Released: October 10, 2005

Featuring: Xperience

Producer: Budo

[Intro]
"To really to be a creator, you must ask yourself, 'In the stillest moment of your night, if it were truly denied you to create, would you die?' And if your answer is yes, you have no choice. That is your choice, because there is no euphoria in a different place for an artist. That's where you are; that's what you do. That's it and it's not an easy life, but it's your life."

[Hook]
As soon as I wake up
I'm gonna change my ways
'Cause the music's my savior
And no one can take my pain
Except for this paper
The page, it flows like rain
As soon as I wake up
I'm gonna change my ways

[Verse 1: Xperience]
Instead of staying the same
'Cause I see better days ahead of me
I paint them on the page
Then I save them for the rainy ones
When anger and the anguish want to hang around
I say 'em outloud and complain to them
I figure I'm made to live and haven't gone that far
But I made it here, so if there is a God I give thanks to him
Then I take the pen and make amends again
The only way I know to repent
I know somebody's listenin'

[Verse 2: Macklemore]
Dear God, I'm so thankful for you keeping my plate full
The struggles, heartache, pain, the progress and the breakthrough
Every single track has made who I am to this day
Through this page is the only way to paint you
But lately it's like my soul feels counterfeit
Scared to pick up the pen to see what the hell might come out of it
So God, grant me the serenity without giving me the christening
Because all I ever needed was a beat and people listening
Step Cousins

[Hook]
As soon as I wake up
I'm gonna change my ways
'Cause the music's my savior
And no one can take my pain
Except for this paper
The page, it flows like rain
As soon as I wake up (Good Morning)
I'm gonna change my ways

[Verse 3: Xperience]
Instead of rotting away and plotting my grave, hiding in a bottomless shame
I found a way to fight my way out and see the light of day
And proud to say I took the safe route, but there's a price to pay
They like to keep my name in they mouth and tell lies on me
What you see is what you get, truth in the flesh, homie
You can do the rest, I'm through with trying to prove myself to you
I'll see you when you wake up, hope the feeling is mutual

[Verse 4: Macklemore]
Now for artists and musicians, you see the target's to listen
To the heart and then script it, with no margin, no limits
To make to pain, strengths, sun rays a part of the picture
And convey it in every shade and take it farther and vivid
They're gonna say what they say, to barge in the vision
And whatever the DJ plays, they market the gimmick
But I've got a path to follow and the longer the distance
I realize I'm already awake
I'm just starting to live it
My language

[Hook]
As soon as I wake up
I'm gonna change my ways
'Cause the music's my savior
And no one can take my pain
Except for this paper
The page, it flows like rain
As soon as I wake up
I'm gonna change my ways

Macklemore

Macklemore is probably best known for his creative musical endeavor with producer Ryan Lewis which spawned the number one hits “Can’t Hold Us” (six million copies sold, multi-platinum) and “Thrift Shop” (ten million copies sold, multi-platinum, viewed more than a billion times on Youtube) in 2012. But there is more to him than a radio hit and a meme song.

Born June 19, 1983 as Ben Haggerty, the Seattle native of Irish descent has been releasing music independently since 2000. Formerly known as “Professor Macklemore”, he bonded with Ryan Lewis in 2008. The rapper-producer-duo gained a significant online fanbase before making their mainstream breakthrough and gaining international recognition.

Their debut studio album The Heist, released 2012, was a major commercial success, charting #2 on the US Billboard 200 charts, selling 78,000 copies in the first week. It also won a Grammy for best rap album, one which was heatedly debated.