🎤 Verse 1
I wake up every mornin’ with the weight on my chest,
Tryna smile for the world, but inside, I’m a mess.
See, they don’t know the nights I cried alone in the dark,
Or how many times I prayed just to heal my heart.
They see the gold chain, but not the hunger and pain,
They see me in the sun, but not the walk through rain.
I lost friends to the streets, some to the grave,
Others switched sides, actin’ like I never gave.
They laugh when you broke, but they cheer when you shine,
They love you for the moment, then they leave you behind.
I learned real quick that the love ain’t true,
Some smile in your face while they plottin’ on you.
Mama told me, “Boy, watch the company you keep,
‘Cause the snakes don’t hiss, they just smile and creep.”
Now I move with caution, eyes on the ground,
‘Cause the loudest applause come from snakes in the crowd.
🎤 Chorus (haunting & soulful)
I wear this fake smile just to hide my pain,
Walk through the fire, still stand in the rain.
They’ll never know the tears that fall at night,
I just pray to the Lord to keep my soul in sight.
🎤 Verse 2
Sometimes I wonder if the struggle ever end,
Or if life’s just a cycle we pretend to mend.
I’ve been down to my last, pockets flat like the floor,
Knocked on opportunity but it closed that door.
They say trust is earned, but it’s easy to lose,
And the truth hit harder than the lies we choose.
I’ve seen brothers sell dreams for a hit of the pipe,
And sisters lose themselves just to live that life.
But who am I to judge? I done sinned my share,
Done dirt in the dark, said prayers in the air.
Now I’m tryna keep my soul while I chase this bread,
‘Cause too many died young with a crown on their head.
I keep visions of my homies when the night get cold,
Tellin’ me, “Live on, Pac, let your story be told.”
So I write these rhymes like letters to the youth,
Hoping they see the pain when I speak the truth.
🎤 Chorus
I wear this fake smile just to hide my pain,
Walk through the fire, still stand in the rain.
They’ll never know the tears that fall at night,
I just pray to the Lord to keep my soul in sight.
🎤 Verse 3
Now if you look in my eyes, you gon’ see my scars,
Every battle, every war, every broken part.
I’ve been stabbed in the back, I’ve been lied to my face,
But I kept movin’ forward, never lost my place.
Life’s short — we could die before the sun come up,
So I toast to the real, pour the fake ones up.
They say “Pac, why you always speakin’ ‘bout pain?”
‘Cause pain is the truth and it live in my veins.
I’m a product of the ghetto, but my soul still pure,
Even when the streets dirty, my heart endure.
So I smile for the cameras, act like I’m fine,
but the pain still echoes in the back of my mind.
🎤 Chorus
I wear this fake smile just to hide my pain,
Walk through the fire, still stand in the rain.
They’ll never know the tears that fall at night,
I just pray to the Lord to keep my soul in sight.
