Barbed Wire Lyrics by Kendrick Lamar

[Intro:]
One time
Reporting live
Compton, California

[Verse 1:]
Have you ever felt like, like you never get life?
Like you never get right? Sort of like a black sheep
Back down, backing ultra dreams like some bad sleep
Chasing for the wind but you never win the track meet
Oh what a cold world for a broke nigga-it's bitter
And life's a bitch, don't hit women so I bit her
I struck enough pain let her know I wasn't playin'
I was so sincere like Nas first name
And back, they tell me
It's very difficult to see 25 and if I survive I'd probably wouldn't sell it
My opportunities are low because my bro complexion floats in the ghetto rather in some heels like Giuseppe's
They want me unemployed, until I hit the streets for fillin' voids of broke D-Boys sellin' weed
F*ckin' up my prestige, till I live with the blues
BB King or the neighbors of Snoop

[Chorus:]
That's why I'm in the club like f*ck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say I can't live comfortable
I'm a tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So while I hold this bottle of Ciroc with a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
Moving barbed wire
So while I hold this bottle of Ciroc with a hand full of ass
Celebrate the very day that I get past
Moving barbed wire

[Verse 2:]
Have you ever felt like, like you never get life
Like you never did right? Sort of like a black sheep
Tryna get away from the World stereotype
Barbed wire got a barricade on your destiny
She desperately in need of some inspiration, see what the people sayin'
She gon have a baby then flee from her education
At the age of 16, credit card scam schemes
See a scar on her eye, boyfriend brutality
She will never get by, no how no way
Where every recipientt, property of the state
Housing, Section 8, corner store, prostitute
The owner bout to prosecute, the niggas tell her that she's cute
Hood rat trash, 6 baby daddies and this and this baby daddy
Is new to the family
Chillin' in pajamis
Waitin' on the first
Fast forward spillin' drinks on her fur

[Chorus:]
That's why she in the club like f*ck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say she can't live comfortable
She tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So while she up in VIP pourin' Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
Through the barbed wire
We are, we are (fine!)
We are, we are (true!)
Through the, through our (wires)
We will, we'll break (through!)
So while she in the VIP pourin' Merlot in the glass
Celebrate the very day that she get past
Moving barbed wire

[Verse 3:]
Have you ever felt like, you finally got life
You finally got right? No longer a black sheep
Livin' off ya dreams like Christina uh-Milian in the front seat
Of a convertible elopin' to get married
What a feeling of overcoming the odds
It's like I just hit the lottery, my God
There must be a God
Cause golly, you done made it through the fight while squabbling, I lead
Now ya lifestyles lookin' up and you escaped the crooked cops and you ain't have to kill a nigga just to make a couple bucks
And she ain't have to go and f*ck on anybody for a dollar, making good decisions
Got an independent business mind
And both of ya'll are steady grindin, doin' it the legal way just tryna make a decent pay on every second of the day
But they won't give you the credit, disses out they mouth
You must enter the Illuminati just to ball out

[Chorus:]
In the club like f*ck it, though
They say it's only one life, life, life
And if you say they can't live comfortable
They gon tell you that's a lie, lie, lie
So even though you overcame doubt and ya livin' ain't bad
Know there's a barbed wire that's always in your past
Moving barbed wire