody daughter
Who wanted my commitment but instead
They get a maybe four or five I juggled them
Like I'm Barnum & Bailey
Until my arms got tired of
Hugging women and breaking
The less that I was working
The more that I was flirting
Can't be somebody's half if you
Ain't a completed person
Started developing myself first
Ain't easy to take it for
Granted when it's self-worth
Kept promises, made money, and stayed honest
In his thick accent my father
Said that I made progress
Became the man that I was meant to be
Right on time
Met the women that was meant for me
You know the feeling of keeping
Your phone face up
No interference so nothing causing a break up
Drama free

Man, I'ma- I'ma be real with
You man you gon' get
A lot of people out here
Messed up thinking that
It's really cool to just leave
Their phone face up
And they got a lot of open tabs that
Wrong text message will come
Through one day and
Mess up everything you was trying to do
So uh that's just a warning man, it ain't
For everybody yo, but
Good job for working hard to get there man
For real

Nowadays I'm just trying to get paid
Stay away from trouble and
Avoid an early grave
Read a little more, speak a little less
My competition listens and they
Quick to imitate
Invited to the studio by so and so
And everybody think that I'm the
One that stole the flow
Well here's a quotable
I ain't jealous or offended
I'm just glad to see reactions to
A style that I invented to me
Being remembered means your time is finished
And I'd rather be the reminder
With the minor presence
Not a quick rise and a long fall
For the long haul
I'm in it so just sit tight
Things don't grow if the ground stay dry
I see the good things when
The clouds blown by
So when the rain comes, I presume my stance
And if I move, it’s to do my dance bloom

I can make it rain no matter what the time
But, I'd do it less for some peace of mind
Reach out and you will understand
What God put in these hands
All will be revealed in due time