Legacy – English Lyrics

• By: JAY-Z
• Album: 4:44

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

MY DEAR YOU ARE IN A UNIQUE SITUATION

I'M SURPRISED BY MYSELF

ORDINARILY I WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU IN THE HOLE

AND SEEN TO IT THAT SUNLIGHT BECAME A DISTANT MEMORY

BUT THAT JUST SEEMS SO HARSH CONSIDERING

THAT YOU'RE THE ONE THAT CAME TO ME FIRST

HOWEVER I'M SENSING A LITTLE HESITATION

SO LET ME SWEETEN THE DEAL FOR YOU

IF YOU DO NOT TELL ME WORD FOR WORD WHAT TRANSPIRED

I WILL MAKE YOUR LIFE IN HERE A LIVING HELL

SO MUCH SO, THAT BEING IN THE HOLE WILL SEEN LIKE CHRISTMAS DAY

I WILL BREAK YOU

FIX YOU

AND BREAK YOU AGAIN

YOU WILL DIE IN THIS PLACE

SO, TELL ME, WHAT HAPPENED?

HOWDY SNITCH

MATTER FACT, IT AIN'T REALLY SNITCHING

NA, NA, NA CAUSE SEE

YOU WERE ACTUALLY THE INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE

NIGGA YOU DON'T KNOW NOTHING ABOUT ME

I KNOW RIGHT NOW YOU COULD BE FUCKING YOUR OLD LADY

BUT INSTEAD YOU UP IN HERE WITH US ANGRY MOTHERFUCKERS

CAUSE WHAT YOU WANTED TO KEEP IT REAL, RIGHT YEAH

TELL THE TRUTH

YOU CRY YOURSELF TO SLEEP EVERY NIGHT

WONDERING IF YOUR OLD LADY FUCKING

THE DUDE YOU TOOK THE WRAP FOR

HEY LET ME PUT YOU OUT YOUR MISERY FAM

THEY FUCKING

AND YOU KNOW THE SEX GOT TO BE GOOD

IT GOT TO BE GOOD!

I MEAN HEY, THEM NERDS

LET ME TELL YOU SOMETHING MAN

THEY KNOW HOW TO FUCK

I MEAN ALL THEY DO IS READ UP ON THE SHIT

CUT IT OUT WITH THE FUNNY SHIT MAN!

CALM DOWN BEFORE I TAKE THIS SOGGY BROWN SHIT

THEY CALLING FOOD AND MAKE YOU EAT IT

I'M HUNGRY, WHAT'S HAPPENING!

BOTH YA'LL NEED TO CALM DOWN

PUT YOUR ASS IN THE SEAT

NAW THIS NIGGA, NOT FEND TO TALK TO ME...

PUT YOUR ASS IN THE GODDAMN SEAT!

WATCH YOUR TONE WHEN YOU TALKING TO ME

PUT YOUR ASS IN THE MOTHERFUCKING SEAT

YOU GOING TO GET US HOSED, BEAT DOWN AND SHOT

BEFORE WE EVEN FIND OUT WHAT THE HELL WE DOING HERE

SHIT Y'ALL NIGGAS AIN'T THE ONLY ONES

WHO WANT TO KNOW WHAT'S CRACKING

LOOK AT US

SITTING AROUND LIKE SOME DUCKS

ITS BAD ENOUGH WE GOT TO TAKE ORDERS FROM THESE HERBS

BUT NOW WE TAKING ORDERS FROM INMATES TOO

WHAT THE FUCK!

THEY TELL US TO GO SOMEWHERE WE DON'T ASK QUESTIONS

NIGGA I'M ASKING QUESTIONS

I'VE BEEN HERE THREE WEEKS

AND I STILL AIN'T SEE THE MOTHERFUCKER

I'M IN MY CELL TAKING A SHIT

AND THE PRISON GUARDS THEY COME IN

RUDE

"A SPECIFIC INMATE WANTS YOUR PRESENCE AT LUNCH"

FUCK, I GOT TO SEE WHAT THE FUSS ABOUT

AND YOU WILL

IN HERE THEY REFER TO ALL OF US AS "THE PRESIDENT'S MEN"

AND ITS NOT BECAUSE WE BELONG TO THE STATE

ITS CAUSE THE MOMENT YOU ENTER INTO THIS PLACE

YOU ARE OWNED BY (MR. CARTER)

MR. CARTER. THAT'S RIGHT

YEAH I KNOW THESE TWO NIGGAS

WHAT THE FUCK IS YOUR NAME?

JACKSON

WHAT'S YOUR FIRST NAME?

JACKSON

YOU JACKSON JACKSON?

MY FIRST NAME'S JACKSON

WELL WHAT'S YOUR LAST NAME?

