a lot – English Lyrics

• By: 21 Savage, J. Cole

Lyrics & Translation

Delve into the poignant storytelling of 21 Savage's 'a lot,' featuring J. Cole, where raw reflections on life's trials meet a soulful melody. This Grammy-winning track offers a glimpse into the artists' journeys, making it a compelling study for those learning English through music. Explore the lyrics and uncover the deeper meanings behind their experiences.

[English]

♪ I love you ♪

♪ Turn my headphone down a little bit, yeah ♪

♪ For so many reasons ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah (I do) ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah yeah yeah ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, ah, ah, whoa, whoa, whoa, yeah ♪

♪ How much money you got? (Straight up) ♪

♪ How much money you got? (Straight up) ♪

♪ How much money you got? (Straight up) ♪

♪ How much money you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How much money you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many problems you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many people done doubted you? (A lot) ♪

♪ Left you out to rot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many pray that you flop? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many lawyers you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times you got shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas you shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you ride? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas done died? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you cheat? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you lie? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she leave? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she cry? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many chances she done gave you ♪

♪ Fuckin' around with these thots? (A lot) ♪

♪ Every day that I'm alive, I'ma ride with the stick ♪

♪ I'd rather be broke in jail than be dead and rich ♪

♪ Told my brothers take my breath if I turn to a snitch ♪

♪ But I'm 21 4L, ain't no way I'ma switch ♪

♪ Break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ I break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down ♪

♪ Penitentiary chances just to make a couple bucks ♪

♪ My heart so cold I could put it in my cup ♪

♪ Gang vs. the world, me and my dawg, it was us ♪

♪ Then you went and wrote a statement ♪

♪ And that really fucked me up ♪

♪ My brother lost his life and it turned me to a beast ♪

♪ My brother got life and it turned me to the streets ♪

♪ I been through the storm and it turned me to a G ♪

♪ But the other side was sunny, I get paid to rap on beats ♪

♪ How much money you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many problems you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many people done doubted you? (A lot) ♪

♪ Left you out to rot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many pray that you flop? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many lawyers you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times you got shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas you shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you ride? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas done died? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you cheat? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you lie? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she leave? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she cry? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many chances she done gave you ♪

♪ Fuckin' around with these thots? (A lot) ♪

♪ Break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ I break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ Yeah, I just came from the A ♪

♪ I drove back home, six-hour drive, six and a half ♪

♪ Before I left I stopped by to see my nigga ♪

♪ 21 in the studio ♪

♪ He had two of his kids with him right in the studio, ♪

♪ that's when I knew ♪

♪ You a stand up nigga, I love seein' shit like that ♪

♪ Question ♪

♪ How many faking they streams? (A lot) ♪

♪ Getting they plays from machines (A lot) ♪

♪ I can see behind the smoke and mirrors ♪

♪ Niggas ain't really big as they seem (hmm) ♪

♪ I never say anything (nah) ♪

♪ Everybody got they thing (true) ♪

♪ Some niggas make millions ♪

♪ Other niggas make memes (hmm) ♪

♪ I'm on a money routine ♪

♪ I don't want smoke, I want cream ♪

♪ I don't want no more comparisons ♪

♪ This is a marathon and I'm aware ♪

♪ I been playing it back from a lack of promotions ♪

♪ I was never one for the bragging and boasting ♪

♪ I guess I was hoping the music would speak for itself ♪

♪ But the people want everything else ♪

♪ Okay, no problem, I'll show up on everyone album ♪

♪ You know what the outcome will be ♪

♪ I'm batting a thousand ♪

♪ It's got to the point that these rappers ♪

♪ don't even like rappin' with me ♪

♪ Fuck it 'cause my nigga 21 Savage just hit me ♪

♪ And told me he saved me a spot on a new record he got ♪

♪ He call it "a lot, " I open my book and I jot ♪

♪ Pray for Tekashi, they want him to rot ♪

♪ I picture him inside a cell on a cot ♪

♪ 'Flectin' on how he made it to the top ♪

♪ Wondering if it was worth it or not ♪

♪ I pray for Markelle 'cause they fucked up his shot ♪

♪ Just want you to know that you got it, my nigga ♪

♪ Though I never met you, I know that you special ♪

♪ And that the Lord blessed you, don't doubt it, my nigga ♪

♪ Dennis Smith Jr., stay solid, my nigga ♪

♪ I'm on a tangent, not how I planned it ♪

♪ I had some fans that hopped and abandoned ship ♪

♪ When they thought that I wasn't gone pan out, I got a plan ♪

♪ They say that success is the greatest revenge ♪

♪ tell all your friends ♪

♪ Cole on a mission cementin' the spot ♪

♪ as the greatest who did it ♪

♪ Before it all ends, nigga ♪

♪ How much money you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many problems you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many people done doubted you? (A lot) ♪

♪ Left you out to rot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many pray that you flop? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many lawyers you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times you got shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas you shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you ride? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas done died? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you cheat? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you lie? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she leave? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she cry? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many chances she done gave you ♪

