When thugs cry

Now I lay me down to sleep

I pray to Lord my guns to keepIf I die before I wake

I pray to Lord my soul to take

Got us dyin′

When thugs cry

Times is hard

Born thuggin' and lovin′ the way I came up, big money clutchin'

Bustin' while evadin′ cocaine bust

My po′s rushin' to my cushin′ into insanity

They shot at my cousin, now we bustin' at they whole family

The cowards wanna see me buried, I ain′t worried

I got a loan on the D.A. 'cause I′m fuckin' the secretary

I black out, start cussin', bust ′em and touch ′em all

They panicin', bitches duckin′, I rush 'em and fuck ′em all

Probably be an old man before I understand

Why I had to live my life with pistols close in hand

Kidnapped my homie sister cut her face up bad

They even raped her, so we blazed they pad

Automatic shots rang out on every block

They puttin' hits on the politicians even cops

I ain′t lyin', they got me sleeping' with my infrared beams

And in my dreams I hear muthafucker screamin′

What′s the meanin'? When thugs cry

Oh, why should you send your child off to die?

In the streets of chalk, where they die

Let no wrongs, cry out, when thugs cry

Dear God (when thugs cry)

Oh, why does it have to be this way? Ah

Children of today won′t stay wise (when thugs cry)

Let the children hear when thugs cry

Dear God

Oh, why?

Maybe my addiction to friction got me buggin'

Where is the love, never quit my ambitions to thug

Ain′t shed a tear since the old school years of elementary

Niggas I used to love enclosed in penitentiaries

Still homie keep it real, how does it feel?

To lose your life over something that you did as a kid

You all alone no communication, block on the phone

Don't get alone with your pops and plus your moms is gone

Where did we go wrong? I put my soul in this song

To help us grow in time, but now our minds are gone

We went from brothers and sisters to niggas and bitches

We went from welfare livin′ to worldwide riches

But somethin' change in this dirty game

Everything strange, lost all my homies over cocaine, man

See they ask me if I shed a tear, I ain't lie

See, you gotta get high or die, ′cause even thugs cry

Oh, why should you send your child off to die?

In the streets of chalk, where they die (when thugs cry)

(We don′t shed a tear, she shed blood)

Let no wrongs, cry out, when thugs cry (do you still wanna be a thug)

Dear God

Oh, why does it have to be this way? Ah

Children of today won't stay wise

Let the children hear, when thugs cry

Dear God

Oh, why?

And all I see are these paranoid bitches, illegal inventions

Bustin′ muthafuckers with uppercuts, I leave 'em with dentures

′Cause in my criminal mind, nobody violates the Don

I write your name on a piece of paper, and now your family's gone

Well perpetrate like you could handle my team

So merciless in mind, try to take command of your dreams

Leavin′ muthafuckers drownin' in they own blood

Clown and takin' pictures later

Laugh at the punk bitches that turned snitches

Regulate my area, the terror I represent

Make your people disappear, you wonderin′ where they went

Am I cold, or is it just I sold my soul?

Addicted to the streets, never found true peace I′m told

Come take my body, God, don't let me suffer any longer

Smoke a pound of marijuana, so I know it ain′t long

Where is the end to all my misery? Is there a close?

I suppose that's why I murder my foes

When thugs cry

Oh, why should you send your child off to die?

In the streets of chalk where they die (I shed tattoo tears for years)

Let no wrongs, cry out, when thugs cry (to my dead homeboys and the prison peace)

Dear God

Oh, why does it have to be this way? Ah

(Y′all ain't never heard my cries, nigga, what about if you would die)

Children of today won′t stay wise

Let the children hear, when thugs cry

Dear God

Oh, why should you send your child off to die?

In the streets of chalk where they die

Let no wrongs, cry out, when thugs cry

Dear God

Oh, why does it have to be this way? Ah

Children of today won't stay wise

Let the children hear, when thugs cry

Dear God

Oh, why?