4TH OF JULY – English Lyrics

• By: Meek Mill, Fridayy
• Album: Indie Pack Vol. 1

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Meek Mill's "4TH OF JULY" featuring Fridayy to experience a raw glimpse into themes of urban reality contrasted with national celebration. The song is special for its intense storytelling and the contrasting vocal styles of the two artists, making it a powerful piece of contemporary Hip-Hop that invites listeners to reflect on the lyrics' profound social commentary.

[English]

PUBLIC ADVISORY

The violence must end.

Our streets. Our children. Our future. Philadelphia deserves peace.

4th of July

I call my brothers, call my cousins, makin' sure they alive

I don't even know who got hit up, I'm just prayin' that they survive

They shootin' right in front of these babies, swear that somethin' ain't right

Somethin' ain't right

They said these firecrackers ain't the only thing got lit up

My city all at war, if you in the way, you gon' get hit up

Gotta watch your body, can't be lackin' when you leavin' the club

(Severelements, hey, hey)

Crazy part about it, I was supposed to be there that night, it could've been me

When I got home, saw the news, I fell on my knees and I thank God

I was thinkin' rest in peace, oh PNB, my city needs somethin'

Ohhh, my city needs somethin'

I'm pushin' peace, I'm just a product of these streets

I ain't no gangster, I'm just me

I found a way out for my family, I'm just showin' what you could be

It's been a long

It's been a long time comin'

But change still ain't come

It's been a long, long, long, long, long time

But change still ain't come

4th of July

Shit, we was poppin' M80's, this shit got crazy

Now we runnin' around all 40s and 9s

My young boul Brazy, I can't save him, they try play him, he just ran off like he gon' get a bomb

I see water in his eyes

I don't tell 'em like I told him to die

I taught youngin' how to hustle, I taught shorty to ride

Used to be a firecracker, I taught shorty to cry

'Til them shots fired sound like it's fireworks, 'til we heard the sirens

Prayin' every night I don't catch the murder virus

Kill my brother, kill your brother too, have a murder riot

Do a ritual with them switches, tell them burn in fire

He had caught too many cases, so he wore a wire

Put a still all on his statement, they ain't real quiet

You know beefin' with the chasers, you get real tight

Gettin' real paper, fuck how they feel about us

We give up fireworks, no north side gon' kill about me

We let off fireworks, no south side gon' drill by me

I want stop the violence, if I slip niggas gon' still pop me

Damn

To them streets I pledge allegiance, given hell or heathens

It was really hella deceivin', I ain't never see it

We ain't beefin', we doin' holler, really every season

Cause when you hear them fireworks, you ain't never leavin'

Light us

4th of July

4th of July

I call my brothers, call my cousins, makin' sure they alive

I don't even know who got hit up, I'm just prayin' that they survive

They shootin' right in front of these babies, swear that somethin' ain't right

They said these firecrackers ain't the only thing got lit up

My city all at war, if you in the way, you gon' get hit up

Gotta watch your body, can't be lackin' when you leavin' the club

Severelements

It's been a long, long, long, long, long time

But change still ain't come

(Spoken, News Anchor) Someone shoots a gun or is hit by a gun, it's too late. So, they're saying they want investments in education, they want investments in mental health. A lot of these communities are seeing ongoing trauma again and again. So, time will really tell, but the criminal...

Can I go hit go wild?

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
peace /piːs/ A2	noun - freedom from disturbance; tranquility
brothers /ˈbrʌðərz/ A1	noun - male sibling
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A2	adjective - living, not dead
shootin' /ˈʃuːtɪŋ/ B1	verb - firing a weapon
babies /ˈbeɪbiz/ A1	noun - very young children
war /wɔːr/ B1	noun - a state of armed conflict
city /ˈsɪti/ A1	noun - a large town
body /ˈbɒdi/ A1	noun - the physical structure of a person or animal
news /njuːz/ A2	noun - newly received or noteworthy information
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - public road in a city or town
gangster /ˈɡæŋstər/ B2	noun - a member of a gang of violent criminals
change /tʃeɪndʒ/ A2	noun - the act or instance of making or becoming different verb - to make or become different
runnin' /ˈrʌnɪŋ/ A1	verb - moving at a speed faster than a walk
crazy /ˈkreɪzi/ A2	adjective - mentally deranged
eyes /aɪz/ A1	noun - organs of sight
shots /ʃɒts/ B1	noun - act of firing a weapon
violence /ˈvaɪələns/ B2	noun - behavior involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something

Key Grammar Structures

• I call my brothers, call my cousins, makin' sure they alive

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense

  ➔ The phrase 'makin' sure' is a contraction of 'making sure,' indicating an action happening now. It emphasizes the ongoing effort to ensure their safety.

• They shootin' right in front of these babies, swear that somethin' ain't right

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with Contraction

  ➔ 'They shootin'' is a contraction of 'they are shooting,' used in informal speech. It highlights the ongoing and shocking nature of the violence.

• It's been a long time comin', but change still ain't come

  ➔ Present Perfect Continuous Tense

  ➔ 'It's been a long time comin'' uses the present perfect continuous to emphasize the duration of the wait for change, which still hasn’t arrived.

• I taught youngin' how to hustle, I taught shorty to ride

  ➔ Past Simple Tense

  ➔ The past simple tense is used in 'I taught' to describe completed actions in the past, such as teaching someone to hustle or ride.

• Prayin' every night I don't catch the murder virus

  ➔ Present Continuous Tense with Gerund

  ➔ 'Prayin' every night' is a gerund phrase functioning as an adverbial, describing the ongoing action of praying. It emphasizes the habitual nature of the prayer.