Beverly Hills

[Verse 1: Jason Chu]
I met up with a friend I used to know in university
He’s gettin' money, got portfolio diversity
I planned to grill him 'cause his stake is shakin' out so comfortably
But he speaks first
He’s jealous of the life I lead (What?)
This must be irony
I’m dreaming of what money brings
He envies me for bein' free
I only see what he makes: salary
He spends that on what I make: chasin' dreams
I left feelin' validated personally
Realizin' what pursuin' music’s really worth to me
He’s caught up in a net, I’m surfin' on another stream
Tech startup six-figure cash don’t help him sleep
So he keeps Xanax always in reach
But high walls can be breached by a small leak
Locks on the door don’t make you feel more secure
He said “I miss what I had before”

[Chorus: Peter Su]
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Gold on the streets
The stars in reach
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Now I’m free
Rather do me

[Verse 2: Jason Chu]
I remember playin' at Sean’s place with GI Joes
Walked in his living room
My eyes were like, where’d you get those?
He had the battleship that cost more than my clothes
So money took a foothold on my little soul
In high school I sold DVDs we burned
College, I attended, that degree I need to earn
So that degree could help my search for employment
Findin' work so I could kill myself to make a living
Funny how it works
It never let up, I thought that cash would make it better
But it’s just expensive paper for a suicide letter
But I get it: we lack it, we want it, we get it with debit
Regret it, return it, fo'get it
Repetitive motion, so we fear stallin' out
Spend our lives for a check, never checkin' ourself
It took me twenty years to work it all out
If you’re miserable, poor, you won’t be happy with wealth
Come on

[Chorus: Peter Su]
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Gold on the streets
The stars in reach
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Now I’m free
Rather do me

[Verse 3: Jason Chu]
Money—men kill men 'cause they want it
Money—the less you have, the more you think of it
Money—the root of all evil if you love it
The messes we get in just to pretend we got it
But hold up, I remember brother on the street
Asked me for a dollar fifty three for Mickey D's
All the wisdom in the world couldn’t feed or cover feet
Suddenly, my philosophy was just an empty tweet
I wrote about it easily, sittin' at my desk
MacBook plugged in, iPhone at rest
But when words are tested, I’m selfish as any man
So you tell me, was it money put these problems in my chest?
I give power to the things I love
Money, clothes, bodies, status, God above
And as I wrote this song, I had to pause to self-reflect
How can I speak on greed when I don’t love my fellow man?
Ah!

[Chorus: Peter Su]
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Gold on the streets
The stars in reach
Used to dream about Beverly Hills
Now I’m free
Rather do me