Straight Back To It – English Lyrics

• By: Central Cee
• Album: 23

Lyrics & Translation

[English]

(Always remember that, bro)

(When you was sleepin', on trains and you're homeless)

(And your mums kicked you out and all them ting there?)

(People would've loved to shit on you)

(So now that you're doing your ting and you're gwarning)

(Stay cooking)

(Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got–)

(Got straight back to it)

Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

T-Took me an L, no problem, I got on my grind, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

They freed my bro, got straight back to it, bro-bro fresh home, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

T-Took me an L, no problem, I got on my grind, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

They freed my bro, got straight back to it, bro-bro fresh home, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Look, we all go through hard times, that's why it's "Live Yours" and it's not "Live Mine"

You gotta turn up sometimes, live life, you gotta work hard or you're not gon' shine

Told the promoter, "I'm not performin' if I can't come with all of the guys"

I got the ball right now, it's my time, but I told bro-bro, "Go long, go wide"

They shot their shot, but it was offside, it's from Virgil when I rock Off-White

No cap, this shit ain't no made up rhymes, got a way with words, got away with crimes

Told lil' bro, "You're the next in line, but be patient, it'll take some time"

Don't think 'cah we ain't got back just yet, that we just gon' let it slide (Slide)

Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

Took me an L, no problem, I got on my grind, got straight back to it

Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

They freed my bro, got straight back to it, bro-bro fresh home, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

T-Took me an L, no problem, I got on my grind, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

They freed my bro, got straight back to it, bro-bro fresh home, got straight back to it (Back to it)

I thought this shit was hip-hop, not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed

Certain man wanna move like divas, what can I say? It's for entertainment

I fucked shawty, and I left her high and dry, it's deep, she thought I was stayin'

Fuck, I just lived up to the stereotype that we're all the same, shame

Uh, she wanna get slapped in the face, uh

I'm afraid it's a bit too kinky, and I'm not tryna catch me a case

Say what I want, you don't have to relate, un-unlike most of these artists that's lyin', I'm actually paid

I-I-I don't want aftermarket diamonds, man, I want factory made

OG's need to get back to reality, I don't wanna hear 'bout back in the day

Go on the 'net, all I hear is, "Cench," I don't wanna hear them chattin' my name

All of these guys try cat the campaign, I feel like Usher, I trap in the rain

Been through a lot, I can handle the fame, I waste no time gettin' straight back to it (Back to it, back to it)

(You need to remember, brother, yeah

(First they love you, then they hate you, then love you again) Waste no time, get straight back to it

(When you come out you're hot, you're hot, you're new)

(You know you can't do no wrong, you know you're golden boy)

(And then they start tryna slowly find chinks in your armour and things to tear you down)

Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

T-Took me an L, no problem, I got on my grind, got straight back to it (Back to it)

Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

They freed my bro, got straight back to it, bro-bro fresh home, got straight back to it (Back to it)

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
back /bæk/ A1	adverb - towards a previous place or condition verb - to support
shift /ʃɪft/ B1	noun - a scheduled period of work
grind /ɡraɪnd/ B1	noun - hard work verb - to work hard
call /kɔːl/ A2	noun - a phone conversation
bro /brəʊ/ A1	noun - brother; friend
home /həʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues
hard /hɑːrd/ A2	adjective - difficult
life /laɪf/ A1	noun - the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
guys /ɡaɪz/ A2	noun - men or boys
shot /ʃɒt/ B1	noun - an attempt to achieve something
rhymes /raɪmz/ B1	noun - words that have the same end sound
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - the measured or measurable period during which an action, process, or condition exists or continues
line /laɪn/ A1	noun - a straight or curved continuous extent of length without breadth
graveyard /ˈɡreɪvjɑːrd/ B2	adjective - occurring at night, especially for a night shift
wake /weɪk/ A2	verb - to stop sleeping
disappointed /ˌdɪsəˈpɔɪntɪd/ B2	adjective - feeling sad or displeased because something has not happened or been as good as you hoped
fucked /fʌkt/ C1	verb - used in a negative way to emphasize the bad effects of something, or to express anger or dislike
paid /peɪd/ A2	verb - past tense of pay - to give money for goods or services
fame /feɪm/ B2	noun - the state of being known or talked about by many people, especially because of an achievement

Key Grammar Structures

• (When you was sleepin', on trains and you're homeless)

  ➔ Informal subject-verb agreement ('you was'), Past Continuous

  ➔ The phrase "you was" is an informal and grammatically non-standard usage of the verb "to be" in the past tense. The standard form is "you were". "was sleepin'" is the Past Continuous tense, indicating an action ongoing at a specific time in the past.

