At What Price

[Verse 1]
She was a former associate of mine, we both had similar dreams of
Using our music as means to make us larger than life
Her life was like: she lived on her own, not much attention at home
She dated this thug from around the way, homeboy was sittin' on chrome
Now shorty could sing, this much is true but who gave her permission to use
The people that she called friend, time and time again
My phone would only ring when she needed me most: "give me some tracks"
I'd never hear back long after the fact, using D. Swain for personal gain
Now every time I'd try to push her away, she'd pull the relationship card
"Good gracious I hardly know you, don't you have a man you're devoted to?"
Pretended to like me to get inside the inner circle I made
Whatever it takes to make it I guess, I seen this shit comin' a mile away
So I cut her off and I watched her go flutter off, I had my own mind and she hated that
But she was too busy to care, her ego was gettin' inflated, back-
To-back shows, around the town, she started creatin' a name for herself
Kept dissin' her friends, and that's when the ceiling fell in

[Bridge # 1]
Never forget where you came, never forsake all your friends if fame
Should stray in your lane, never use someone to get in the game
Oh I know you want success, and yes, there is a cost
But lost relationships and actin' fake'll make you sick
N-now, the lesson she never learned is your bridges should never burn
And the people you see on the way to the top are the same that you'll see at the end of your term
Now I know it's been a minute since we've talked on the phone, uh
But I'll bet she's probably sittin' at home, and she's probably singin'

[Chorus 2X: Maria]
Shouldn't have cost me that much to be happy
To be free (to be free)
To be me (to be me)

[Verse 2]
Livin' amuck, not givin' a fuck
'Bout anyone else, except herself
Expected herself to be much further along than she was
But she was complacent, with the attention, that she was gettin', she never got it before
Her friends had been givin' attention, support, of course, unfortunately not anymore
She pushed 'em away, the more she became, a local celebrity
But she didn't know it was all that she'd ever be, it takes a lot more to get in the door
The lime of the light had blinded her sight, so she couldn't see that the people
She treated like dirt had gone on to do much bigger, much better things
Now several years passed, look at my ass
Finally got my name to pop
I'm famous, doc; the premise of "Charm" has finally come to life
But never got caught up in hype, hopped on a flight to visit the city I earned my stripes
Stepped into a lounge I frequented when I was young, and honey was still on the mic
She stayed in the city to sing, never achieving her dream
Of using her music as means to make her larger than life, 'cause karma came back at her twice
She was a former associate of mine, we both had similar dreams
But nobody cares, walked out of the club before she realized I was there, yeah

[Bridge # 2]
She never felt more alive than when she was on the stage
But she never realized the reason her friends had all gone away
I know that she was selfish, she couldn't help it
If only she took control of her fate before it became too late
Maybe then she'd have been concerned with not letting her bridges burn
'Cause the people she saw on the way to the top were still at the bottom awaiting their turn, damn
It's been a minute since we talked on the phone
But now I know she's probably sittin' at home, every night just singin'

[Chorus 2X]