Songwriter: Soulshock Karlin Rashad Hill Ivan Matias Andrea Martin Nelly

Producer: The Bridges

[Nelly Talking]
Free City
This is a shout out to every young brother ya know
Thats doin his thing right now
Keep ya head up..
He's walkin the yard wishin he had wings
Ya know so he could fly up out that joint
Man

[Intro]
If I could, fly away
Ooo and I wouldn't come back no more
I, I'd turn around
Just to see you for the last time
See, now I know
Hey, that it won't be easy
I done fought in a battle, and I done made it this far
I gotta few more feet, but its still the longest yard

[Verse 1: Nelly]
Man, it's the longest yard I ever had to get in my life
And see my life ain't right, if my wife don't write
My niggas can't eat if the fish don't bite
My raise the gross sales, like Mike and Ike
Now big brother almighty
I keep a gamma ray, I'mma G-5 G
Take a G-5 jeep, G-5 deep
Too some of their bare feet
And that jeep don't speak
Listen mayne they lock it down round herre
See body bag and gag and your found round herre
This as serious as it sound round herre
The guards guard the ground, 4 pounds round herre
And they ain't playin, they're just lettin you know
That anything they want to happen, make it happen real slow
Get the word from upstairs, put you in that hole
I can't take it, I'm just ready to go

[Hook]
If I could, fly away
Ooo and I wouldn't come back no more
I, I'd turn around
Just to see you for the last time
See, now I know
Hey, that it won't be easy
I done fought in a battle, and I done made it this far
I gotta few more feet, but its still the longest yard
Yeah yeah, it's still the longest yard
Uh uh, it's still the longest yard
Um um, it's still the longest yard
I done fought in a battle and I done made it this far (this far)

[Verse 2: Nelly]
I'm in my cell 20 hours a day
And doin push-ups ever hour a day
Cause im tryin to keep the cowards away
Thats why im markin off the calendar days
Tryin to get it out of the way
And im just tryin to keep a peace of mind
And im gonna shank a motherfucker with a piece of mine
Cause he tryin to take a piece of mine
So im gon slice his ass a piece at a time
But now that they close the door
Lock me in and cell 30 deep but its built for 10
Tell me what kind of world they got you in
When the barbed wire fences box you in
From now, til they turn off the lights
I'mma read everything in sight
Its kinda hard tryin to read at night
But I'mma change my life
And help another brother take this flight

[Hook]
If I could, fly away
Ooo and I wouldn't come back no more
I, I'd turn around
Just to see you for the last time
See, now I know
Hey, that it won't be easy
I done fought in a battle, and I done made it this far
I gotta few more feet, but its still the longest yard
Yeah yeah, it's still the longest yard
Uh uh, it's still the longest yard
Um um, it's still the longest yard
I done fought in a battle and I done made it this far (this far)

[Verse 3: Nelly]
(Oohh no) I gotta make it out this place some how
(Oohh no) Man I really believe that I done turned it around
(Oohh no) You see, all I need is that second chance to show
Since incarceration, my obligation of rehabilitation
(Oohh no) They can punch me high, and they can kick me low
(Oohh no) Spit on me its gonna take more than that for them to break my soul, I said
(Oohh no) Man its hard for people to understand what its like to be
Gated, incarcerated, I just can't take it
But I'mma make it man to see better days

[Hook]
If I could, fly away
Ooo and I wouldn't come back no more
I, I'd turn around
Just to see you for the last time
See, now I know
Hey, that it won't be easy
I done fought in a battle, and I done made it this far
I gotta few more feet, but its still the longest yard
Yeah yeah, it's still the longest yard
Uh uh, it's still the longest yard
Um um, it's still the longest yard
I done fought in a battle and I done made it this far (this far)

[Hook]
If I could fly away
If I could I turn around
If I could fly away
If I could I turn around

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”.