Never Surrender – English Lyrics

• By: DJ Khaled, Scarface, Jadakiss, Meek Mill, Akon, John Legend, Anthony Hamilton
• Album: Suffering From Success

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw emotions of "Never Surrender," a powerful hip-hop and R&B anthem that offers profound insights into resilience and loyalty. Through its compelling narratives and soulful hooks, listeners can explore powerful vocabulary related to struggle, perseverance, and human relationships, making it a truly special song for language learning.

[English]

Keep your circle tight

Trust no one, nobody (nobody, nobody, no no no)

DJ Khaled!

Gotta be careful who you trusting

Be aware of your surrounding when you hustling

Them niggas smiling at you ain't your friends, dawg

All the real ones are dead or in the pen y'all

You fuck with dude, he your day one

Almost had it all then the day comes

When they walking through your house with the strap out

Pointing at your head, got the bread then you black out (yeah)

Bright lights down the hallways

Left his best friend for dead for the small wage (ay)

They say that every doors got a day coming

It's like he seen a ghost but he ain't say nothing

Eyes wide shut like you looking at me

Window pain to the soul say they niggas happy

But the pictures ain't say them words and we dry stomach

The homie didn't keep it one hundred

The cops doing roundups, say they got a suspect

Finally got a name now, I'm still thinkin fuck that (fuck, that)

For money, niggas murder what they close to (get this nigga)

Entire families these mother fuckin' ghost you

Smoke you, was it worth what the life was?

Just prepared for the payback because it strikes cuz

Was it worth what that life was?

Prepare for the payback when it strikes cuz

Cuz when you need it the most ain't no one ever around

Cold world, cold world

Yo, the pain's unbearable, remains unawareable

He fuck around jump off a building if you dare him to

The greats they done already killed him, who you compare him to

Figure out what he said will take a year or two

Family over everything, skills over politics

He don't need the accolades as long as you acknowledge it

Just playing the hand you was dealt, no aces

Betrayal is worse than death in most cases

The world is filled with hypocrites that's so racist

Multiple shots to the face, No chasers

Mad cause you blew up quick and you excited

Your man that you grew up with get you indicted

This was your nigga, yo, for him you let the trigger go

Found out at the trial they got audio and video

Shit don't always happen how you plan it

Get jammed up and really find out who your fam is

You could feel the picture, you don't need to see the canvas

That nigga Jay'll Hawk you, he don't even play for Kansas

You know when it's someone you love the hurt's pure

You front tryna hold it in, it hurts more

He was right there back-to-back with me, my first war

Even had a crack spot together, the first floor

Used to buzz em in then meet him right by the first door

That was probably a year before I went on my first tour

Friendship was worth more than a couple of ounces

He was supposed to be with me arguing with the bouncers

Instead you ended up somewhere far in the mountains

Talking 'about what we was doing, what we was counting

Nothing but old pictures of old sixes

Old BM's with the kids, old snitches

Two sides, both wishes

Karma is the sister of life, they both bitches

See there's a story in my life

There's a story in my pain

There's a story in my tears, ohh-ohh ohhh

There's a story in me

Yeah, for life

Lord forgive me for my sins, I was chasin' ends

And I'm into makin' money, I ain't in to making friends

Cause these niggas rattin', I ain't finna take a chance

Homie said he 'bout that action they grabbin' me take the stand, damn

Say loyalty make a man, got a homie and he told

I don't even shake his hand, I don't even crack a smile

Knew him since a child, man this game so foul

But niggas made vows to a code I never break

Ridin' in the heavy weight

Thirty-six O's in the bird, call it feather weight

Never on time, when I show up I be ready late

Niggas got fat while we starved they already ate

And I'm trying to get full, masks on clips full

If he got the money we attack him like a pitbull

We sellin' soft, we sellin' hard like it's a brick store

On my dick, nigga, thought that's what your bitch for

Hah!

My pain ain't never been told (ain't never been told)

All the success that I'm suffering from

Came from this knowledge I sold (this knowledge I know)

My family fucks with me

And fought the enemy that stood in my way (my way)

That's why I don't trust nobody

And I doubt you'll ever see that day

'Fore I surrender to you (surrender), surrender to you (surrender)

Surrender to you, surrender to you

Which I will never do

Cause when you need it the most ain't no one ever around (nobody's around)

Cold world (cold world), cold world (mmm, yes it is, yeah)

And the ones that you keep close are the ones will take you down

(always take you down)

Cold world (cold), a cold cold world

'Fore I surrender to you, (surrender) surrender to you (surrender)

Surrender to you, surrender to you

'Fore I surrender to you, (surrender) surrender to you (surrender)

Surrender to you, surrender to you

Which I will never do

Ohh-ohhhhhhhhohhhwhooooa

Ohh-ohhhhh (ohh-ohhhh) ohh-ohhhhh

See there's a story in my life

(Surrender)

There's a story in my pain

(Surrender)

There's a story in my tears

(Surrender)

There's a story in me

(I won't Surrender, I won't surrender, ohh no no no)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
surrender /səˈrɛndər/ A2	verb - to stop fighting and admit defeat
trust /trʌst/ A1	verb - to believe in the reliability or goodness of someone or something
betrayal /bɪˈtreɪəl/ B1	noun - the act of betraying someone's trust
loyalty /ˈlɔɪəlti/ A2	noun - the quality of being loyal
pain /peɪn/ A1	noun - physical suffering or discomfort
success /səkˈsɛs/ A2	noun - the accomplishment of an aim or purpose
karma /ˈkɑrmə/ B1	noun - the spiritual principle of cause and effect
hypocrites /ˈhɪpəkrɪts/ B2	noun - a person who pretends to have qualities or beliefs that they do not have
racist /ˈreɪsɪst/ B1	adjective - showing prejudice against someone of a different race
excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ A2	adjective - very enthusiastic or eager
indicted /ɪnˈdaɪtɪd/ B2	verb - to formally accuse someone of a crime
acknowledge /əkˈnɑlɪdʒ/ B1	verb - to accept or admit the existence or truth of something
vows /vaʊz/ A2	noun - a solemn promise
unaware /ˌənəˈwɛr/ B1	adjective - not knowing or realizing something
prepared /prɪˈpɛrd/ A2	adjective - ready for a particular purpose or event
strike /straɪk/ A2	verb - to hit or collide with
cold /koʊld/ A1	adjective - low in temperature
story /ˈstɔri/ A1	noun - a narrative of events, either true or imaginary
forgive /fərˈɡɪv/ A2	verb - to stop feeling angry or resentful toward someone
knowledge /ˈnɑlɪdʒ/ A2	noun - information and understanding acquired through experience or study