Hoping I Would Set Free Chains – English Lyrics

• By: 2Pac

Lyrics & Translation

While "Hoping I Would Set Free Chains" is not a standalone song title by 2Pac, it is a powerful and frequently cited lyric found within his larger body of work, particularly in discussions about his mother, Afeni Shakur, and his song "Dear Mama." Learning about this specific lyric offers significant insight into 2Pac's personal narrative, his relationship with his activist mother, and his broader messages concerning social justice and overcoming systemic challenges. Engaging with the context of this lyric can deepen an understanding of the language, themes, and emotional depth present in 2Pac's influential artistry.

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
mama /ˈmɑːmə/ A1	noun - mother
love /lʌv/ A1	noun - an intense feeling of affection verb - to feel affection for
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
tears /tɪərz/ A2	noun - drops of liquid from the eyes
money /ˈmʌni/ A1	noun - a current medium of exchange in the form of coins and banknotes
days /deɪz/ A1	noun - plural of day
years /jɪərz/ A1	noun - plural of year
streets /striːts/ A2	noun - a public road in a city or town
jail /dʒeɪl/ B1	noun - a place for the confinement of people accused or convicted of a crime
cell /sɛl/ B1	noun - a small room in which a prisoner is locked up
stress /strɛs/ B2	noun - a state of mental or emotional strain or tension
crack /kræk/ B2	noun - a form of cocaine that is smoked
fiend /fiːnd/ C1	noun - an evil spirit or demon. noun - a person who is extremely enthusiastic about something
welfare /ˈwɛlfeər/ B2	noun - the health, happiness, and fortunes of a person or group
anger /ˈæŋɡər/ B2	noun - a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.
drugs /drʌɡz/ B1	noun - a medicine or other substance which has a physiological effect when ingested or otherwise introduced into the body.
mailbox /ˈmeɪlbɒks/ B1	noun - a private box for the delivery of mail.
miracles /ˈmɪrəkəlz/ B2	noun - an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs.
struggle /ˈstrʌɡ(ə)l/ B2	noun - a forceful or violent effort to get free of restraint or resist attack. verb - make forceful or violent efforts to get free of restraint or resist attack.

Key Grammar Structures

• Though back at the time, I never thought I'd see her face

  ➔ Contrasting Conjunction 'Though' + Conditional 'I'd see'

  ➔ 'Though' introduces a contrasting idea to the previous statement. 'I'd see' is a contraction of 'I would see', expressing a hypothetical or conditional situation.

• Ain't a woman alive that could take my mama's place

  ➔ Double Negative ('Ain't' + 'alive') + Relative Clause ('that could take')

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction of 'is not' or 'are not', used here for emphasis. The phrase 'that could take' introduces a relative clause describing which woman.

• And even as a crack fiend, Mama, You always was a black queen, Mama

  ➔ Prepositional Phrase ('as a crack fiend') + Past Continuous (was)

  ➔ The phrase 'as a crack fiend' describes the mother's state, using 'as' to indicate the role or condition. 'Was' indicates continuous quality.

• For a woman it ain't easy trying to raise a man

  ➔ Subject-verb Inversion ('it ain't easy') + Gerund ('trying')

  ➔ 'It ain't easy' is a common expression where 'it' serves as a dummy subject, and 'trying' is used as a gerund, functioning as a noun to describe the activity.

• There's no way I can pay you back

  ➔ Existential 'There's' + Modal Verb ('can')

  ➔ 'There's' indicates the existence of something (no way). 'Can' indicates ability.

• Now ain't nobody tell us it was fair

  ➔ Double Negative ('Ain't' + 'nobody') + Past Tense ('was')

  ➔ 'Ain't' and 'nobody' together create a double negative, emphasizing that no one told them life was fair. 'Was' indicates a past state.

• I ain't guilty 'cause, even though I sell rocks, it feels good putting money in your mailbox

  ➔ Contraction + because ('Ain't', 'cause') + Subordinating Conjunction ('even though') + Gerund ('putting')

  ➔ 'Ain't' is a non-standard contraction of 'am not'. 'Cause' is a shortening of 'because'. 'Even though' introduces a concession. 'Putting' is a gerund, indicating the action is a noun in this context.