Jean Grae
Insomnia 411 (Fit For Your Mama's Ears)
[Verse 1: Kimani Rogers (of Roosevelt Franklin)]
It's, like, one time ‘til the break of dawn like
Blacking out to your favorite song like
Making love ‘til the early morn' like
Waking up and your love is gone like
Feeling like you just can't go on like
Everything in the world's gone wrong like
One life, one love to live and
Something's got to give (So let's get it)
Here I stand, man apart
Broken down ‘cause life's so hard
These days, try to play my part but
Some days, even that's too hard
So I drink ‘til I'm drunk now. Too high to come down
Hide in the shadows and run for the gallows and
Stand up for battling, confront the demons and
Try to make good of this world before I leave it and
They say it's better to give than to receive it and
To tell the truth, I'm much better at receiving end
I can't sleep at night from all the grieving and
I could swear I feel the city breathing in
When I walk the streets late in the evening
I can feel the sadness, anger, seething
Mother Earth still cries like babies teething and
I paint a picture with words to make you see 'em and
I picture life as a woman with brown skin
Nice smile, black hair, and titties like mountains
Been around twenty-eight years and still counting
The stress and the tension be constantly mounting
I want to reach out, grab life
Right by the face, lean in, and take a taste
But I'm afraid some days that it just ain't safe
‘Cause, to me, death looks the same, just different name
And I had the same friends for years
The same taste in beers, the same basic fears
I'm glad I'm still here and can speak to y'all
‘Cause, for me, man, the sky did fall and shit shattered
Broken parts that I could not fix and
Chemicals that I should not mix and
Who'd have thought it would come to this, man?
Who'd have thought it would come to this? (Hear this tonight)

[Hook: Kimani Rogers (of Roosevelt Franklin) and Slug] (x2)
I can't sleep tonight. I'm up
By the light of the moon in my empty room and it's
One day since you went away and it's
One day since I went insane, so I
Drink beer to erase your face and I
Medicate to escape this place and I
Can't sleep in a world of pain
‘Cause nothing seems the same (I can’t sleep tonight)

[Verse 2: Slug]
It's like you don't even seem to give a fuck like
You wait around for me to pick it up. It's like
Bring it on now. It's so rough like
There's more to life than just kicking dust like
Take the hate and tuck it into love like
I'll be alright if I hit some luck. It's like
One life, one love to live and
Something's got to give (So let's get it)
As much as I want to believe, I don't
As much as I want to be free, I won't
Still choke on these songs
You wrote the notes and I just sing along
Still waiting for the bridge
So I can drop my last verse and let it live
But, no, you still find that spot to haunt
Inside of too many thoughts, too many wants
I'm drunk again, sit and spin
The half-full glass acts like my best friend
Laugh and grin, bare my soul
Grab my heart and tear it whole
Put me out on my steps, set me down
Pull me into abyss and let me drown
When the breath quits and death grips
Maybe I can stop trying to run from these head trips
Spoke like one knew better
But I'm damned in the trap that I might've helped you set up
Don't let up, keep the pace
You can need your space or you can read my face
Silence says so fucking much
Make me down my shot just to up the lunch
Well, give it back, release your claws
It belongs and showing in between the flaws
Right to left, fight to sex
Looked at your smile every night you slept
And now it's like I don't sleep
‘Cause this addiction to hold you fits me so deep
Broken parts that I tried to fix and
Chemicals that I tried to mix
Go find your shit. It's time you dip
‘Cause you remind me of the bitch that made me rhyme like this

[Hook: Kimani Rogers (of Roosevelt Franklin) and Slug] (x2)
I can't sleep tonight. I'm up
By the light of the moon in my empty room and it's
One day since you went away and it's
One day since I went insane, so I
Drink beer to erase your face and I
Medicate to escape this place and I
Can't sleep in a world of pain
‘Cause nothing seems the same (I can’t sleep tonight)

[Verse 3: Jean Grae]
It's been a long night like Alaska winter
Four stones from the coat for dinner approaching thinner
The weight minimize while the stress builds
Chest heavy as I wonder how the crystal meth feels
Eyelids burning, determined to shut
But the churn in the gut says, “Keep on, Jean”
Sleep's for weak people. Lean on
Some speed, but now, every time I breathe, my beat's wrong
Skips when I lay, breaks fast when I smoke
Trips when I flip so I have to know
To stay calmer. The drama diminished, my armor
Defenses still stained with tequila and Guinness
The skin erupts in bloodspots that I can't stop
Scratching. Imagine you bleed when you sleep
So I bleed on the sheets in unorderly passion
And weep scarlet tears in enormous rations
Regardless, fear is a normal passion
I'll keep this in mind when my hands reacting
I'll scratch out my eyes if they ever get tired
Of doing my late-night, brain-punishing action
Stay awake bawling, scream to the Heavens
Plead for a deed that would just lay me level
I hate all the tests. God, please, or the Devil
A request: let Jean have her peace or rest, please

[Hook: Kimani Rogers (of Roosevelt Franklin) and Slug] (x2)
I can't sleep tonight. I'm up
By the light of the moon in my empty room and it's
One day since you went away and it's
One day since I went insane, so I
Drink beer to erase your face and I
Medicate to escape this place and I
Can't sleep in a world of pain
‘Cause nothing seems the same (I can’t sleep tonight)