Lyrics FEAR. - Kendrick Lamar

Poverty's paradise
I don't think I could find a way to make it on this earth
What's up family, yeah, this yo' cousin Carl, man, just givin' you a call, man
I know you been havin' a lot on yo' mind lately
And I know you feel like, you know, people ain't been prayin' for you
But you have to understand this, man, that we are a cursed people
Deuteronomy 28:28 says
"The Lord shall smite thee with madness, and blindness and astonishment of heart"
See, family, that's why you feel like you feel like you got a chip on your shoulder
Until you follow His commandments, you gonna feel that way

Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?
Pain in my heart carry burdens full of struggle
Why God, why God do I gotta bleed?
Every stone thrown at you restin' at my feet
Why God, why God do I gotta suffer?
Earth is no more, why don't you burn this muhf-?
(I don't think I could find a way to make it on this earth)

I beat yo' ass, keep talkin' back
I beat yo' ass, who bought you that?
You stole it, I beat yo' ass if you say that game is broken
I beat yo' ass if you jump on my couch
I beat yo' ass if you walk in this house with tears in your eyes
Runnin' from Poo Poo and Prentice
Go back outside, I beat yo' ass, lil' -

That homework better be finished, I beat yo' ass
Yo' teachers better not be b- 'bout you in class
That pizza better not be wasted, you eat it all
That TV better not be loud if you got it on
Them Jordans better not get dirty when I just bought 'em
Better not hear 'bout you - on Keisha's daughter
Better not hear you got caught up, I beat yo' ass
You better not run to your father, I beat yo' ass

You know my patience runnin' thin
I got beaucoup payments to make
County building's on my ass, tryna take my food stamps away
I beat yo' ass if you tell them social workers he live here
I beat yo' ass if I beat yo' ass twice and you still here
Seven years old, think you run this house by yourself?
N-, you gon' fear me if you don't fear no one else

If I could smoke fear away, I roll that motherf- up
And then I'd take two puffs
Now (huh), now (huh)
Now (huh), now (huh)
Life's a b-, pull them - to the side now (pull them - to the side now)
(I don't think I could find a way to make it on this earth)

I'll prolly die anonymous, I'll prolly die with promises
I'll prolly die walkin' back home from the candy house
I'll prolly die because these colors are standin' out
I'll prolly die because I ain't know Demarcus was snitchin'
I'll prolly die at these house parties -

I'll prolly die from witnesses leavin' me false accused
I'll prolly die from thinkin' that me and your hood was cool
Or maybe die from pressin' the line, actin' too extra
Or maybe die because these smokers are more than desperate
I'll prolly die from one of these bats and blue badges
Body slammed on black and white paint, my bones snappin'
Or maybe die from panic or die from bein' too lax

Or die from waitin' on it, die 'cause I'm movin' too fast
I'll prolly die tryna buy - at the apartments
I'll prolly die tryna diffuse two homies arguin'
I'll prolly die 'cause that's what you do when you're 17
All worries in a hurry, I wish I controlled things

If I could smoke fear away, I'd roll that mothaf- up
And then I'd take two puffs
I've been hungry all my life
Now (huh), now (huh)
Now (huh), now (huh)
Life's a b-, pull them - to the side now (pull them - to the side now), now

When I was 27, I grew accustomed to more fear
Accumulated 10 times over throughout the years
My newfound life made all of me magnified
How many accolades do I need to block denial?
The shock value of my success put bolts in me
All this money, is God playin' a joke on me?
Is it for the moment and will he see me as Job?
Take it from me and leave me worse than I was before?

At 27, my biggest fear was losin' it all
Scared to spend money, had me sleepin' from hall to hall
Scared to go back to Section 8 with my mama stressin'
30 shows a month and I still won't buy me no Lexus
What is an advisor somebody that's holdin' my checks?
Just to f- me over and put my finances in debt?
I read a case about Rihanna's accountant and wondered
How did the bad girl feel when she looked at them numbers?

The type of - make me flip out and just - somethin', drill somethin'
Get ill and fill ratchets with a lil' somethin'
I practiced runnin' from fear, guess I had some good luck
At 27 years old, my biggest fear was bein' judged
How they look at me reflect on myself, my family, my city
What they say 'bout me reveal if my reputation would miss me
What they see from me would trickle down generations in time
What they hear from me would make 'em highlight my simplest lines

I'm talkin' fear, fear of losin' creativity
I'm talkin' fear, fear of missin' out on you and me
I'm talkin' fear, fear of losin' loyalty from pride
'Cause my DNA won't let me involve in the light of God
I'm talkin' fear, fear that my humbleness is gone
I'm talkin' fear, fear that love ain't livin' here no more
I'm talkin' fear, fear that it's wickedness or weakness
Fear, whatever it is, both is distinctive

Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth
And I can't take these feelings with me, so hopefully they disperse
Within 14 tracks, carried out over wax
Searchin' for resolutions until somebody get back
Fear, what happens on Earth stays on Earth
And I can't take these feelings with me, so hopefully they disperse
Within 14 tracks, carried out over wax
Wonderin' if I'm livin' through fear or livin' through rap
Damn

Goddamn you
Goddamn me
Goddamn us
Goddamn we
Goddamn us all

Verse 2 says, "You only have I known of all the families of the Earth
Therefore I will punish you for all your iniquities"
So until we come back to these commandments
Until you come back to these commandments
We're gonna be in this place, we're gonna be under this curse
Because He said He's gonna punish us
The so-called Blacks, Hispanics, and Native American Indians
Are the true children of Israel

We are the Israelites according to the Bible
The children of Israel, he's gonna punish us for our iniquities
For our disobedience because we chose to follow other gods
That man chastens his son, so the Lord, thy God, chasten thee
So just like you'll chasten your own son
He's gonna chasten you because He loves you

So that's why we get chastised, that's why we're in the position we're in
Until we come back to these laws, statutes and commandments
And do what the Lord said, these curses is gonna be upon us
We gonna be at a lower state in this life that we live, here, in today
In the United States of America
I love you, family, and I pray for you
God bless you, shalom