Heaven 'n Hell – English Lyrics

• By: Salt-N-Pepa

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into Salt-N-Pepa's "Heaven 'n Hell" to not only enjoy its classic hip-hop beats but also to explore rich, socially conscious English lyrics. This song offers a raw and direct vocabulary for discussing complex societal issues like poverty and injustice, making it an excellent resource for learners interested in authentic, impactful language.

[English]

♪ Why, why boy ♪

♪ Ah, aye ♪

♪ Yay ♪

♪ Children play, women produce ♪

♪ Kids killing kids just for the juice ♪

♪ Now Africa is looking for the truth ♪

♪ But it's gonna take a while to enlighten the youth ♪

♪ In this edition of the story, no need to bore me ♪

♪ It can't do nothin' for me ♪

♪ Even Denzel Washington couldn't find any glory ♪

♪ In the overcrowded streets of the city ♪

♪ I know it's (censored), but I can do without the pity ♪

♪ Baby never lived in the ghetto ♪

♪ Or the projects ♪

♪ But I wear my Tim boots and Hi-Tecs, and I wrecks havoc ♪

♪ And if you try to play me I won't have it ♪

♪ Trix are for kids, this kid is not a silly rabbit ♪

♪ He's standin' on a corner with his system pumpin' loud ♪

♪ Next him goin' off, scream in the crowd ♪

♪ A whole lot of screams, a lot of broken glass ♪

♪ Brothers like to wear their pants fallin' off their ass ♪

♪ Girls today don't wear no bras ♪

♪ Little John Doe got a ho turnin' tricks in the bars ♪

♪ Grandma carries a can of mace ♪

♪ And she'll stick a .45 in your face ♪

♪ So come and meet my man Brett ♪

♪ Yo, what up, Brett ♪

♪ He's smokin', but it's not a cigarette ♪

♪ Speak on it, Pep ♪

♪ I wonder how the hell a brother lets himself ♪

♪ Get into somethin' he can't out of ♪

♪ A lot of my friends are sick and tired ♪

♪ Sick of who ♪

♪ The police rollin' on 'em, pickin' on, holdin' on 'em ♪

♪ Hopin' that they got one of 'em ♪

♪ It was a drug bust, but something's weird ♪

♪ Well, what's the matter, Spinderella ♪

♪ The way half a million disappeared ♪

♪ Children play, women produce ♪

♪ Kids killing kids just for the juice ♪

♪ Now Africa is looking for the truth ♪

♪ But do you think that all the men will enlighten the youth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪

♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪

♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Who gives a damn about me ♪

♪ Huh ♪ ♪ Me ♪

♪ What ♪ ♪ Me ♪

♪ Yeah ♪ ♪ little old me, myself, and I ♪

♪ Live or die, laugh or cry ♪

♪ I'm all that I got, Pops, and that's a lot, Hops ♪

♪ I'd rather rot in jail before I ho-hop ♪

♪ Go 'head, me, tell 'em ♪

♪ They may be hard of hearing ♪

♪ So keep yellin' at the top of your lungs ♪

♪ Now everybody's got guns ♪

♪ They wanna be hard rocks and not be a fool ♪

♪ That buys a history book ♪

♪ But not me, I'll need a clock, not rock to my hits ♪

♪ And that two-fifth click to my tits ♪

♪ And (indistinct) gonna flipin' ♪

♪ And I'm-a have to rip (censored) ♪

♪ Go for yours cuz you gotta ♪

♪ In the ghetto you don't get a medal ♪

♪ If you settle for the drama ♪

♪ She's a gangster and the other terminal cancer ♪

♪ Ask too many questions and my Smith and Wesson will answer ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪

♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪

♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ Well everybody be damned, her father's in jail ♪

♪ Sister's on the corner screamin', "Booty for sale" ♪

♪ Mom spends the night gettin' drunk with her uncle ♪

♪ Her brother's sellin' radios and toasters by the trunkful ♪

♪ See, every man she ever messed would wind up dead ♪

♪ Some might fall in jail, others runnin' from the Feds ♪

♪ The only thing she ever loved was a piece of lead ♪

♪ And that's a double-barrelled pump underneath the bed ♪

♪ Some people wanna fill the world with silly love songs ♪

♪ And looney tunes ♪

♪ And some got sad songs, mad songs, and moody blues ♪

♪ There's good news is God's news ♪

♪ With him you can't lose ♪

♪ Hell is here on earth ♪

♪ The heaven you can choose ♪

♪ There's a choice, you got one, son ♪

♪ The way I'm coming from, choose one ♪

♪ You better choose one ♪

♪ Children play, women produce ♪

♪ Kids killing kids just for the juice ♪

♪ Now Africa is looking for the truth ♪

♪ But it's gonna take a while to enlighten the youth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪ ♪ Children play ♪

