Surviving The Times Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[Am][Em][F][G]
[Am]But that's the whole[Em] tragi[F]c point,
[G]my friends
[Am]What [Em]would I do[F][G]
[Am]
If I [Em]could sud[F]denly feel?
[G]And to [Am]know, onc[Em]e again,[F]
[G]tha[Am]t what I feel[Em][F]
is [F#dim]real?
I could [Gsus4]cry[C]
[Am]I could smil[G#aug]e[Am]
I might lay back for [D]a while
Tell me [G]what,
[C](wh[Em]at) what would I d[G]o[Gsus4]
If [G]I could f[Am]eel?[Em][F]
[G]I was

[Verse 2]
[Am]young,
I was sur[Em]vivin' [F]the times
Waitin' for my moment,
I was destined to shine
[G]Little Ray[Am] had an [Em]NXX, I was
[F]hopin' I'm next
Wantin' bracelets,
never had a [G]rope [Am]on my neck
Unless I was [Em]holdin' Taiye[F]h chain,
Rest In Peace
Even though that night you flipped [G]on us,
you [Am]warned us
If you came [Em]back and we's [F]still on the corners,
we goners
Movin' [G]on to,

[Verse 3]
[Am]
move your arm in your watch
[Em]To another t[F]ime on the block
'Cause this 40 Side where
they said [G]Shorty rhyme
[Am]Tragedy, he used to come[Em]
through [F]all the time
I'm talkin' Juice Crew,
not what the [G]word define
[Am]He had a sister named Erin[Em],
for sure [F]was fine
That was my first crush,
I bought [G]my first mic
[Am]I wrote my first verse[Em], I was abou[F]t nine
I was about mine, fantasize [G]house- buying

[Verse 4]
[Am]Met Paul, he wore some[Em] big glass[F]es
Him and Melquan took
me where [G]G Rap lived
[Am]I was happy just getti[Em]n' some an s[F]wers
I ain't even know what a
record ad[G]vance was
[Am]I'm seein' hoes sex
[Em]in the studio [F]bathroom
With rap dudes,
thinkin' wow she [G]moved me
[Am]Same girl then,
right [Em]now's [F]a groupie
Back then,
she was like the star [G]in the movie
[Am]Large jewelry and [Em]ex p[F]ensive Gucci
Next stop,
Paid In Full posse re[G]cruits me
[Am]Knew they were some millionaires,
[Em]their ropes [F]were dookie
Eric B man lookin' like
touch- it- he- shoot- [G]me
[Am]You see, every time Ra d[Em]idn't show[F]
I get to record demos
at attempts [G]to blow
[Am]I wonder could they tell,
[Em]how did they k[F]now
Sixteen years later, here I [G]go[Am]
[Em]What– what would [F]I do?

[Verse 5]
[G][Am]
[Em]What– what– what would [F]I
[G]do?[Am]
[Em]What– what– what would [F]I
[G]do?[Am]
[Em]What– what– what would [F]I do?
[G]I'm with

[Verse 6]
[Am]Akinyele in the street,
[Em]trynna get [F]us a deal
G Rap tried to get us to sign to Cold [G]Chill
But [Am]Fly Ty didn't have the
[Em]contract [F]we wanted
Clark Kent just signed Das,
he didn't [G]want us
[Am]Russell said I sounded [Em]like G,
the nigga [F]fronted
Reef and Matty C offered
me a little [G]money
[Am]Shit a little funny, [Em]feel a little laughter
Re[F]bel of Hip- Hop comin'
through a white [G]rapper

[Verse 7]
[Am]My boy MC Serc[Em]h nevertheles[F]s
Took me to Columbia, back [G]then CBS
Chris [Am]Schwartz,
[Em]RuffHouse, he was the be[F]st man
Now buggin' 'cause the label
had just dropped [G]De f Jam
[Am]Could you picture Russell
[Em]needin' a check[F], man?
But he smart,
he plotted a plan [G]for [Am]Polygram
Life is ill, [Em]again life's a [F]movie
Then, the roster's: Cypress Hill, Nas,
[G]and [Am]Fugees
Before I sold re[Em]cords, no [F]promotion
The rap world like,
"What's all this [G]commotion?"
[Am]Went plat', mad bott[Em]les
[F]I'm toastin'
20 20 hindsight,
but how [G]did they know [Am]then?
[Em]What– what would [F]I do?

[Verse 8]
[G][Am]
[Em]What– what– what would
[F]I do?
[G]What– what– what [Am]would[Em] I[F]
[G]do?[Am]
[Em]What– what– what would [F]I do?
[G]Invin

[Verse 9]
[Am]cible, lyrical, [Em]miracle [F]man, huh
But back to the matter at [G]hand
'Cause ten [Am]years ago we
[Em]all strived to be [F]twenty- five
Some cats didn't make [G]it alive
[Am]Dated some stars but [Em]re
spect their pri[F]vacy
Copped mad cars,
layin' back in the driver[G]'s seat
[Am]Held myself down[Em],
just [F]steerin' the wheel
Here I am, completed my [G]whole
record [Am]deal
[Em]What– what would [F]I do?

[Verse 10]
[G][Am]
[Em]What– what– what would
[F]I do?
[G]What– what– what [Am]would[Em] I[F]
[G]do?[Am]
What– what– what
[Em]would I do[F]?
[G]

[Verse 11]
[Am]
[Em]What would[F] I do?
[G]If I c[Am]ould reach ins[Em]ide of [F]me?[Am]
And to [Em]know [F]how it feels to [G]say[Am]
[Em]"I l[F]ike what I see..."