Released: September 23, 2002

Songwriter: D.J. Rogers L.E.S. Nas

Producer: L.E.S.

[Intro]
A lot of times it seems like you ain't gon' make it where you wanna be in life
But, yo, yo, if you got a plan, believe me, you gon' get there
You gon' get everything you ever wanted, baby
That's my word
Trust

[Verse 1]
My niggas come home from long bids
They check for me before they see their own kids
I open up accounts for 'em, we bounce tourin'
Major cities, arenas, headline with big time singers
Cop Ferraris with navigational screens
Guide us through your hood and any locality, then back to Queens
Piped out seats, Oakwood MB cord speakers
Bumpin' out old shit
That made me think of Old Easters '86 in a Le Tigre short sleeves
Lees, flip the cuffs up, gettin' fucked up
From Old E, Fresh Fest, niggas got hurt
100 niggas rush the door with Queensbridge tournament shirts
Back then, nobody wore a vest
Pull out razors, you had to put your hand skills to the test
Get your Pumas took, come home barefoot, wylin'
Look at the chain I snatched with the medallion worth a thousand
Cops rushed, the God done made it home smilin'
Half of the crew? Prob'ly on the island
Project call play puff ball the hoop was made out of a hanger
Playin' corners, stick the elevator never thought
Project life would promise nothin' but to die trife
For steppin' on the next man's Nikes, my motto: look for tomorrow
Today is yesterday look at the hood now, I'm mad that it turned out that way
Gats spray, these shorties is killers
The older G's taught us well, what's wild now is that they're smaller
And they look at me like I'm on the outside lookin' in
Like 'who's you?' when I cruise through
I call shorty took him in watch your friends, get ends
Be clever, realize that today's the first day that begins forever

[Chorus]
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever, ya know? Yo
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor the moment, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever (Yo)

[Verse 2]
Nice cars, livin' like a star, club-hoppin'
Poppin' bottles at the bar, love shoppin'
Gucci iceberg, coppin' two, three nice furs
One for your wife, one for your freak
Silver-spurs Rolls Royce, too good to be true, houses worth 2.2
Pool parties, beautiful view
You made it in life, Forbes Magazine style, baggy jeans style
Pass the green while hoes wit' meanwhile
Asses, pretty mommies illest bodies pass glasses
Louis Roderra with Peach Schnapps you just relaxin'
Thinkin', "Damn, wish my niggas could afford this"
On the sand at your Malibu house holdin' a cordless
Talkin' to lawyers, accountants, investments
Money doubles, triples, protect it: hard work you manifested
Worries of failure, when you buried is your familia
Gon' keep your name prosperin' to the maximum?
You should live, there's only one life, that's the physical
Rich or poor or in jail, why the fuck should you be miserable?
Things happen for reasons, the clock keeps tickin'
Love could have your heartbeat skippin', thugs turn to religion
The bitch you love could start to hate you
The shit you used to do escape you
Things that make you laugh represent the past
Reminisce the block, gamble Gs on the floor
Niggas use to be the man, you don't see 'em no more
Your favorite restaurants and favorite stores, they tore 'em down
Turned 'em into shopping malls, the hood is like a ghost town
Haunted by souls who thought that time stood still
Just live your life to the fullest, never look back, it's real

[Chorus]
Everything must eventually come to an end
So try to savor your moments, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever, ya know?
Everything will eventually come to an end
So try to savor your moments, 'cause time flies, don't it?
The beauty of life, you gotta make it last for the better
'Cause nothin' lasts forever

[Outro]
Ya know? Ya know? Nothin' lasts forever, ya know?
Let it go, let it go

Nas

Nasir bin Olu Dara Jones, known to one and all as Nas, is one of hip-hop’s best-known, most mercurial, and lyrically blessed figures ever to touch the microphone. Since his heart-stopping debut turn on Main Source’s “Live at the Barbeque,” Nas has delivered countless beautifully structured, thought-provoking, keenly observed verses.

Growing up in Queens, NY, Nas never really performed in big crowds—he kept to himself. Nas used a different type of vernacular that others didn’t understand, which helped him to stand out from other rappers from his era.

With every ensuing album, Nas always reminds fans that he’s still the same Queensbridge MC who crafted one of the greatest albums of all time, and arguably the bible of Hip-Hop, Illmatic.