♪ Fuckin' around with these thots? (A lot) ♪

♪ Take a dive, put away my pride (Away my pride) ♪

♪ Shoot my shot, DMs, yeah, I slide (Yeah I slide) ♪

♪ She in front, but she used to be my side (Be my side) ♪

♪ We take selfies now, I used to in her live (In her live) ♪

♪ Before the fame, plan B was robbin' banks (Robbin' banks) ♪

♪ Be a married man, right now I just can't (I just can't) ♪

♪ All the love they gave me ♪

♪ knew that it was fake (It was fake) ♪

♪ Mama love me so much ♪

♪ either way I'm straight (Way I'm straight) ♪

♪ I done seen so many handshakes turn to hate (Turn to hate) ♪

♪ Seen so many BFs turn s-n-a-k (Turn a snakes) ♪

♪ Death before dishonor tatted on my face (On my face) ♪

♪ Way I run the check up ♪

♪ should've been with Chase (Been with Chase) ♪

♪ Start at the bottom, the trenches, the gutters, ♪

♪ so I had to go little harder (Straight up) ♪

♪ Lights was out, the gas was off ♪

♪ so we had to boil up the water (Straight up) ♪

♪ Been through some things, but I couldn't imagine my kids ♪

♪ stuck at the border (Straight up) ♪

♪ Flint still need water (Straight up) ♪

♪ Niggas was innocent, couldn't get lawyers (On God) ♪

♪ How much money you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many problems you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many people done doubted you? (A lot) ♪

♪ Left you out to rot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many pray that you flop? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many lawyers you got? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times you got shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas you shot? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you ride? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many niggas done died? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you cheat? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did you lie? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she leave? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many times did she cry? (A lot) ♪

♪ How many chances she done gave you? ♪

♪ Fuck around with these thots (A lot) ♪

♪ Break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ I break it on down, I break it on down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it on down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it on down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down ♪

♪ I break it down, I break it down, I br- ♪

(hip hop beat slowly fades)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a medium of exchange used to pay for goods and services
problems /ˈprɒbləmz/ B1	noun - difficulties or issues that need to be resolved
people /ˈpiːpl/ A1	noun - human beings in general or considered collectively
shot /ʃɒt/ B2	verb - to fire a bullet from a gun noun - an act of firing a bullet
ride /raɪd/ B1	verb - to sit on and control the movement of a vehicle or animal
cheat /tʃiːt/ B2	verb - to act dishonestly in order to gain an advantage
cry /kraɪ/ A2	verb - to shed tears as a result of emotion
chance /tʃæns/ B1	noun - a possibility of something happening
heart /hɑːrt/ A2	noun - the organ that pumps blood through the body
beast /biːst/ B2	noun - a large and dangerous animal
gang /ɡæŋ/ B1	noun - a group of people who associate together for a common purpose
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
broke /broʊk/ B2	adjective - having no money
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - having a lot of money or valuable possessions
snitch /snɪtʃ/ B2	verb - to inform on someone, especially to the police

Key Grammar Structures

• Every day that I'm alive, I'ma ride with the stick

  ➔ Contraction 'I'ma' (I am going to), Conditional 'that'

  ➔ 'I'ma' is a colloquial contraction of 'I am going to'. 'That' introduces a subordinate clause specifying the condition ('every day').

• I'd rather be broke in jail than be dead and rich

  ➔ Conditional 'would rather' + infinitive, Comparative structure

  ➔ 'Would rather' expresses preference. The comparative structure is 'rather A than B', meaning preferring A over B.

• Pray for Tekashi, they want him to rot

  ➔ Imperative mood ('Pray'), 'want' + object + infinitive

  ➔ 'Pray' is in the imperative mood, giving a command. 'Want him to rot' shows the structure 'want + object + to + verb'.

• I been through the storm and it turned me to a G

  ➔ Present perfect ('been through'), 'turn' + object + 'to' + noun

  ➔ 'Been through' uses the present perfect to express an experience. 'Turned me to a G' indicates a transformation.

• I was never one for the bragging and boasting

  ➔ 'One for' + gerunds (bragging, boasting)

  ➔ 'One for' means 'fond of' or 'inclined to'. Here, it's used negatively: 'I was never fond of bragging'. Bragging and boasting are gerunds functioning as nouns.

• It's got to the point that these rappers don't even like rappin' with me

  ➔ 'It's got to the point that' + clause, Negative concord ('don't even like')

  ➔ 'It's got to the point that' introduces a result or consequence. 'Don't even like' shows negative concord, where 'don't' and 'even' reinforce the negation.

• Though I never met you, I know that you special

  ➔ Subordinating conjunction 'Though', Ellipsis of 'are'

  ➔ 'Though' introduces a concessive clause (contrast). The phrase 'you special' is an example of informal speech where 'are' is omitted: 'you are special'.

• Seen so many BFs turn s-n-a-k (Turn a snakes)

  ➔ Past participle 'Seen', Incorrect pluralization ('a snakes')

  ➔ 'Seen' is a shortened form of 'have seen'. 'A snakes' is grammatically incorrect; it should be 'snakes'. It might be used for emphasis or stylistic effect.