♪ Women produce ♪

♪ Just for the juice ♪ ♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ But who do you think will enlighten the youth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪ ♪ Children play ♪

♪ Women produce ♪

♪ Just for the juice ♪ ♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ But who do you think will enlighten the youth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪ ♪ Children play ♪

♪ Women produce ♪

♪ Just for the juice ♪ ♪ Is on earth ♪

♪ But who do you think will enlighten the youth ♪

♪ Heaven and hell ♪

(gun shot sounding)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
heaven /ˈhɛvən/ B1	noun - the place regarded as the abode of God and the angels; a state of great happiness
hell /hɛl/ B1	noun - a place of suffering after death; a very unpleasant situation
earth /ɜːrθ/ A2	noun - the planet we live on; ground or soil
youth /juːθ/ B2	noun - the period between childhood and adult life; young people collectively
truth /truːθ/ B2	noun - the quality or state of being true; a fact that is true
enlighten /ɪnˈlaɪtn/ C1	verb - to give someone greater knowledge and understanding about a subject or situation
Africa /ˈæfrɪkə/ B1	noun - the second largest continent, located south of Europe
juice /dʒuːs/ A2	noun - the liquid obtained from fruits or vegetables
ghetto /ˈɡɛtoʊ/ B2	noun - a part of a city, especially a slum area, occupied by a minority group
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause the death of a person, animal, or thing
produce /prəˈdjuːs/ B2	verb - to make or manufacture something; to bring forth
police /pəˈliːs/ B1	noun - the civil force of a state, responsible for maintaining public order and preventing crime verb - to enforce regulations or laws; to supervise
drug /drʌɡ/ B1	noun - a substance used for medical treatment or for its psychoactive effects verb - to administer or give a drug to someone
jail /dʒeɪl/ B1	noun - a place of confinement for people who have been convicted of crimes verb - to imprison; to confine someone in a jail
rock /rɒk/ A2	noun - a solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth verb - to move back and forth or side to side; to shake
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - deep affection or strong feeling of attachment verb - to feel deep affection for someone or something
song /sɒŋ/ A1	noun - a short piece of music with words
news /njuːz/ B1	noun - information about recent events, especially on radio, television, or newspapers
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B2	noun - the act of selecting among alternatives; an option
mace /meɪs/ B2	noun - a defensive spray containing a chemical irritant; also a heavy club weapon verb - to strike with a mace; to spray with a chemical irritant

Key Grammar Structures

• Kids killing kids just for the juice

  ➔ Present continuous tense

  ➔ The phrase uses the present continuous tense ('killing') to describe an ongoing action or a trend, emphasizing the continuous nature of the issue.

• It can't do nothin' for me

  ➔ Double negative (non-standard)

  ➔ The line uses a double negative ('can't do nothin''), which is non-standard in formal English but common in colloquial or poetic language for emphasis.

• If you try to play me I won't have it

  ➔ Conditional sentence (Type 1)

  ➔ This is a Type 1 conditional sentence ('If you try... I won't have it'), used to talk about a possible situation and its likely result.

• A lot of my friends are sick and tired

  ➔ Present simple tense with stative verb

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with a stative verb ('are sick and tired') to describe a state or condition that is ongoing.

• Heaven and hell is on earth

  ➔ Present simple tense with existential clause

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with an existential clause ('is on earth') to state a fact or a general truth.

• Go for yours cuz you gotta

  ➔ Colloquial contraction and modal verb

  ➔ The line uses a colloquial contraction ('cuz' for 'because') and a modal verb ('gotta' for 'have to') to convey a casual and urgent tone.

• Ask too many questions and my Smith and Wesson will answer

  ➔ Conditional sentence with implied subject

  ➔ The sentence is a conditional sentence with an implied subject ('you'), threatening a consequence if the condition is met.

• There's a choice, you got one, son

  ➔ Contraction and direct address

  ➔ The line uses a contraction ('There's' for 'There is') and direct address ('son') to create a conversational and intimate tone.