Expensive Pain – English Lyrics

• By: Meek Mill
• Album: Expensive Pain

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Meek Mill's "Expensive Pain" to experience a powerful narrative woven with authentic street vernacular and evocative imagery. This song offers a unique opportunity to learn English through raw, unfiltered storytelling, showcasing how language is used to convey complex emotions and the harsh realities of life and success. Its candid lyrics and aggressive yet melodic style make it a compelling piece for understanding contemporary American urban culture and rap language.

[English]

So

I got lights in this bitch, turn me up somethin' Cruz

Jim in this bitch, L's in this bitch, what's up?

Uh

I bought the Richie for a quarter but I sold it for a nickel

(Hold on, lemme hit the blunt)

I'm bringin' real niggas home, shit, I'm the realest, it's official

Yeah, uh

When I start stressin', I get bored, might spend a million, that shit tickle

On a threeway, me and Slow, he caught L's and we both pick 'em

In the cell but you can't tell that we in the jail

'Cause we don't feel no pain unless them kids say in vain, "Dad, I miss you"

If you my dawg, I'm tryna put you on the shit that I'm on

Super drippy, made the Patek match the kicks got on

Totin' the semi-automatic, ain't no pushin' me, dawg

Time bomb, niggas tickin' me off

Look at the skyline from the penthouse, like Walt Disney, dawg

Send her to the mall and tell her, "Get some Dior"

Made her text her best friend, she said, "He Christian me up"

And the crazy part about it, that wasn't shit to me y'all

Shit, I been winnin' a long time, I know they sick of me, y'all

Got me switchin' up my flow again, switchin' up my ho again

E'rrybody been changin', got me switchin' up my bro again

My dawg did his bid, he came back home and switched his pole again

And I ain't even wanna tell him to slide, he tryna go again

Once he got active, I said, "Go again," yeah

King in my trenches, I'm not average, all I know is win

Total blowout, it's like 0 to 10, yeah

I don't want to be dead, I don't want to be in jail, I want a hundred fuckin' million

It's easy to pull a trigger, but it ain't easy to move your mom out the hood

That's a real man job, that ain't for suckers right there

We tryna be young kings, all that other shit played out.

Yeah

And this expensive pain

When you ridin' through the trenches, bulletproof all on the Range

This expensive pain

Lovin' on the bitch you claim

Knowin' some rich niggas hit it, it'll never be the same

This expensive pain, this expensive pain

Went through some shit about this money

I seen some niggas change, expensive pain

A million on the Richard, and it's plain

And it's crazy, I never check the time in all expensive frames

These Cartiers, I'm with your bitch and I just called her here, we all in here

Ask 'bout me in Starlets, I used to ball in there

Shit, I been throwin' paper since Bernice was goin' hard in there, no kizzy

Yeah, expensive bitches, more money, more riches

Cops get behind us, we start takin' off switches

Niggas be in our shit but we don't be in y'all business

Shit, how you think we always end up bein' in y'all bitches?

This is the same feelin' that you get like when you a kid on Christmas

I just knocked down a lil' celeb' and I was on her hit list

And I ain't been rappin', I been trappin', tryna learn my business

They thought I fell off, but they well off

I gotta keep my name worth more than money and gold

And remain humble 'round my people so I don't spoil my soul

And I keep my dreams before the fame and all these phony lil' hoes

'Cause I got two sons that's kings and they like spoiled lil' bros

And they want everything, they call, I buy it, order them clothes

You gotta watch for everything, that dot'll spoil your goals

And I be parleyin' with people that got the word of control

'Cause they know I got the influence you can feel it in your soul

This is culture currency, money shit don'0t ever worry me

Gotta hide my chopper from this bitch, this shit been gettin' embarrassin'

She seen me cuddle with my stick, said, "Boy, you need some therapy"

And I can't lie, I prolly do, 'cause I still have dreams of niggas airin' me

It ain't no fuckin' fear in me

I let bad bitches fuckin' share me, and they love it, clearly

Used to fit eighty in them pockets, now we dub Amiri

'Cause I just cook the Cullinan up like I know culinary, yeah

Be me 13 years. I was broke for 13 years.

I was broke. Yeah, when you see me, I had nappy braids.

