I don't regret nothing that I have ever done
At this point I don't owe nobody an explanation

Man, they love you when you up
Kick you when you down
Look around, VH1 man, where are they down
Life is amusing, nobody like to see you cruising
But everybody like to see you losing
So I stop despise, on top of lies
And if it prophesied I'll be ostracized
And one day, I lost my rhodium on the day I hit the podium
Now I'm back on top and salty like sodium

A gift to this world man, wrap me with a ribbon
Why do you look for a dead among the living
Some thought I was crazy, some thought I was dissing
Some said I was lazy, some said I was different
I was so loaded, that everybody floated
But once I got the notice then I got focused
And then I saw the motive, so everybody rode it
So I did the way wrote it and live it the way I quote it, come on

Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
When I'm down at the back, just keep it real
Gotta survive, gotta survive
Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
So I try and I try to be really true
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
Gotta survive, gotta survive

Hold up, trying to tell me what I'm not
Pull up in the 'Bach, now I'm all of the sudden hot
Now they want to stop just to look at what I got
Thought they want my home man, left me out to rot
So I had to make it on my own, take it on my own
I wanted out the hood I had to 'scape it on my own
Believe me now, it's easy now
'Cause everybody see me now and I'm on TV now

But it started out with low budget
Then I took it around the world the folks love it
In the beginning man, my life it was so rugged
But now I shine like a gold nugget, 'cause I made the most of it
I know how you feeling man, I was weary
Some days I used to sit there, my eyes all teary
Thinking to myself, do anybody hear me
Now I know, you making it out is not a theory, come on

Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
When I'm down at the back, just keep it real
Gotta survive, gotta survive
Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
So I try and I try to be really true
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
Gotta survive, gotta survive

I've been laughed at, talked about, ridiculed
But I got a Bentley and I'm still not a bitter dude
And you know it's not coincidence, that me and you is not so intimate
I can't fake, I don't shake, I don't break
I don't lose, I don't use, I don't groove
I never lacked and I'm never going back
I'm nothing you ever sorrow
I'm telling you that I'm immortal

Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
When I'm down at the back, just keep it real
Gotta survive, gotta survive
Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
So I try and I try to be really true
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
Gotta survive, gotta survive

Got to, got to survive
Keep your head held high
Got to, got to survive
Keep your head to the sky
Got to, got to survive
We can make it every time
Got to, got to survive
Gotta survive, gotta survive

Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
(Yeah)
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
When I'm down at the back, just keep it real
(You know there is nothing in this world)
Gotta survive, gotta survive
(That could separate me)
Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
(From what I believe
So I try and I try to be really true
(from what I've achieved)
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
(All of this is because of him)
Gotta survive, gotta survive
(And I'm telling you now)

Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
(As much as you all don't want to hear this)
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
(I could do nothing to myself)
When I'm down at the back, just keep it real
Gotta survive, gotta survive
(It's all through him, it's all through him)
Gotta survive in this life that's being given to me
(So all around the world)
So I try and I try to be really true
(You don't even know success)
When it seems that the world keeps crushing on me
(Until you know him)
Gotta survive, gotta survive
(And him is Jesus)