do you know how it  feels to run for your life

do you know how it feels to be really scared at night

to know if you had to run

or stay and fight 

gunshots, violence, and gang signs 

thats just  part of that everday  hood life 

because of

THE
HATE 
U 
GIVE

my people aint great sure thats a fact 

but thats not a reason to put a bullet in their back 

man i cant be in a car without shit going down 

cops pulling me out

questioning me to put me down

im answering as fast as i can

but they see this as suspicion 

and tell me to raise my hand

handcuffs on my wrist 

their pushing me and shit 

this is why black people cant stand this shit 

cuz you dont know how it feels

dont know whats the deal 

dont know why we do what we do 

cops be confused 

so the first thing they do

they pull out they gun and they shoot

they say it was self defense 

but you defending yourself from who 

they expect the worst 

they expect to be hurt 

because of 

THE 
HATE
U 
GIVE

they judge me by my skin 

see if i was white there wouldnt be a fight 

and i wouldnt had been pulled over on a whim

and thats why I say 

You dont know about my life

my everday fight

versus the racist pigs 

and reason we die 

the reason we hide 

the reason we run 

is because of 

THE 
HATE
U 
GIVE 

they fear us beacuse we are diffrent 

because we are strong 

because of our pride 

because of our bond 

thats why we tell ourselves we have to stay strong

isnt it enough you put us down 

made us slaves 

push us down

you say every one deserve freedom 

but really you look at it with a frown

with something with free in the name it sure has a price

that price for us was our lives

nothing you say can ever repay 

for what you done to us

who are we you say 

oh let me explain 

we are color

we are detriot

we are chicago

we are compton

we are LA

we are 

THE

HATE

U

GIVE