HOW FAR WE CAME – English Lyrics

• By: Meek Mill
• Album: Indie Pack (Vol. 01)

Lyrics & Translation

For those looking to learn English through music, Meek Mill's "HOW FAR WE CAME" offers a compelling narrative of overcoming adversity. The song's raw and direct storytelling provides a rich vocabulary related to struggle, success, and loyalty. Its clear and passionate delivery makes it an engaging way to understand the nuances of street vernacular and the emotional depth of hip-hop as a form of expression. What makes this song special is its authenticity; it's a real-life story of triumph that can inspire and educate listeners on the power of perseverance.

[English]

I ain't choose this life, I think it chose me.

I was down so bad and it was lonely.

I was...

Couldn't even make it to the nosebleeds.

Now I'm sittin' court-side and everybody knows me.

And it's a good feelin' when the city knows your

Yeah.

Oh, it's a good feelin' knowin' just how far we came.

Uh.

When you buy your mama house, that's when you a real nigga.

It's been like a full-time job not to kill niggas.

Brody want me out the car, I be tryna drill with him.

They hit my cousin five times, I pray to God he still with us.

I pray to God he...

I pray to God he still wit' us.

I'm somewhere in my real feelings.

Make up lies a thousand rumors 'bout me, they gon' still feel us.

I'm watchin' guys that was knockin' over hoes just to chill with us.

Talkin' like they real niggas, and they dead crack.

Once you niggas go against the game, you gotta wear that.

Million on million on million, we ain't got wear that.

I buss some niggas down when they went home, they ain't even share that.

I really had to sell crack to get some Air Max.

Graveyard shiftin' with this glizzy, felt like fear factor.

Backdoor a thing, now you gotta be aware that.

He braggin' about linin' his dog up, he need his head cracked.

I was taught, lock in with your guys and don't never cross us.

They don't wanna grind and wonder why they never turn to bosses.

I got like a thousand wins, only got a couple losses.

Oops, I mean a couple lessons, niggas ain't gon' never catch us.

Chevy with the double S's, now we steppin' Double R.

Yeah.

I know niggas want kill me in my hood, they motivated, see me come this far.

It's different.

Yeah.

I ain't choose this life, I think it chose me.

Now I'm pullin' up, I'm goin' Ghosty.

Remember I was sittin' in the nosebleeds.

Now I'm pushin' court-side and the billionaires my O.G.'s.

And it's a good feelin' when the city knows your name.

Yeah, and it's a good feelin' knowin' just how far we came.

Dreamchasers.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
chose /tʃoʊz/ A2	verb - to select or decide on something
lonely /ˈloʊnli/ A1	adjective - sad because one has no friends or company
sittin' /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ A1	verb - to be in a seated position
feelings /ˈfiːlɪŋz/ A1	noun - an emotional state or reaction
rumors /ˈruːmərz/ A2	noun - unconfirmed reports or gossip
grind /ɡraɪnd/ B1	verb - to work hard or persistently
motivated /ˈmoʊtɪveɪtɪd/ B1	adjective - having a reason to act in a certain way
crack /kræk/ B2	noun - a highly addictive drug verb - to break or cause to break
aware /əˈwɛr/ B1	adjective - knowing or realizing something
bosses /ˈbɒsɪz/ A2	noun - a person in charge of a business or organization
motivated /ˈmoʊtɪveɪtɪd/ B1	adjective - having a reason to act in a certain way
steppin' /ˈstɛpɪŋ/ A2	verb - to walk or move with steps
pullin' /ˈpʊlɪŋ/ A2	verb - to move or bring something toward oneself
pushin' /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/ A2	verb - to apply force to move something
billionaires /ˈbɪljəˌnɛrz/ B1	noun - people who have a net worth of at least one billion

Key Grammar Structures

• I didn’t choose this life; it chose me.

  ➔ Causative and passive meaning.

  ➔ The phrase “it chose me” uses a simple past verb that implies the speaker didn’t decide — life made the choice.

• Now I’m sitting courtside and everybody knows me.

  ➔ Present continuous describing current state.

  ➔ “I’m sitting” shows the action happening now, emphasizing a recent change in lifestyle.

• I pray to God he’s still with us.

  ➔ Present simple to express hope or strong belief.

  ➔ The verb “pray” in the present simple shows a repetitive or ongoing hope rather than a one-time event.

• Make up lies and rumors about me, they still feel us.

  ➔ Conjunction omission (implied ‘even though’).

  ➔ The sentence contrasts actions (‘make up lies’) and result (‘they still feel us’), suggesting concession.

• Once you go against the game, you gotta wear that.

  ➔ Conditional and idiomatic expression.

  ➔ “Once you go against” forms a condition; “wear that” means accept consequences of actions.

• They don’t wanna grind and wonder why they never turn to bosses.

  ➔ Negative contraction and result clause.

  ➔ ‘Don’t wanna’ is informal for ‘do not want to’; the clause ‘wonder why…’ expresses cause and effect.

• Oops, I mean a couple lessons.

  ➔ Self-correction with interjection.

  ➔ ‘Oops’ signals the speaker correcting themselves mid-sentence, common in spoken language.

• It’s a good feeling knowing how far we came.

  ➔ Gerund phrase as a noun complement.

  ➔ ‘Knowing how far we came’ functions as the thing that causes the ‘good feeling’.