Breathe – English Lyrics

• By: Juicy J, GOD

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

They don't want to see us up

They just want to lock us all down

And we tell them let us go

But they just want to see us on our knees

We just trying to get some money

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

We just trying to feed our families

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

They gunning niggas down in the street

People scared to call the police so they copping up some heat

We ain't scared to go to jail, we ain't hiding from police

They don't give a fuck about us

Dropping bodies on TV

Black man unarmed, shot down in his black Jordan 1s

They got this shit on tape, they go to trial, they won't

We can't catch a break

I pray to God and my chopper, just to keep some faith

I pray the angels is watching

I feel like we the target and who the hell is safe?

When the neighborhood watch hoping not to get shot

Niggas caught with the work, they get 40 years

Cops killing left and right, they get no years

They don't want to see us up

They just want to lock us all down

And we tell them let us go

But they just want to see us on our knees

We just trying to get some money

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

We just trying to feed our families

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

I just been trying to get paid

I'm trying to find a different way

We ain't been able to breathe since back in the day when we was all slaves

I used to answer to master

Now I'm owner of all of my masters

I'm about to take them to church, when you hear this verse, you gonna think I'm a pastor

Revelation of the revolution, they can't hold us with a prosecution

I'm enrolling niggas in my institution, I'm a school them all on the new solution

If the haters in, let 'em hate, 'cause they gon' hate on us anyway

They want to lock us in the penitentiary, when they let us out we gon' penetrate

Pay attention let me demonstrate

Police hop out, gun in my face

Hands up, I ain't got it on me

I'd have it on me any other day

But I had a bag of loud on me, some shit I had from the other day

I took off and tried to run, he shot me in my back trying to get away

They don't want to see us up

They just want to lock us all down

And we tell them let us go

But they just want to see us on our knees

We just trying to get some money

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

We just trying to feed our families

Let us breathe

Let us breathe, let us breathe

Let us breathe

I got a lot of people I ride for, people I die for

Real niggas never change after all the pain in the game

I done lost so many niggas, I forgot who I cry for, damn shame

Change, Memphis ain't changed

Everywhere in the world, the hood is the same

Racist police, niggas killing niggas

Drug wars making mills, hustle to survive

We don't know no different

Imagine being us, out here with no one to trust

Every time I hear the news, another nigga in the dust

Prosecutors work, to keep us all on that bus

All on a new chain, 'til somebody turn state witness

And fuck up the game

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
breathe /briːð/ A1	verb - to inhale and exhale air
lock /lɒk/ A1	verb - to fasten or secure with a lock
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins or banknotes
police /pəˈliːs/ A1	noun - a body of government employees trained in maintaining order and enforcing laws
shoot /ʃuːt/ A2	verb - to fire a bullet or arrow from a weapon
jail /dʒeɪl/ A2	noun - a place for the confinement of persons in lawful detention
unarmed /ˌʌnˈɑːrmd/ B1	adjective - not equipped with a weapon
prosecution /ˌprɑːsɪˈkjuːʃən/ B2	noun - the institution and conduct of legal proceedings against someone
revolution /ˌrevəˈluːʃən/ B1	noun - a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving
institution /ɪnˈstɪtjuːʃən/ B2	noun - an organization founded for a religious, educational, or social purpose
penitentiary /ˌpɛnɪˈtɛnʃəri/ C1	noun - a prison, especially one for serious offenders
demonstrate /ˈdɛmənˌstreɪt/ B2	verb - to show or explain something to someone
survive /sərˈvaɪv/ B1	verb - to continue to live or exist, especially after coming close to dying or being destroyed
hustle /ˈhʌsəl/ B1	verb - to move or act energetically and rapidly
target /ˈtɑːrɡɪt/ B1	noun - a person, object, or place selected as the aim of an attack
faith /feɪθ/ A2	noun - strong belief or trust in someone or something

Key Grammar Structures

• They don't want to see us up

  ➔ Present simple tense with modal verb 'don't'

  ➔ The phrase uses the present simple tense with 'don't' to express a habitual or general truth about the subject's desires.

• We just trying to get some money

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'trying'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present continuous tense with 'trying' to indicate an action that is happening now or around now.

• They gunning niggas down in the street

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'gunning'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present continuous tense with 'gunning' to describe an action that is happening now, emphasizing its ongoing nature.

• I pray to God and my chopper, just to keep some faith

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'pray'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with 'pray' to express a habitual action or a general truth about the speaker's behavior.

• I'm about to take them to church, when you hear this verse, you gonna think I'm a pastor

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'am about to' and future with 'gonna'

  ➔ The sentence combines the present continuous tense with 'am about to' to indicate an action that is imminent, and the future with 'gonna' to express a prediction.

• If the haters in, let 'em hate, 'cause they gon' hate on us anyway

  ➔ Conditional sentence with 'if' and future with 'gon''

  ➔ The sentence uses a conditional structure with 'if' to express a hypothetical situation, and the future with 'gon'' to indicate a certainty.

• Every time I hear the news, another nigga in the dust

  ➔ Present simple tense with 'hear' and 'is'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with 'hear' to describe a habitual action, and 'is' to indicate a state or condition.

• All on a new chain, 'til somebody turn state witness

  ➔ Present continuous tense with 'turn'

  ➔ The sentence uses the present continuous tense with 'turn' to indicate an action that is ongoing or temporary.