Maintain

Produced by: Nottz

<Intro - Sample from "Pretty Flower" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes>

It's the end of a day

And I made it this far

But what will tomorrow, bring for me-eeeee?

<Verse 1>

Further than they ever thought

I made it this far learnin what they never taught

Fingers is permanently curved, they forever crossed

The cloud said I'm not alone if I ever walk

But it's easy to fall victim, harder to brush it off

When any dream you dreamed will probably run along

Time flies when you starin at the stars

But time dies when you clear away your heart

And **** seein facades, none of that is payin

Neither is complainin, just thank God you made it

But what if you didn't make it? What if this whole time

Everything that you made, was a product of closed eyes

And by the time you wake, the time that you had prayed

Will still be on your side, took the time to fly away

And before you even get to reflect

The minute hands is walkin and you missin your steps

Huh, it's ironic ain't it? You could try to wait it

But there ain't enough colors for you to try to paint it

So tryin to explain it to anyone'll get 'em lost

And points don't exist if they don't ever get across

Mama said it's up to me to keep the lights on

I said "cool, long as God keep the mics on"

I could speak the right song or sing the right poem

And I could find a way to light home

<Hook>

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

<Verse 2>

The sacrificial lamb, the carrier of loads

Who showed no pain 'til he was carryin 'em home

Who showed no gain but if you added up his growth

It would show, that it was off balance from the go

And from the go, chance wasn't nothin that he knew

Nothin that he was given or nothin he could have blew

And the road was too dark that he wanted to lead

But he said he saw better when his son was asleep

So he starts footsteppin and he saw another set

On the right and then he saw another on the left

And every night, he's judgin off a coin toss

Clearin the way so that nothin throw the coin off

When a decision is decided, he's either tryin to hide it

Or lookin for somebody that he could ride with

Slow breathin, goin for evens tryin to break the odds

So close to a murder he could taste the charge

But, people's lives depended on what he scribes

So now his pen move differently and in time

The pad may fill but the pen'll never drive

So as long as there's a wall, he could penmanship his mind

It sort of like coppin

You only get half of what you wanted when you asked but you can't seem

To stop it

I told 'em it's just the problems we face

Sittin on a stoop, starin up at God everyday

But I felt like I was talkin to someone who couldn't hear me

Until I looked up and I saw that the one near me

Who was lookin for advice was in common

I just wasn't lookin at 'em right and his problems

Was similar, too similar, way too familiar

Lookin into his eyes, was lookin into a mirror

Tryin not to break it, along with who I be

Saw that the whole time I was arguin with me (*echo*)

<Hook>

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

I maintain, I maintain, I maintain

I just maintain

I maintain, I maintain

As long as I could open my eyes, I maintain

<Outro - Sample from "Pretty Flower" by Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes>

It's the end of a day

And I made it this far