It's in the heart man  
 I can feel it right here  
 It's in the heart man  
 I can feel it right here man  it's real  
 (Every year about this time)  
 Every year about this time  yessuh  
 (There's someone like me)  
 There's always a dark cloud that lingers over the city  
 There it is  
 And I wanna preach about it  looka here  
  
 Every year about this time I get to diggin up  
 old school memories that I keep stored in the back of the head  
 in the back of my mind that I always seem to find  
 When I'm marinatin with my peoples, slappin bones and drinkin wine  
 Just come home from Quentin, and all I know is strind  
 Grind, time-uhh, dope game been gone it's either  
 white collared crime or uhh, clickin da bones  
 How can I make some sort of dividends  
 How can I get my mathematics on how can I get in where I fit in  
 How can I, get in get gone  
 Every year about this time it's always, someone like me  
 They uhh, handcuff and shackle, and uhh, throw away the key  
 Every year about this time it's always, someone like me  
 They uhh, handcuff and shackle, and uhh, throw away the key  
  
 (Every year about this time  
 There's someone like me  
 Every year about this time) About this time, uhh  
 (They lock us up, and throw away the key)  
  
 Every year about this time-uhh, oh what a pity 'ater  
 Spooky dark cloud lingers, over the city uhh  
 Life and death does it, coincide  
 Will that, scared man live to tell how, that brave man died  
 A j-a-just the other day, coulda sworn I heard a brother say  
 White folks kill they parents, but black folks kill each other  
 You make the bed you lay in, if this is what you choose  
 But if you choose to cross the game, then I'd have to break the news uhh  
 Sky-ballin and doin dirt, not haulin dirt  
 I'm used to fast cash and big bucks, fuck construction work  
 And how can I make some sort of dividends  
 How can I get my mathematics, how can I get in where I fit in  
 How can I, get in get gone  
 Every year about this time it's always, someone like me  
 They uhh, handcuff and shackle, and uhh, throw away the key  
 Every year about this time it's always, someone like me  
 They uhh, handcuff and shackle, and uhh, throw away the key  
  
 (Every year about this time  
 There's someone like me  
 Every year about this time  
 They lock us up, and throw away the key)  
  
 You think I'll ever be able to turn some of this dirty money  
 into some clean money?  
 Get a bidness license maybe someday start a record company?  
 Good intentions but I, never follow through  
 I got good intentions but I, never follow through  
 Systemized, a big nigga for my shoe size, trust me I'll fuck you  
 You ain't from the hood nigga, so you ain't got a clue  
 If I ever strike it rich UHH, I ain't gon never move  
 Cause I'm a pistol packin weed smokin, nigga witta attitude  
 How can I make some sort of dividend how can I  
 get my mathematics on, how can I get in where I, fit in  
 How can I, get in get gone  
 Every year about this time it's always, someone like me  
 They uhh, handcuff and shackle, and uhh, throw away the key  
  
 (Every year about this time  
 There's someone like me  
 Every year about this time  
 They lock us up, and throw away the key