I was born in Chicago in 1971 I was born in Chicago in 1971 What my father told me, \"Son, you'd better get a gun.\" My first friend went down When I was 16 years old Oh my first friend went down When I was 16 years old There's one thing I can say about that boy He gotta go My second friend went down When I was 17 years of age Oh my second friend went down When I was 17 years of age There's one thing I can say about that boy He gotta pray Oh life is a lie If you don't know how to play the game Oh life is a lie If you don't know how to play the game All my friends are going And everything's gonna stay the same