Streets A Lie – English Lyrics

• By: Tion Wayne

Lyrics & Translation

Explore the English language through Tion Wayne's 'Streets A Lie,' a song that offers a powerful narrative and a deeper look into London street culture and slang. The track's introspective lyrics and clear storytelling provide a great opportunity for language learners to engage with contemporary UK rap and understand its social commentary.

[English]

作词 : Tion Wayne

作曲 : Tion Wayne

I've been watchin' you for some time

Can't stop starin' at those ocean eyes

(No fair)

Nobody ever told me streets a lie

All I'm seein' is people die

Free my bro, he flipped a coin, and he got life (You really know how to make me cry)

When you rub shoulders with demons (When you give me those ocean eyes)

It can have you on demon time

I'm cool, I ain't on the evil side

But I'm livin' with evil eye (Evil eye)

(I'm scared) Wish I could get up and left

Lambo, put it in S

I ain't gotta ride, money on head (I've never fallen from quite this high)

One show, that's a Patek (Fallin' into your ocean eyes)

How you old and washed and you want respect?

(Oh)

I don't need no advice

I'm tryna leave this shit behind (Oh)

Look what it done, I don't trust nobody

Is it me or the life? (Oh)

Step one when I got money was to keep us alive (Oh)

Wouldn't know by the way I clean up nice

That I can't sleep at night (Oh)

Lil' bro don't speak, why's he so shy?

He's a likkle demon in disguise (Oh)

Know where this goes, I'm tryna save him

Feels failed 'cause he don't ride (Oh)

I was tryna shot a three-point-five

Now all of my houses three-point-five

When mumzy went on her knees and cried (Oh)

I could only bleed inside

(No fair)

Nobody ever told me streets a lie

All I'm seein' is people die

Free my bro, he flipped a coin, and he got life (You really know how to make me cry)

When you rub shoulders with demons (When you give me those ocean eyes)

It can have you on demon time

I'm cool, I ain't on the evil side

But I'm livin' with evil eye (Evil eye)

(I'm scared) Wish I could get up and left

Lambo, put it in S

I ain't gotta ride, money on head (I've never fallen from quite this high)

One show, that's a Patek (Fallin' into your ocean eyes)

How you old and washed and you want respect?

(Oh)

Had to leave from the 9

'Cause elevation causes divide (Oh)

When I see some guys, must keep it concise (Oh)

Why they all want somethin' too familiar?

Till you cut somethin'

And when them older guys gon' stop shottin' (Oh)

They gon' stay on the square like Dot Cotton (Oh)

You be in jail, nobody writes

You get stabbed, nobody rides (Oh)

Every day I really was rollin' the dice

Paranoid when I roll with my wife (Oh)

No mental health, just a little haunted

To put food on the plate had to move a flake (Oh)

That corn would have them all mornin'

(No fair) Nobody ever told me streets a lie

All I'm seein' is people die

Free my bro, he flipped a coin, and he got life (You really know how to make me cry)

When you rub shoulders with demons (When you give me those ocean eyes)

It can have you on demon time

I'm cool, I ain't on the evil side

But I'm livin' with evil eye (Evil eye)

(I'm scared) Wish I could get up and left

Lambo, put it in S

I ain't gotta ride, money on head (I've never fallen from quite this high)

One show, that's a Patek (Fallin' into your ocean eyes)

How you old and washed and you want respect?

Oh

You really know how to make me cry

Yo (When you give me those ocean eyes)

Nothin' wrong with a, with a 9-to-5 till you get to where you wanna go

I'm scared

Yo

When you live this life, you ain't scared to die

You really know how to make me cry (In the countryside, settle down with my wife)

When you give me those ocean eyes

I'm scared (Mm)

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
watch /wɒtʃ/ A1	verb - to look at or observe something or someone
starin /ˈstɛərɪŋ/ A2	verb - to look fixedly or vacantly
streets /striːts/ A1	noun - a public road in a city or town
lie /laɪ/ A1	verb - to say something that is not true noun - a false statement
flip /flɪp/ A2	verb - to turn over or cause to turn over
demon /ˈdiːmən/ B1	noun - an evil spirit or devil
evil /ˈiːvəl/ A2	adjective - morally wrong or bad
ride /raɪd/ A1	verb - to sit on and travel on an animal or vehicle
respect /rɪˈspekt/ A2	noun - a feeling of deep admiration for someone or something
trust /trʌst/ A2	verb - to believe that someone or something is reliable
alive /əˈlaɪv/ A1	adjective - living; not dead
paranoid /ˈpærənɔɪd/ B2	adjective - feeling extremely nervous and unable to trust other people
haunted /ˈhɔːntɪd/ B1	adjective - inhabited by a ghost
dice /daɪs/ A1	noun - a small cube with marked sides, used in games
settle /ˈsɛtəl/ A2	verb - to arrange or fix in a permanent position

Key Grammar Structures

• Nobody ever told me streets a lie

  ➔ Inversion for emphasis in statements

  ➔ The sentence uses inversion (verb before subject) for rhetorical emphasis, common in poetic or emotional language: 'Nobody ''ever told'' me streets a lie' highlights the surprise.

• Free my bro, he flipped a coin, and he got life

  ➔ Past simple tense for completed actions

  ➔ ' 'Flipped'' a coin' and ''got'' life' use past simple to narrate sequential events: 'he ''flipped'' a coin, and he ''got'' life' describes what happened in the past.

• When you rub shoulders with demons

  ➔ Conditional when-clause with implication

  ➔ 'When' introduces a conditional situation: ' ''When you rub shoulders'' with demons, It can have you on demon time' implies cause and effect in street life.

• Wish I could get up and left

  ➔ Subjunctive mood in wish clauses

  ➔ 'Wish' uses subjunctive for unreal desires: ' ''Wish I could get up and left''' expresses a hypothetical escape from reality.

• Look what it done, I don't trust nobody

  ➔ Aorist/present perfect with 'done' for completed actions

  ➔ 'Done' is nonstandard perfect for emphasis: 'Look what ''it done''' , I don't trust nobody' means 'what it has done', highlighting consequences.

• How you old and washed and you want respect?

  ➔ Inversion in exclamation/questions for emphasis

  ➔ Inversion mirrors affirmative structure: 'How you ''old and washed'' and you want respect?' challenges someone rhetorically for demanding respect.

• Had to leave from the 9

  ➔ Modal 'had to' for obligation in past

  ➔ 'Had to' expresses past necessity: ' ''Had to leave'' from the 9' implies forced movement due to circumstances like crime or danger.

• Every day I really was rollin' the dice

  ➔ Past continuous for repeated actions

  ➔ Past continuous emphasizes ongoing habit: 'Every day I really ''was rollin' the dice''' describes risky daily behavior in the past.

• That corn would have them all mornin'

  ➔ Conditional perfect for hypothetical past

  ➔ 'Would have' indicates unreal outcome: 'That corn ''would have them all mornin''' means drug dealing caused deaths, if not for something.

• When you live this life, you ain't scared to die

  ➔ Present simple for general truths

  ➔ Present simple for timeless facts: ' ''When you live'' this life, you ain't scared to die' expresses a universal lesson from street experience.