[Verse 1:]
Up early in the morning, dressed in black,
Don't ask why? ‘Cause I'm down in a suit and tie,
They killed a homie that I went to school with. Damn!
I tell ya life ain't shit to fool with,
I still hear the screams from his mother
While my nigga laid dead in the gutter. Shit!
And it's gettin' to my temple,
Why is that the only time black folks get to ride in a limo?
It makes me so mad I want to get my sawed-off.
And have some bodies hauled off.
But no, I pay my respects and I'm through,
Hug my crew. Whaddup, Cube? And maybe shed a tear or two,
Then I wanna get blitzed,
Grab my 40 ounce and then I reminisce
About a brother, who had to be the one and only,
So I dedicate this to my dead homies.
[Verse 2:]
Another homie got murdered on a shakedown,
And his mother is at the funeral havin' a nervous breakdown,
Two shots hit him in the face when they blasted,
A framed picture and a closed casket.
A single file line about fifty cars long,
All driving slow with they lights on,
He got a lot of flowers and a big wreath,
What good is that when you're six feet deep?
I look at that shit and gotta think to myself
And thank God for my health,
‘Cause nobody really ever know it
When it's gonna be they family on the front row.
So I take everything slow, go with the flow,
And shut my mothafuckin' mouth if I don't know word,
‘Cause that's what Pops told me,
But I wish he could have said it to my dead homies.
[Verse 3:]
I remember we painted our names on the wall for fun,
Now it's «Rest in Peace» after every one
Except me, but I ain't the one to front,
Seems like I'm viewin' a body after every month,
Plus, I knew him when he was yea big,
Pour beer on the curb before I take a swig.
But something ain't right,
When it's a tragedy, that's the only time that the family's tight,
Lovin' each other in a caring mood,
There's lots of people and lots of food,
They say «Be strong», and you're tryin'
But how strong can you be when you see your Pops cryin'?
So that's why Ice Cube's dressed up,
Because the city is so fuckin' messed up,
And everybody is so phony,
Take a little time to think about your dead homies.