Yeah, my stomach was hurting. It really was hurting. I really starved some nights, man.

Yeah

And this expensive pain

When you ridin' through the trenches, bulletproof all on the Range

This expensive pain

Lovin' on the bitch you claim

Knowin' some rich niggas hit it, it'll never be the same

This expensive pain, this expensive pain

Went through some shit about this money

I seen some niggas change, expensive pain

A million on the Richard, and it's plain

And it's crazy, I never check the time in all expensive frames

These Cartiers, I'm with your bitch and I just called her here, we all in here

Ask 'bout me in Starlets, I used to ball in there

Hey, that girl right there?

I can see it in her eyes, she's a Dreamchaser.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
stressin' /ˈstresɪn/ B1	verb - experiencing mental or emotional strain or tension.
million /ˈmɪljən/ A2	noun - a large number, one thousand thousand (1,000,000)
tickle /ˈtɪkl/ A1	verb - to cause a slight itching or tingling sensation.
drip /drɪp/ B1	noun - stylishness, especially in clothing and accessories.
automatic /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪk/ B2	adjective - operating with little or no direct human control.
skyline /ˈskaɪlaɪn/ B2	noun - the outline of buildings and hills against the sky.
text /tekst/ A2	verb - to send a message electronically.
winnin' /ˈwɪnɪn/ A2	verb - achieving victory or success.
switchin' /ˈswɪtʃɪn/ B1	verb - changing or altering.
blowout /ˈbloʊaʊt/ B2	noun - a decisive victory.
trigger /ˈtrɪɡər/ B1	noun - a device for releasing a mechanism. verb - to cause something to happen.
hood /hʊd/ A2	noun - a poor urban neighborhood.
ridin' /ˈraɪdɪn/ A1	verb - traveling in a vehicle.
bulletproof /ˈbʊlətˌpruːf/ B2	adjective - able to withstand bullets.
range /reɪndʒ/ A2	noun - the area covered by something.
claim /kleɪm/ B1	verb - to state as a fact.
rich /rɪtʃ/ A2	adjective - having a great deal of money.
frames /freɪmz/ B1	noun - a structure that surrounds or encloses something.

Key Grammar Structures

• I **bought** the Richie for a quarter but I **sold** it for a nickel

  ➔ Past Simple

  ➔ Used to describe completed actions in the past. The verbs "bought" and "sold" are in their past simple forms.

• When I **start stressin'**, I get bored, might spend a million, that shit tickle

  ➔ Present Continuous/ Gerund

  ➔ The phrase "start stressin'" uses the gerund form of the verb "stress." It indicates an ongoing action or state, often with emphasis on the process.

• In the cell **but you can't tell** that we in the jail

  ➔ Modal Verb 'can' and Negation

  ➔ The use of "can't" (cannot) expresses the inability to perceive or discern something. It highlights a contrast.

• If you my dawg, I'm **tryna put** you on the shit that I'm on

  ➔ Contraction and Phrasal Verb

  ➔ The contraction "I'm" (I am) and the phrasal verb "tryna put on" (trying to put on) are used. "Tryna" is a colloquial contraction for "trying to." "Put on" here means to introduce someone to something or help them get involved.

• Super drippy, **made** the Patek match the kicks **got on**

  ➔ Past Simple (Made), Phrasal Verb (Got on)

  ➔ The past simple "made" is used to describe the action of causing something to happen. "Got on" as a phrasal verb means to wear, or to be wearing.

• And I ain't even **wanna** tell him to slide, he **tryna** go again

  ➔ Informal contraction (wanna, tryna)

  ➔ "Wanna" is a contraction of "want to", and "tryna" is a contraction of "trying to." These are informal and common in spoken language.

• Once he got active, I said, '**Go again,**' yeah

  ➔ Imperative

  ➔ The phrase "Go again" is a direct command or instruction, using the imperative mood. This is a form of verb that expresses a direct command.

• I don't want to **be dead**, I don't want to **be in jail**, I want a hundred fuckin' million

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose/State

  ➔ The infinitive form of "to be" is used to express a desired state or outcome. It indicates what the speaker does not want to be.

• And **this is** expensive pain

  ➔ Present Simple (To be)

  ➔ The verb "is" is the present simple form of the verb "to be." It's used to define or identify something.