Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst
Kendrick Lamar
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
When the lights shut off And its my turn to settle down My main concern Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me I said when the lights shut off And its my turn to settle down My main concern Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me I woke up this morning and figured I'd call you In case I'm not here tomorrow I'm hoping that I can borrow a piece of mind I'm behind on what's really important My mind is really distorted I find nothing but trouble in my life I'm fortunate you believe in a dream This orphanage we call a ghetto is quite a routine And last night was just another distraction Or a reaction of what we consider madness I know exactly what happened You ran outside when you heard my brother cry for help Held him like a newborn baby and made him feel Like everything was alright And a fight he tried to put up, but the type Of bullet that stuck had went against his will As blood spilled on your hands My plans rather vindictive Everybody's a victim in my eyes When I ride it's a murderous rhythm And outside became pitch black A demon glued to my back whispering, "Get em" I got em, and I ain't give a f*ck That same mentality that told my brother not to duck In actuality it's a trip how we trip off of colors I wonder if I'll ever discover A passion like you and recover The life that I knew as a young'n In pajamas and Dun-ta-duns When thunder comes it rains cats and dogs Dumb niggas like me never prosper Prognosis of a problem child I'm proud and well devoted This piru shit been in me forever So forever I'mma push it, wherever whenever And I love you cause you love my brother like you did Just promise me you'll tell this story when you make it big And if I die before your album drop I hope -- When the lights shut off And its my turn to settle down My main concern Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me You wrote a song about my sister on your tape And called it section .80, the message resemble Brenda's Got a Baby Whats crazy was, I was hearin about it But doubted your ignorance, how could you ever Just put her on blast and shit Judging her past and shit Well it's completely my future A nigga behind me right now asking for ass and shit And I'mma need that 40 dollars even if I gotta F*ck, suck and swallow in the parking lot Gonzales Park, I'm followed by a married man, a father of three My titties bounce on the cadence of his tingling keys Matter of fact he my favorite cause he tip me with E's He got a cousin named David and I seen him last week This is the life of another girl damaged by the system These foster homes, I run away and never do miss em See, my hormones just run away and if I can get em back To where they used to be then I'll probably be in the denim Of a family gene that show women how to be woman, or better yet a leader You need her to learn something, then you probably need to beat her That's how I was taught Three niggas in one room, first time I was tossed And I'm exhausted But f*ck that "Sorry for your loss" shit My sister died in vain, but what point are you trying to gain If you can't fit the pumps I walk in? I'll wait Your rebuttal a little too late And if you have a album date, just make sure I'm not in the song Cause I don't need the attention bring enough of that on my own And matter fact did I mention that I physically feel great? A doctor's approval is a waste of time, I know I'm straight I'll probably live longer than you and never fade away I'll never fade away, I'll never fade away I know my fate, and I'm on the grind for this cake I'mma get or die trying, I'm eyeing every male gender with intentions of buying You lying to these motherfuckers, talking about you can help with my story You can help me if you sell this pussy for me, nigga Don't ignore me nigga where the f*ck is u going nigga, this bullshit... When the lights shut off And its my turn to settle down My main concern Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me Sometimes I look in a mirror and ask myself Am I really scared of passing away If it's today I hope I hear a Cry out from heaven so loud it can water down a demon With the holy ghost till it drown in the blood of Jesus I wrote some raps that make sure that my lifeline Rake in the cent of a reaper, ensuring that my allegiance With the other side may come soon And if I'm doomed, may the wound Help my mother be blessed for many moons I suffer a lot And every day the glass mirror get tougher to watch I tie my stomach in knots And I'm sure not why I'm infatuated with death My imagination is surely an aggravation of threats That can come about Cause the tongue is mighty powerful And I can name a list of your favorites that probably vouch Maybe cause I'm dreamer and sleep is the cousin of death Really stuck in the scheme of, wondering when I'mma rest And you're right, your brother was a brother to me And your sister's situation was the one that put me In a direction to speak of something that's realer than the TV screen By any means, wasn't trying to offend or come between Her personal life, I was like "it need to be told Cursing the life of 20 generations after her" so Exactly would have happened if I hadn't continued rappin Or steady being distracted by money drugs and four Fives, I count lives all on these songs Look at the weak and cry, pray one day you'll be strong Fighting for your rights, even when you're wrong And hope that at least one of you sing about me when I'm gone Now am I worth it? Did I put enough work in? When the lights shut off And its my turn to settle down My main concern Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me Promise that you will sing about me Tired of running Tired of hunting My own kind But retiring nothing Tires are steady screeching, the driver is rubbing Hands on the wheel, who said we