Holding Tank (Revisited)

Verse One:
I got a one bedroom shack on the left side of the tracks
The type of ghetto neighborhood where kids slang cracks
Hang out like stray cats
Smoke weed and play craps
And try to make their papers stack
My man did two years in Oriana, came back
Took me to the side and hit me with the straight facts
"Man, I know what I did was wrong, I can't change that
But every dime that I lost I'm about to take back
I can't play and leave my business neglected
Now that I got my freedom I got to protect it"
Yeah, fresh off a bid, what he said was expected
I didn't like it but I had to respect it
I wish his energy was legally directed
Instead he'd rather be illegally connected
But we been best friends since elementary
So I ain't tryin' to see him in the penitentiary
Confined physically, standin' still mentally
His baby girl and mother sayin' that they missin' him
Encouraging words and books I'll be sendin' him
With hate in my heart for the fakes that won't visit him
We've been here once and I can't take more of the same
But I'll be talkin' to a wall if I ask the cat to change

Verse Two:
It was the kind of summer night that makes you stare at the stars
Forget about the scars you've collected from the wars
"So what you tryin' to do man? I'm tryin' to hit the bars"
I'm not even a drinker but I hopped inside the car
Allen creeped to 104, 104 to Kimberly
Pulled into the parking lot right outside of Mistys
And took a long pause before we broke
So he could smoke
He took a long pull and then he spoke
"With my baby girl here, I can't see being broke."
"Man I can feel what you sayin' but it ain't gotta be dope."
"Easy for you to say. You already got a degree
But man I'm sittin' here on a GED
And nothin' out here for me
But sellin' or slippin'"
"Man you trippin'"
"How you figure?"
"You got to take a step back and try to see the bigger picture
Look outside the block there's a lot more
And anything in life worth havin' you got to work hard for."
"You know it's more difficult than it looks
And with a record it's expected that I wash dishes or cook
I'd rather be a crook
Than in the unemployment line
There's people out here with these 9 to 5s
Who barely got a dime."
"True."
I told him not to let the streets get him blinded
I got a business book from school that I would find it
So anyway legal he would have knowledge behind it
Wall Street or State Street, just be business minded
He agreed with my sentiments and said, "Cool."
Told me people say they wanna help but never do
I listened silently, responded and I said, "True
No matter what path you chose man, I'm here for you
No matter what path you chose man, I'm here for you
No matter what path you chose man, I'm here for you."

"Here for you. Here for you."