(West, Mr. West) uh, yeah
Uh, yeah, uh, yeah, uh, yeah

And I heard 'em say, nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
From the Chi, like Tim it's a harder way
So this is in the name of love like Robert say
Before you ask me to go get a job today
Can I at least get a raise of the minimum wage?
And I know the government administer AIDS
So I guess we just pray like the minister say
Allahu Akbar and throw in some hot cars
The things we seen on the screen that's not ours
But these niggas from the hood so these dreams not far
Where I'm from, the dope boys is the rock stars
But they can't cop cars without seein' cop cars
I guess they want us all behind bars, I know it

Uh, and I heard 'em say (ooh)
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And I heard 'em say
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
But we'll find a way
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way

They say people in your life are seasons
And anything that happen is for a reason
And niggas gun clappin' and keep to squeezin'
And gran' keep prayin' and keep believin'
In Jesus, and one day that you see him
'Til then walk in his footsteps and try to be him
The Devil is alive, I feel him breathin'
Claimin' money is the key so keep on dreamin'
And put those lottery tickets just to tease us
My aunt Pam can't put those cigarettes down
So now my lil' cousin smokin' them cigarettes now
His job trying to claim that he too nigger-ish now
Is it 'cause his skin blacker than licorice now?
I can't figure it out, I'm sick of it now, uh, uh

And I heard 'em say (ooh)
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And I heard 'em say
Nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
But we'll find a way
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way

With every worthless word we got more far away
And nothing's ever promised tomorrow today
And nothing lasts forever but be honest, babe
It hurts but it may be the only way
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh


Lyrics submitted by KiBa283

Heard 'Em Say Lyrics as written by Adam Levine Gerry Goffin

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Heard 'Em Say (feat. Adam Levine) song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

45 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    When he says "And I know the government administer aids," i think he's talking about money....not AIDS.

    harmonyon November 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Soul, so amazing.

    Come on Homeon September 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Surprised more haven't commented on this song. Probably one of my favorite current songs...and I don't really like rap. The SNL performance was great.

    deathbearon October 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song. I like the pepsi commercial, too. I like adam levine and kanye west. This song was very beautiful. I have it on my ipod nano and listen to it almost all the time. It's my favorite Kanye West song.

    Pink Angel Cakeon October 15, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I adore this song.

    xinniefulon October 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the beat is great. this song is great. kanye makes me happy. and adam levine gives it brownie points.

    EndlessSummeron November 06, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song is on constant repeat! *sings along

    iimandaon November 10, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song so much, I've listened to it a lot, and keep re-disecting it, hoping to find something new. And from I get it means althoug we can be promised through our lives by politicians and what not that things will get better, whether it be through policies, Minimum Wages, or government Aid, it isn't a true promise. We can't just say we're going to change the future today and expect it to happen. It's a lot harder than that. It also touches on discrimination when he talks about "Where I'm from the dope boys is the rock stars, but they can't cop cars without seein' cop cars, I guess they want us all behind bars".

    In the second verse I think he's talking about how when people come and go (if you think its bad or not) it is happening for a reason, as well as when bad things happen such as shooting and crime. In regard to the part about the devil I think he is saying that when you are trying to come up and get a better life there are so many temptations to over come, such as lottery tickets, drugs, alcohol, and other things that in the end, are a detriment to your success. Then when talks about his little cousin smoking, I think it's more than just about his cousin smoking. I think he's saying that when people pick up bad habbits (crime, smoking, drugs) its passes on thier future generations, so they have to face the exact same hardship.

    And as down as the verses are the chorus is really the optimistic part. When he says "But we'll find a way" he is saying that 'ya, its shitty, but thier is hope.' That is restated when Adam says "And nothin' lasts forever, but be honest babe Hurts, but it might be the only way" He is saying that these situations will come to an end, but it will take hard work and some luck. It may hurt that that is the reality, but that is exactly what it is, reality.

    Then the last powerful thing in the song is Adams line: "With every worthless word we get more far away" That line refers to the empty promises that are made, and the fallacious deals made, because with each one of those things happening...success just gets pushed further and further away

    msuy2kon December 04, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    "And I know the government administer aids"

    There is a conspiracy theory that the government did create the aids virus in a laboratory to lower the world population. Supposedly they gave a small pox vaccination to people in Africa that was coupled with a virus that would tear down the human immune system. They also supposedly did this in larger populated cities in America to homosexuals and claimed the injection they were giving them was for hepatitis B. It all sounds like a load of crap to me.

    Anyway, I do think the song is great though.

    waco kidon December 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    When he says aids, I thought he meant money as in "government aid" but, maybe he is a conspiracy theory supporter, and if so, that's his opinion.

    But the video to the song is amazing and it is a great visual to the meaning of this song.

    xmasnhollison December 12, 2005   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!