Jay-Z | Lyrics | Can I Live

Yeah, geah, Roc-A-Fella
We invite you to somethin' epic y'all know?
Well, we hustle out of a sense of hopelessness
Sort of a desperation
Through that desperation we come addicted

Sorta like the fiends we accustomed to servin'
But we feel we have nothin' to lose
So we offer you, well we offer our lives right
What do you bring to the table?

While I'm watchin' every nigga watchin' me closely
My s*** is butter for the bread they wanna toast me
I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be
Hoes'll get you sidetracked then clap from closed feet

I don't sleep, I'm tired, I feel wired like codeine, these days
A brother gotta admire from four fiends away
My pain wish it was quick to see, from sellin' 'caine
'Til brains was fried to a francaise, can't lie

At the time it never bothered me, at the bar
Gettin' my thug on properly, my squad and me
Lack of respect for authority, laughin' hard
Happy to be escapin' poverty, however brief

I know this game got valleys and peaks, expectation
For dips, four percent pertation we stack chips, hardly
The youth I used to be, soon to see a mill'in
No more, Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William

Illin' for revenues, grateful dim the light
Channel 7 news, round seven jewels, hand gettin' the mic
Forgettin' all I ever knew, convenient amnesia
I suggest you call my lawyer, I know the procedure

Lock my body can't trap my mind, easily
Explain why we adapt to crime
I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it
Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it

Presidential suites my residential for the weekend
Confidentially speakin' in codes since I sense you peekin'
The INXS rental, don't be fooled my game is mental
We both out of town dog, what you tryin' to get into?

Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables
Meet me by the one that starts a G up
This way no fraud Willie's present gambling they re-up
And we can have a pleasant time, sippin' margaritas

G-g-geah, can I live?
Can I live?

My mind is infested, with sick thoughts that circle
Like a Lexus, if driven wrong it's sure to hurt you
Dual level like duplexes, in unity, my crew and me
Commit atrocities like we got immunity

You guessed it, manifest it in tangible goods
Platinum Rolexed it, we don't lease
We buy the whole care, as you should
My confederation, dead a nation, explode

On detonation, overload the mind of a said patient
When it balls to steam, it comes to it
We all fiends gotta do it, even righteous minds go through this
True this, history school us to spend our money foolish

Bond with jewelers and, watch for intruders
I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist
Recruited lieutenants with Ludicrous, dreams of
Gettin' cream let's do this, against TDS
So I keep one eye open like, CBS, ya see me
Stressed right? Can I live?

Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?
Roc-A-Fella, y'all