MICHAEL

[LAUGHTER]

NO SHIT

NO SHIT

[LAUGHTER]

FUCK YOU

NAW THE JUDGE ALREADY DID THAT SHIT

SO HOW DID YOU WIND UP HERE?

I STRUCK OUT

THREE BABY

NOT THAT THIS SHIT MATTERS

WHOLE DAMN COUNTRY BEHIND BARS

ON THE STRENGTH OF THIS ADMINISTRATION

DON'T MATTER WHOSE IN OFFICE

PRISON SYSTEM AIN'T SHIT BUT SLAVERY REMIXED

THEY CAN CALL IT WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT TO

ALWAYS HAS THE SAME THREE INGREDIENTS:

US IN CAPTIVITY FOR MONEY

THEY SET THE TRAPS AND WE GOTTA PAY FOR OUR OWN CHAINS

PAY FOR YOUR CASH BAIL

PAY FOR YOUR PHONE CALLS

FOOD, FREEDOM, FUCK OUTTA HERE

HOW LONG ARE YOU SUPPOSED TO BE IN HERE FOR?

EVER

WHEN I WAS SEVENTEEN THERE WAS A KNOCK ON MY DOOR

IT WAS MY BEST FRIEND, RICHARD, RIGHT?

I TOLD HIM THE DAY BEFORE THAT I WAS GOING OUT OF TOWN

SO IT WAS A LITTLE BIT ODD THAT HE'S

SHOWING UP AT MY PLACE UNANNOUNCED

KNOWING I WOULD NOT BE THERE

SO I DIDN'T ANSWER, I JUST WAITED

AND THAT WAS WHEN I HEARD HIM START TO PICK THE LOCK

AND?

AND HE WASN'T MY BEST FRIEND THE NEXT DAY

I'M MISSING WHAT POINT YOU'RE MAKING ENTIRELY

I DON'T HAVE A GOOD FEELING ABOUT THIS

THAT'S ALL

SO I'M JUST WAITING FOR SOMEONE

TO START TO PICK THE LOCK

[DOOR BUZZING]

MR. CARTER

MR. CARTER

MR. CARTER

LEGACY

THAT'S WHY I CALLED ALL Y'ALL HERE

NOT CAUSE OF SKIN COLOR

OR SOME WISHFUL DREAM OF FREEDOM

THE STORY YOU LEAVE FOR THE PEOPLE WHO COME BEHIND YOU

NOW

ALL Y'ALLS GOT ONE THING IN COMMON

[LAUGHTER]

YEAH WE ALL FUCKED

WELL THERE IS THAT

BUT YOU GOT SOMETHING ELSE

Y'ALL INNOCENT

I MEAN EXCEPT FOR YOU SMILEY

YOU DID BUST IN THAT COUPLES RETREAT

YOU DID TRY ON THEM LADY'S CLOTHES

BUT YOU DIDN'T ROB'EM

COUPLE OF YEARS Y'ALL GOING TO BE INSTITUTIONALIZED

THAT MEANS EVEN IF THEY SET YOU FREE

YOU'RE GOING TO END UP BACK IN HERE

AIN'T NONE OF Y'ALL GETTING OUT OF HERE

THAT AIN'T THE WAY THE GAME IS PLAYED

IT AIN'T RIG FOR YOU TO WIN

BUT THERE'S ANOTHER WAY

A CHEAT SO TO SPEAK

WE'RE GOING TO ESCAPE

[LAUGHTER]

YOU SEE HOW MANY GUARDS THEY GOT OVER HERE RIGHT?

THE KID IS DONE WITH HIS FOOD

WHAT TIME YOU GOT BENNY?

A QUARTER TILL NOON

MMM, THAT'S A GOOD TIME TO DIE

TIME TO DIE?

WHO FEND TO DIE?

LEGACY

[KNOCKING ON TABLE]

LEGACY?

HIS ONLY LEGACY IS GOING TO BE TO DIE IN HERE

ALONG WITH ANYONE ELSE WHO LIFTS A FINGER TO HELP HIM

TAKE HIM BACK

CONVICT

NOBODY IN HERE IS INNOCENT

[SIREN]

ON THE 4TH OF SEPTEMBER

SEVEN INMATES BROKE FREE FROM

THE CAPITOL HILL MAXIMUM PENITENTIARY

IN WHAT HAS BECOME KNOWN AS "THE CARTER ESCAPE"