• Done a graveyard shift last night, woke up today and got straight back to it

  ➔ Informal use of 'done' as simple past, Sequence of Past Simple actions

  ➔ In informal English, "done" is sometimes used colloquially as the simple past tense of "to do" (instead of "did"), implying 'I did'. The verbs "woke up" and "got" are in the Past Simple, describing a sequence of completed actions.

• Had to handle a call in the middle of jeetin', I put down my phone, got straight back to it

  ➔ Past necessity ('had to'), Prepositional phrase ('in the middle of')

  ➔ "Had to" expresses an obligation or necessity in the past. "In the middle of" is a common prepositional phrase used to indicate that something is happening during an ongoing activity or period.

• You gotta turn up sometimes, live life, you gotta work hard or you're not gon' shine

  ➔ Informal 'gotta' (have to), Conditional clause (implied), Informal 'gon'' (going to)

  ➔ "Gotta" is an informal contraction of "have got to" or "have to," expressing necessity or obligation. The phrase "or you're not gon' shine" implies a conditional: 'If you don't work hard, you won't shine.' "Gon'" is an informal contraction of "going to" for future tense.

• Told the promoter, "I'm not performin' if I can't come with all of the guys"

  ➔ First Conditional (or Zero Conditional), Present Continuous for future arrangement, Modal verb 'can't'

  ➔ This sentence uses a conditional structure with an 'if' clause. "I'm not performin'" uses the Present Continuous tense to express a future arrangement or plan. "Can't" is a modal verb expressing inability or prohibition.

• Don't think 'cah we ain't got back just yet, that we just gon' let it slide (Slide)

  ➔ Informal 'cah' (because), Informal 'ain't' (haven't), Informal 'gon'' (going to), Phrasal verb 'let it slide'

  ➔ This line showcases several informal contractions: "'cah" is short for "because," "ain't" is a non-standard contraction for "haven't" (or "isn't/aren't/hasn't"), and "gon'" is for "going to." "Let it slide" is a phrasal verb meaning to ignore or overlook something.

• I thought this shit was hip-hop, not gonna lie, I'm a bit disappointed

  ➔ Reported Speech (past tense reporting verb + past tense clause), Informal 'gonna' (going to)

  ➔ The phrase "I thought this shit was hip-hop" is an example of reported speech, where a past tense reporting verb ("thought") is followed by a clause in the past tense. "Not gonna lie" is a common informal idiom meaning 'to be honest.'

• I fucked shawty, and I left her high and dry, it's deep, she thought I was stayin'

  ➔ Idiomatic expression ('left her high and dry'), Reported Speech (past continuous)

  ➔ The idiom "to leave someone high and dry" means to abandon someone in a difficult or helpless situation. "She thought I was stayin'" is reported speech, where the original present continuous ("I am staying") becomes past continuous ("I was staying") after a past reporting verb ("thought").

• Say what I want, you don't have to relate, un-unlike most of these artists that's lyin', I'm actually paid

  ➔ Absence of necessity ('don't have to'), Informal relative clause with 'that's' for plural subject, Passive voice

  ➔ "Don't have to" expresses a lack of obligation or necessity. The use of "that's lyin'" to refer to "artists" (a plural noun) is grammatically non-standard (should be "that are lying" or "who are lying") but common in informal speech. "I'm actually paid" is an example of the passive voice.

• Been through a lot, I can handle the fame, I waste no time gettin' straight back to it

  ➔ Present Perfect (implied subject), Modal verb 'can', Phrasal verb 'waste no time getting'

  ➔ "Been through a lot" is an elliptical phrase, implying 'I have been through a lot,' using the Present Perfect tense for past experiences. "Can" is a modal verb expressing ability. "Waste no time getting" is a common idiom meaning to do something immediately without delay.