Can I Live Songtext
von JAY‐Z

Yeah (Hah, yeah), Roc-A-Fella
We invite you to, somethin′ epic y'all know? (Somethin′, somethin')
Well, we hustle out of a sense of, hopelessness
Sort of a desperation (Live nigga)
Through that desperation, we 'come addicted
Sorta like the fiends we accustomed to servin′
Well, we feel we have nothin′ to lose (Everything to gain)
So we offer you, well, we offer our lives (Right?)
What do you bring to the table?

While I'm watchin′ every nigga watchin' me closely
My shit is butter for the bread they wanna toast me
I keep my head, both of them where they supposed to be
Hoes′ll get you sidetracked then clap from closed feet
I don't sleep, I′m tired, I feel wired like codeine, these days
A brother gotta admire from four fiends away
My pain, wish it was quick to see, from sellin' 'caine
′Til brains was fried to a fricaisse, can′t lie


At the time it never bothered me, at the bar
Gettin' my thug on properly, my squad and me
Lack of respect for authority, laughin′ hard
Happy to be escapin' poverty, however brief
I know this game got valleys and peaks
Expectation for dips, for percipitation we stack chips, hardly
The youth I used to be, soon to see a mill′in
No more, Big Willie my game has grown prefer you call me William

Illin' for revenues, Rayful Edmund-like
Channel 7 news, round seven jewels, head dead in the mic
Forgettin all I ever knew, convenient amnesia
I suggest you call my lawyer, I know the procedure

Lock my body can′t trap my mind, easily
Explain why we adapt to crime
I'd rather die enormous than live dormant that's how we on it
Live at the main event, I bet a trip to Maui on it
Presidential suites my residential for the weekend
Confidentially speakin′ in codes since I sense you peekin′
The NSX rental, don't be fooled, my game is mental
We both out of town dog, what you tryin′ to get into?

Viva, Las Vegas, see ya, later at the crap tables
Meet me by the one that starts a G up
This way no Fraud Willies present gamblin' they re-up
And we can have a pleasant time, sippin′ margaritas

Ge-ge-ge-yeah, can I live?

Can I live?


My mind is infested, with sick thoughts that circle
Like a Lexus, if driven wrong it's sure to hurt you
Dual level like duplexes, in unity, my crew and me
Commit atrocities like we got immunity
You guessed it, manifested intangible goods
Platinum Rolex′d it, we don't lease
We buy the whole car, as you should

My confederation, dead a nation
Explode on detonation, overload the mind of a said patient
When it boils to steam, it comes to it
We all fiends gotta do it, even righteous minds go through this
True this, the streets school us to spend our money foolish
Bond with jewelers and, watch for intruders

I stepped it up another level, meditated like a Buddhist
Recruited lieutenants with ludicrous, dreams of gettin' cream
Let′s do this, it gets tedious
So I keep one eye open like, CBS
You see me stressed, right?

Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?
Can I live?

(Ha-hah, Roc-A-Fella y′all)