Still Standing

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