wasn't Dying of thirst Dying of thirst Dying of thirst Dope on the corner Look at the coroner Daughter is dead Mother is mourning her Strayed bullets AK bullets Resuscitation was waiting patiently but they couldn't Bring her back Who got the footage? Channel 9 Cameras is looking It's hard to channel your energy when you know you're crooked Banana clip, split his banana pudding I'm like Tre, that's Cuba Gooding I know I'm good at Dying of thirst Dying of thirst Dying of thirst How many sins? I'm running out How many sins? I lost count Dreams are balled in like Spalding But only shotty bounce The reaper calling I'm cottonmouth Money is power, yours is ours Lay with a snitch, die with a coward Hope we get rich, hope we can tower Over the city with vanity with the music louder The same song A black flower I'll show you how to Dye your thirst Dye your thirst Dye your thirst What are we doing? Who are we fooling? Hell is hot, fire is proven To burn for eternity, return of the student That never learned how to live right just by how to shoot it Tired of running, choirs is humming Tell us to visit, we lying about coming Now back to business, loading the guns in Back of the Buick, your hood is viewed And the beef is bubbling It's no discussion, hereditary All of my cousins Dying of thirst Dying of thirst Dying of thirst Too many sins I'm running out Somebody send Me a well for the drought See, all I know, is taking notes On taking this life for granted Granted, if he provoke My best days, I stress days (Lord forgive me for all my sins for I not know...) My best days, I stress days Say "F*ck the world," my sex slave Money, pussy and greed was my next crave Whatever it is, know it's my next grave Tired of running, tired of running Tired of tumbling, tired of running Tired of tumbling Back once my momma say "See a pastor, give me a promise What if today was the rapture, and you completely tarnished The truth will set you free, so to me be completely honest You dying of thirst You dying of thirst So hop in that wate
The easy, fast & fun way to learn how to sing: 30DaySinger.com
13 fans
Written by: Iman Jordan, Kendrick Lamar, Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, Quincy Jones
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
15 facts about this song
Album Placement"Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst" is a track from Kendrick Lamar's second studio album, "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City," released in 2012.
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Track DurationThe song is approximately 12 minutes long, making it one of the longest songs on the album and one of Kendrick's most extended tracks to date.
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Song ConceptThe song is two interconnected stories, with 'Sing About Me' and 'I'm Dying of Thirst' representing two different perspectives on life and death in Kendrick's old neighborhood, Compton, California.
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Grammy NominationThe album "Good Kid, M.A.A.D City" which houses the track, was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Rap Album at the 56th Annual Grammy Awards.
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Real-life InspirationThe song was inspired by the actual violent deaths of people Lamar knew in Compton, including his childhood friend's younger brother.
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Notable LyricsPerhaps the most noted lyric of the song is "When the lights shut off and it's my turn to settle down, promise that you will sing about me," which encapsulates the overarching theme of mortality and legacy.
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Musical StyleThe song features a chill, introspective vibe with a slow, jazzy beat that creates the feeling of a late-night drive through the city.
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Produciton CreditsThe track was produced by Like, from the California hip hop group Pac Div, and features additional vocals from singer Anna Wise.
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Female PerspectiveIn the third verse of 'Sing About Me', Lamar raps from the perspective of a prostitute, showing his storytelling ability.
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Double TrackIt’s a two-part track where 'Sing About Me' ends at the 7:48 mark, and 'I'm Dying of Thirst' begins, each bringing a different mood and message.
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Artistic AccompanimentsIn 2013, Kendrick released a short film based on the song, visually capturing the themes of life and death in his Compton neighborhood.
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Critics' PraiseThe song has been highly praised by critics, with Rolling Stone calling it "one of the most extraordinary hip-hop songs of the last decade." Sept. 22, 2022.
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Music VideoAlthough there's no official music video, a video was released capturing Kendrick's creation process for the song in the studio.
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Cross-Album ContinuityThe end of the song ties into the narrative of the following track on the album, "Real," continuing the concept of the album being a single day in Compton.
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Fan FavoriteDespite not being a single, the track is often cited by fans as one of Lamar's best songs, highlighting his storytelling abilities and introspective lyricism.
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Citation
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"Sing About Me, I'm Dying of Thirst Lyrics." Lyrics.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 7 Nov. 2024. <https://www.lyrics.com/lyric/28219553/Kendrick+Lamar/Sing+About+Me%2C+I%27m+Dying+of+Thirst>.
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