The Ghost I Used to Be

I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
You see, I preyed on things and then I preyed on them
And I took it to the corner, got paid off then
The destruction wasn’t even on my radar then
And my heart was black, it was Darth Vadar then
It was jumbs to the bums, G packs to the OGs
The money came to me, I sat back with my Co-Ds
Money changed hands and moved on like a cold breeze
And I ain’t give a fuck about death or an OD
Mama always in my ear, saying that I didn’t care
But I ain’t going back to being broke like this was yester-year
The plan is to try to be out in less than a year
No drugs, no thugs, no weapons in here
You see I’m trying to get out ma, but I feel trapped
What employer gonna hire me when I sell crack?
I’m not fully rehabilitated, I fell back
And regret is a muhfucker, run, tell that
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
Tempt us, lead us to the edge, watch the wise turn into fools
The greatest lie ever been told is the one closest to truth
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’m gone
You see, I preyed on things and then I preyed on y’all
My attempt was to never get paid off y’all
When I was young I saw politicians of all stripes
But all I saw was lies in they eyes and that’s not right
I said, «When I get older, I’m going to change shit»
Take the welfare system and rearrange shit
Years later, I’m quietly moving up the ladder
Trying hard, realizing that it doesn’t matter
My wife told me, «Baby, money doesn’t buy elections
Money doesn’t buy votes, it just buys attention»
I kissed her on the head and told her she was right
But she couldn’t understand and see the coldness of the plight
Couldn’t understand why it’s so cold for me at night
Cause political bribery just hold me in a vice
But there’s always implicitly some string that’s attached
By a muh’fucker think he got wings on his back
You ain’t an angel, probably, you working for the Devil
The nightmare of money, the league would be a rebel
I did all of you dirty, so I should’ve gone to jail
I took your fucking government and put it up for sale
Look, American democracy has been hacked
By the corrupt paradigm, that’s a supreme fact
And every word that I said in this song
I’ve been working for the Devil too long and now I’m gone
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
Tempt us, lead us to the edge, watch the wise turn into fools
The greatest lie ever been told is the one closest to truth
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’ve been working for the Devil too long
I’m gone