[Produced by Kanye West]

[Intro]

Yeah

Ya know?

Yeah

[Verse 1]

We sell crack to our own out the back of our homes

We smell the musk of the dusk and the crack of the dawn

We go through episodes too, like Attack of the Clones

Work 'til we break our back and you hear the crack of the bones

To get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

We commute to computers

Spirits stay mute while your egos spread rumors

We survivalists turned to consumers

Just to get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

Ask Him why some people gotta live in a trailer, cuss like a sailor

I paint a picture with the pen like Norman Mailer

Mi abuela raised three daughters all by herself with no help

I think about her struggle and I find the strength in myself

These words melt in my mouth, they hot like the jail cell in the south

Before my nigga Cor' bailed me out

To get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

We do or die like Bed-Stuy

See the red sky out the window of the red-eye

Let the lead fly on some G. Rap shit, livin' to let die

[Chorus]

Now this morning, I woke up

Feelin' brand new, I jumped up

Feelin' my highs and my lows and my soul

And my goal's just to stop smokin' and stop drinkin'

And I've been thinkin', I've got my reasons

Just to get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

[Post-Chorus]

By, by-by-by-by, by-by-by-by

By-by-by-by, by-by-by-by

Just to get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

By, by-by-by-by, by-by-by-by

By-by-by-by, by-by-by-by

Just to get by, just to get by

Just to get by, hey, hey

[Verse 2]

We keep it gangsta, say "fo' shizzle", "fo' sheezy" and stay crunk

It's easy to pull a breezy, smoke trees and we stay drunk

Yo, our activism attackin' the system, the Blacks and Latins in prison

Numbers have risen, they victims lackin' the vision

Shit, and all they got is rappin' to listen to

I let 'em know we missin' you, the love is unconditional

Even when the condition is critical, when the livin' is miserable

Your position is pivotal, I ain't bullshittin' you

Now, why would I lie? Just to get by?

Just to get by, we get fly

The TV got us reachin' for stars

Not the ones between Venus and Mars

The ones that be readin' for parts

Some people get breast enhancements and penis enlargers

Saturday sinners, Sunday morning at the feet of the Father

They need somethin' to rely on, we get high on all types of drug

When all you really need is love

To get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

Our parents sing like John Lennon, imagine all the people watch

We rock like Paul McCartney, from now until the last Beatle drop, what?

[Chorus]

This morning, I woke up

Feelin' brand new, I jumped up

Feelin' my highs and my lows and my soul

And my goal's just to stop smokin' and stop drinkin'

And I've been thinkin', I've got my reasons

Just to get by, just to get by

Just to get by, just to get by

[Outro]

Yo-yo-yo, yo, yo

Some people cry and some people try

Just to get by, for a piece of the pie

We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie

And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo

When the people decide to keep a disguise

Can't see they eyes, see the evil inside

But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind

I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo, yo

Some people cry and some people try

Just to get by, for a piece of the pie

We love to eat and get high, we deceive and we lie

And we keepin' it fly, y-y-y-yo, yo

When the people decide to keep a disguise

Can't see they eyes, see the evil inside

But there's people you find, strong or feeble in mind

I stay readin' the signs, y-y-y-yo, yo

As long as somebody's feelin' it, that's what's up