Found the girl of my dreams And I moved out the hood Had a little baby, Life was all good Then I got a call That something was wrong
Next thing I know I was back to my old ways Doin' it till they came and took me away Now everything I worked for is gone (gone)
Oooh, I wish I woulda turned away I would still be free today Sometimes it don't pay to be the hero
Oooh shoulda looked into my baby's eyes Before I took another man's life It don't pay to be the hero
(Oooh) There's nothing you can say to bring it back You lost it just like that I wish that we could turn around Ooh, there's nothing you can say to bring it back You lost it just like that I wish that we could turn around
Don't know why I worked so hard to let that life go I was mad, wasn't thinking about my family at home And how much they depended on me
Now I'm looking at 20 years no parole, I'm not going to get the chance to see my baby grow And what's he going to think about his daddy (daddy, ooh)
[Chorus:]
[Bridge:]
So many nights I don't sleep (nights I don't sleep) Cuz I think about the things that I've seen (things that I've seen) There almost really Driving me crazy Instead a piece of glass separates my family from me (Oooh)
[Chorus:]
Oooh, Wish I woulda turned away (wish I woulda turned away) I would still be free today Sometimes it don't pay to be the hero (don't pay, noo)
Oooh shoulda looked into my baby's eyes (looked into my baby's eyes) Before I took another man's life It don't pay to be the hero (it don't pay to be the hero)
(Oooh) There's nothing you can say to bring it back You lost it just like that I wish that we could turn around (I wish I coulda turned around, yehh) Ooh, there's nothing you can say to bring it back You lost it just like that I wish that we could turn around
[Ending]
Found the girl of my dreams And I moved out the hood Had a little baby, Life was all good Then I got a call That something was wrong...