Still Stand Up Straight

Lyrics

[Intro] Yeah—Queens to the river, you know the deal [Verse 1] Cold coffee, bus pass, rain on my sleeve You talk big shit, but you fold when it’s time to believe I learned every shortcut from a locked front gate Every “not yet” turned fuel, every slight made weight My auntie said, “Keep your name clean, keep your head clear” But the rent came due and the whole block heard Now I’m writing these checks with a pen that leaks Still got last week’s dust on the same damn sneakers [Chorus] We came up hard, still stand up straight No handouts, no luck, just a long-ass wait Say what you want, we don’t scare, don’t bend From the first cold morning to the last damn end [Verse 2] Corner store bell and the owner knows my face I was broke as hell, had a plan and a place They were selling fake love in a discount suit I was laying real work, putting truth in the booth Fuck that soft talk, I got scars with a story No gold on my wrist, just a due date before me When the doors stayed shut, I kept knocking like hell Now the same ones who doubted wanna say that they knew me [Chorus] We came up hard, still stand up straight No handouts, no luck, just a long-ass wait Say what you want, we don’t scare, don’t bend From the first cold morning to the last damn end [Bridge] For the ones on the late shift, still riding that train For the ones who got laughed at and came back again If they tell you you’re finished, tell ’em, “Watch me instead” Keep your word, keep your nerve, keep your feet moving ahead [Final Chorus] We came up hard, still stand up straight No handouts, no luck, just a long-ass wait Say what you want, we don’t scare, don’t bend From the first cold morning to the last damn end [Outro] Still stand up straight Still here, still here