She was on her way to becoming a college graduate Wouldn't even stop to talk to the average kid The type of latina I'd sit and contemplate marriage with Fuck the horse and carriage shit, her love was never for hire Disciplined, intellectual beauty's what I desire Flyer than Salma Hayek or Jennifer Lopez Everyone told me, kickin' it to her was hopeless At first I just thought, she didn't mess with broke kids The thug niggaz always talking about, how they smoke kids But the rich-sniff-coke kids got no play "I'm not even interested" is what her body language would say Everyone around the way, gave up trying to get in it It didn't matter how good your game was, she wasn't with it On the block, bitches was jealous, but wouldn't admit it Talk shit, and deny to everyone that they did it 'Cause they regreted the long list of niggaz that they let hit it And no one ever gave them shit except McDonald's and did-dick Smoking weed with thoughts of envy, whenever they lit it She smoked intelligently and they bit it, always trying to copy But when they tried to use her vocab, they sounded sloppy She had a style, all her own, respectful and pure I was sick in the head for her, and there wasn't a cure
[Hook - Jean Grae] Don't you know that, time waits for no man Not fate, it's all planned I'm blessed just to know you I've loved and I've lost just to hold you all night Can't find, a reason why God came, to you and I If I had the chance again, I'd never let you go Hold tight to your love, 'cause you never know
[Verse 2] Her eyes are brown and beautiful, yet empty and sad I used to talk to her occasionally, and she was glad That I wasn't just another nigga trying to get in it So every now and then we'd stop and talk for a minute I didn't have a gimmick so the minutes turned to hours On her birthday, I gave her a poem with flowers Then I took her out to dinner after her cousin's baby shower We talked about, power to the people and such We spent more time together but it was never enough I never tried to sneak a touch, or even cop a feel I was too interested, in keeping it real Perfectly honest and complete, she would always call me "carino," And never Technique, bought me a new book to read every 2 or 3 weeks Forever changing the expression of my thoughts when I speak It was because of her, I even deaded all of my freaks She convinced me, to stop hangin' out on the streets To stop robbin' and stealin', from people like you Instead I took her out to the Apollo and the Bronxu We sailed in Barrio (?) and the Metropolitan too Got to the point when I was either with her or my crew So I decided one day, to tell her my feelings was true I couldn't live without her so I told her, facing my fears But honey's only response, was a face full of tears She could only sob hysterically, holding me tight I tried to speak, but she wouldn't stop until I left sight I felt like a moth who got himself too close to the light Except I didn't burn, I turned cold after that night
[Hook]
[Verse 3] I went on with my life, college and my career Ended up locked up like an animal for a year Where the C.O.'s talk to you like they were the overseer Then I got sent to the hole, when my exit was near At night in my cell, I'd close my eyes and I'd see her Hold her close in my dreams, but when I woke she disappeared Just an empty cell until the state gave me parole in the summer came back, in tact and on track But the fact of the matter, is I still felt cold Even after my mother, hugged me, cryin' at home My real niggaz would catch me thinkin', out of my zone Fuckin' lots of different women, but I still felt alone Relatively well-known around the New York underground But I kept i