Still Standing

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, you're chest just might freeze up
13 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
Release, squeeze, love every lies, a teacher disease
But I roll to the top of my class like Cream
I'm like the Lakers in the 80's, 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 wetted the rhythm
Spiritual looking back at it - a lyrical exorcism
A half of the Afro-American dream
The rap, or quaterback for a professional team
I'm still standing...
Yeah, I'm still here! I'm still standing!

[Chorus: x2]
Still standing
I'm still here
Standing, yeah, still standing
Still standing

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 promotional and strategic
My heart disintegrated in a million pieces
Listen, that's life, deal with it
Press reset, download pain, write a thesis
Perform for millions, Brazilian visas
(I got) transcontinental indigenous divas
That speak multiple languages for unspeakable reasons
And still, there are places that I've never been
Like the Statue of Liberty, my knees will never bend
Except for when I'm speaking to God
It feels like half-time, I'm a reach for the stars
I'm still standing

[Chorus x2]

[Jill Scott:]
Now I have seen some conflict in my life
And some burdens almost broke me down once or twice
But I learned to hold 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, I'm so grateful
I'm still... I'm still...

[Chorus x2]