[Hook: Wendy Rene]
After laughter comes tears.
[Verse 1: RZA]
Check the script, me and the gods gettin' ripped,
Blunts in the dip, forty dogs in my lip,
Had a box, boom-boom, the bass would blast,
We was laughin' at all the girls that passed.
Conversation, brothers had began to discuss:
— Ayo, Ra, remember that kid you bust?
Aw, yeah, he ran, but he didn't get far,
'Cause I dropped him, ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!
Not knowin' exactly what lied ahead,
My little brother, my mother sent him out for bread:
“Get the Wonder!” It's a hot day in the summer,
Didn't expect to come across a crazy gunner:
«Hey, shorty, check it for the bag and the dough!»
But he was brave, looked him in the eye, and said, «No!»
Money splattered him, bow! Then he snatched the bag,
Hit his pockets, then he jetted up the ave.
Girls screamin', the noise up and down the block.
— Hey, Rakeem! — What? — Your little brother got shot!
I ran frantically, then I dropped down to his feet,
I saw the blood all over the hot concrete,
I picked him up, then I held him by his head,
His eyes shut, that's when I knew he was…
Aw, man! How do I say goodbye?
It's always the good ones that have to die.
Memories in the corner of my mind,
Flashbacks, I was laughin' all the time,
I taught him all about the bees and birds,
But I wish I had a chance to sing these three words…
[Hook: Wendy Rene]
After laughter comes tears.
[Verse 2: Ghostface Killah]
Me and my man, my ace Big Moe from The Shelter,
'Bout to hit the skins from this girl named Thelma,
Now, Thelma had a rep that was higher than her neck,
Every girl from Shaolin dissed her respect.
We was stimmy, you know how it is when you're blitzed,
Three o'clock in the morning, something got to give.
Moe said he'll go first, I said: “I'll take next,
Here, take this raincoat and practice safe sex!”
He seemed to ignore, I said, «Be for real!
She's not even worth it to go raw deal.»
A man's gonna do what a man's gonna do,
He got butt-naked and stuck the power-U.
Twenty minutes went by, Moe, I'm out without a doubt,
I'm not pumpin' up, I am airin' out.
Ayo, he came out laughin' with glory,
I'm surprised he's still livin' to tell his story.
But he carried on with the same old stuff
With Stephanie, like a Whammy, he pressed his luck.
Moe tried to be down with O.P.P.,
Ain't nothing wrong, but he got caught with the H.I.V.
Now no life to live, doc says two more years,
So after the laughter I guess comes the tears.
[Hook: Wendy Rene]
After laughter comes tears.