WITH THE HELP OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT GUARDS

THE SEVEN INMATES ALLEGEDLY ESCAPED COMPLETELY UNDETECTED

AND ARE STILL AT LARGE

♪ ♪

♪ TAKE THOSE MONEYS AND SPREAD ACROSS FAMILIES ♪

♪ MY SISTER, HATTY AND LULU, NEPHEWS ♪

♪ COUSINS AND TITI ♪

♪ ERIC, THE REST TO B ♪

♪ FOR WHATEVER SHE WANTS TO DO ♪

♪ SHE MIGHT START A INSTITUTE ♪

♪ SHE MIGHT PUT POOR KIDS IN SCHOOL ♪

♪ MY STAKE IN ROC NATION ♪

♪ SHOULD GO TO YOU ♪

♪ LEAVE A PIECE FOR YOUR SIBLINGS ♪

♪ TO GIVE TO THEY CHILDREN TOO ♪

♪ TIDAL, THE CHAMPAGNE, ♪

♪ DUSSE I LIKE TO SEE ♪

♪ A NICE PIECE FUND IDEAS ♪

♪ FOR PEOPLE WHO LOOK LIKE WE ♪

♪ WE'RE GON' ♪

♪ START A SOCIETY ♪

♪ WITHIN SOCIETY ♪

♪ THAT'S MAJOR ♪

♪ IT'S LIKE THE NEGRO LEAGUE ♪

♪ IT WAS A TIME AMERICA WOULDN'T ♪

♪ LET US BALL ♪

♪ THOSE TIMES ARE NOW BACK ♪

♪ IT'S NOW CALLED AFRO TECH ♪

♪ GENERATIONAL WEALTH ♪

♪ THAT'S THE KEY ♪

♪ MY PARENTS AIN'T HAVE SHIT ♪

♪ SO THAT SHIFT STARTED WITH ME ♪

♪ MY MOM TOOK HER MONEY ♪

♪ SHE BOUGHT ME BONDS ♪

♪ THAT WAS THE SWEETEST THING OF ALL TIME ♪

♪ LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY ♪

♪ BLACK EXCELLENCE BABY ♪

♪ YOU GONNA LET'EM SEE ♪

♪ LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY, LEGACY ♪

♪ BLACK EXCELLENCY ♪

♪ BABY LET' EM SEE ♪

♪ I REMEMBER LIKE LISTENING TO WU TANG ♪

♪ AND THEY WAS LIKE ♪

♪ YOUR SEED ♪

♪ MARRY HIS SEED ♪

♪ MARRY MY SEED ♪

♪ THAT'S HOW WE KEEP CARTER MONEY ♪

♪ ALL IN THE FAMILY ♪

♪ YOU SEE MY FATHER ♪

♪ SON OF A PREACHER MAN ♪

♪ WHO'S DAUGHTER COULDN'T ESCAPE ♪

♪ THE REACH OF THE PREACHERS HAND ♪

♪ THAT CHARGE OF ENERGY ♪

♪ SET ALL THE CARTERS BACK ♪

♪ IT TOOK ALL THESE YEARS TO GET TO ZERO ♪

♪ IN FACT, I ♪

Key Grammar Structures

• I'M SURPRISED BY MYSELF, ORDINARILY I WOULD HAVE THROWN YOU IN THE HOLE

  ➔ Past Perfect

  ➔ The phrase "would have thrown" uses the past perfect to describe an action that was expected to happen in the past but did not occur.

• IF YOU DO NOT TELL ME WORD FOR WORD WHAT TRANSPIRED

  ➔ Conditional Sentence Type 1

  ➔ The sentence uses "if" to express a condition and its probable result, indicating a real possibility.

• I WILL BREAK YOU, FIX YOU, AND BREAK YOU AGAIN

  ➔ Future Simple

  ➔ The verb "will break" is used to express a future action that is certain to happen.

• YOU WERE ACTUALLY THE INNOCENT BYSTANDER IN THAT CIRCUMSTANCE

  ➔ Past Continuous

  ➔ The phrase "were actually" uses the past continuous to describe a situation that was ongoing in the past.

• THEY CAN CALL IT WHATEVER THE FUCK THEY WANT TO

  ➔ Subjunctive Mood

  ➔ The phrase "whatever they want" uses the subjunctive mood to express a hypothetical or wished-for situation.

• IT AIN'T RIG FOR YOU TO WIN

  ➔ Double Negative

  ➔ The phrase "it ain't rig" uses a double negative to emphasize a strong negation, which is common in informal English.

• THAT'S WHY I CALLED ALL Y'ALL HERE

  ➔ Contraction

  ➔ The phrase "y'all" is a contraction of "you all," commonly used in informal American English.

• WE'RE GOING TO ESCAPE

  ➔ Future with 'be going to'

  ➔ The phrase "we're going to escape" uses 'be going to' to express a future action that is planned or intended.

• GENERATIONAL WEALTH, THAT'S THE KEY

  ➔ Appositive

  ➔ The phrase "generational wealth" serves as an appositive, renaming or explaining the noun "key."