Still Standing - Pharoahe Monch, Jill Scott

They said, please do not run too fast, stay off of the leaves

Do not play in the grass or climb the trees

You can’t breathe, let alone you get stung by bees

Lord Jesus, your chest just might freeze up

Thirteen months old with a lung disease

That almost took my life twice, brought me to my knees

A system not designed for you to achieve

Police squeeze, library lies, a teacher deceives

But I rose to the top of my class like cream

Or the Lakers in the 80s, so worthy, I’m Kareem

Not MTV, but my Sweet 16s

Married the mic, a love supreme

I’m clear it was a miracle the way I whetted the rhythm

Spiritual looking back at it, a lyrical exorcism

A half of the Afro-American dream

To rap or quarterback for a professional team

I’m still standing, yeah, I’m still here, I’m still standing

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing

Uh, I have no dead bodies to claim, never been a trigger man

Crack, never pedalled that, opposite of Jigga, man

Doubled my expectancy, can you believe it?

Look, no bullet wounds, not paraplegic

Still standing like the pledge of allegiance

Moves made both emotional and strategic

My heart disintegrated in a million pieces

Listen, that’s life, deal with it

Press reset, download pain, write a thesis

Performed for millions, Brazilian visas

(I got) Transcontinental indigenous divas

That speak multiple languages for unspeakable reasons

And still, there are places that I never been

Like the Statue of Liberty, my knees will never bend

Except for when I’m speaking to God, it feels like halftime

I’ma reach for the stars, I’m still standing

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing

Now I, I’ve seen some heartbreak in my life

And some burdens almost broke me down once or twice

But I held on, on to my faith

And I would never change a thing that brought me here today

'Cause it helped me grow and it helped me know

Which way to go, and which way to not go

And I’m so grateful, yeah, I’m so grateful

'Cause I’m still, I’m still

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing, I’m still here

(Still standing, yeah, still standing)

Still standing

Standing in the light

Standing in the light

Standing in the light