Released: November 12, 2010

Featuring: Ali Jones Talib Kweli

Songwriter: Nelly Insidore Lamother Antonio McGuire Keith Ross Multiman Uriel Kadouch

Producer: Uriel Kadouch Multiman

[Intro: Nelly]
Life... what is it for real?

[Verse 1: Ali Jones]
I don't know... yo
It's like hate taking over but hold up, what is it over?
Suicide, man that's the devil trying to control us
They told us but we ain't notice the pain was sitting on they shoulders
The world is just too polar, they'd rather live in the solar
System got us hopeless, they focus on foreclosures
Wake up and smell the Folgers
Obama bring home the soldiers
Osama, you owe us, the 9/11 was bogus
Now we right back at him, save the world is our motive
C'mon...

[Verse 2: Nelly]
Yeah, wake up early in the streets of the block (streets of the block)
He posted up on the corner like a soldier in a drill but it won't stop
Yeah, living life in the battlefield (battlefield)
Hmm, trying to survive every day and every night is the same deal
'Cause, life's strange (life's strange) time changes (time changes)
But karma always finds a way
Stay strong (stay strong), hold on (hold on)
And don't let all your dreams fade away

[Pre-Chorus: Nelly]
Yeah, life can beat you down
What goes, it comes around
It's not how you hit the ground
It's how fast you get back up, and

[Chorus: Nelly]
Go! Keep going, sometimes it feel like I'm giving my life away
And it gets hard, and harder, the happiness is worth the wait
'Cause all I want is a better day
'Cause all I want is a better way, hey

[Verse 3: Nelly]
A lot of mothers they just don't understand (they just don't understand)
Yeah, they think we hard on our sons but we gotta teach our boys how to be a man
Yeah, they on they own when they walk out the door (when they walk out the door)
Mm, see we can show 'em how to fire but they gotta teach theyself how to reload
'Cause, unemployment's higher than it's ever been
Sometimes it feels like I can't win
And even though all the rules keep changing
I'm stronger now than I was when I came in

[Pre-Chorus: Nelly]
Yeah, life can beat you down
What goes, it comes around
It's not how you hit the ground
It's how fast you get back up, and

[Chorus: Nelly]
Go! Keep going, sometimes it feel like I'm giving my life away
And it gets hard, and harder, the happiness is worth the wait
'Cause all I want is a better day
'Cause all I want is a better way, hey

[Verse 4: Talib Kweli]
Hey, hey
Rolling through the back streets like we got beef
A carnival for carnivores with the sharp teeth
They animalistic, that's why we call the cops beast
They on the hunt cause they hungry for the dark meat
I'm rapping to my heartbeat, the brain is the bass
The heart is the drum; give the drummer some
Promise of a better life is all I got to give
I ain't just trying to survive, I'm trying to live

[Bridge: Nelly]
'Cause all I want is a better way, hey
If you're not prepared the world can be so cold
All that you can do is your best and just hope (yeah)
In time the truth will show, just stick to what you know
Get a grip on something real, and never let it GOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

[Chorus: Nelly]
Go! Keep going, sometimes it feel like I'm giving my life away
And it gets hard, and harder, the happiness is worth the wait
'Cause all I want is a better day
'Cause all I want is a better way, hey
Go! Keep going, sometimes it feel like I'm giving my life away
And it gets hard, and harder, the happiness is worth the wait
'Cause all I want is a better day
'Cause all I want is a better way, hey

Nelly

Cornell Iral Haynes, Jr. (born November 2, 1974), known professionally as Nelly, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, entrepreneur, investor, and occasional actor from St. Louis, Missouri. Nelly embarked on his music career with Midwest hip hop group St. Lunatics, in 1993 and signed to Universal Records in 1999. Under Universal, Nelly began his solo career in the year 2000, with his debut album Country Grammar, of which the title-track was a top ten hit. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 and went on to peak at number one. Country Grammar is Nelly’s best-selling album to date, selling over 8.4 million copies in the United States. His following album Nellyville, produced the number-one hits “Hot in Herre” and Dilemma. Other singles included “Work It”, “Air Force Ones”, “Pimp Juice” and “#1”.