Changes

2Pac, Talent

About Changes

"Changes" is a hip hop song by 2Pac featuring Talent. The song makes references to the war on drugs, the treatment of black people by the police, racism (explicitly the reconciliation between the black and white races in America), the perpetuation of poverty and its accompanying vicious-cycle value system in urban African American culture, and the difficulties of life in the ghetto.


Year:
2007
4:29
182 
#2

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Come on come on
I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
Is life worth living should I blast myself?
I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black
My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
Cops give a damn about a negro
Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares
One less hungry mouth on the welfare
First ship 'em dope and let 'em deal the brothers
Give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
Two shots in the dark now Huey's dead
I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
Unless we share with each other
We gotta start makin' changes
Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers
And that's how it's supposed to be
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
But things changed, and that's the way it is

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

I see no changes all I see is racist faces
Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
We under I wonder what it takes to make this
One better place, let's erase the wasted
Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
'Cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
And only time we chill is when we kill each other
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
And although it seems heaven sent
We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
But some things will never change
Try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Now tell me what's a mother to do
Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
You gotta operate the easy way
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
Sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

We gotta make a change
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
And let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
What we gotta do, to survive.

And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
It's war on the streets and the war in the Middle East
Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
So the police can bother me
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
Crack you up and pimp smack you up
You gotta learn to hold ya own
They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
But tell the cops they can't touch this
I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
My mama didn't raise no fool
And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
And I never get to lay back
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
Some buck that I roughed up way back
Comin' back after all these years
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is uhh

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

That's just the way it is
Things will never be the same
That's just the way it is
Aww yeah

Some things will never change

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2Pac

Tupac Amaru Shakur, also known by his stage names 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper and actor. He is considered by many to have been one of the best rappers of all time. Shakur was born in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City but relocated to California in 1988. more »

27 fans

Written by: Bruce Hornsby, Deon Evans, Tupac Amaru Shakur

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

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind


14 facts about this song

Release Date
"Changes" by 2Pac was officially released posthumously on October 13, 1998.
Music Sampling
The song sampled 1972's "The Way It Is" by Bruce Hornsby and the Range. The piano melody is instantly recognizable in both songs.
Lyrics Content
The lyrics of "Changes" address issues such as racism, police brutality, drug abuse, and poverty, highlighting the societal problems of that era. Some of these issues are still relevant today.
Chart Performance
Despite being a posthumous release, "Changes" was a commercial success. It peaked at No.32 on Billboard’s Hot 100 chart in the United States.
International Success
The song was more successful internationally than in the U.S. It reached number one in Norway and the Netherlands, and it also made the top ten in the UK, Sweden, Ireland, Germany, Belgium, and Australia.
Grammy Nomination
"Changes" was nominated for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 43rd Grammy Awards in 2000.
Music Video
The music video is a montage of 2Pac's life and the social issues he highlights in the song. It includes footage from previous music videos, interviews, and news coverage of his controversial life.
Use in Films and Television
"Changes" has been used in multiple movies and TV shows over the years, including "Notorious", "Step Up", "Freedom Writers", and "The Hate U Give".
Artist's Death
2Pac was fatally shot in a drive-by shooting in September 1996. "Changes", like many songs from 2Pac's discography, was released after his death.
No Music Video Appearance
"Changes" is one of the few 2Pac songs where he does not appear in the music video due to his untimely death.
Critical Acclaim
"Changes" is often cited as one of 2Pac's greatest songs and is celebrated for its socially conscious lyrics.
Posthumous Albums
"Changes" was included in 2Pac's Greatest Hits album (1998) and later appeared on his posthumous album "Pac's Life" (2006).
Unintended Release
"Changes" was originally recorded in 1992 during the sessions for 2Pac's "Strictly 4 My N.I.G.G.A.Z…" album, but it was never intended to be released. It was just a demo that illustrated a potential new direction for his music.
Notable Covers
The song has been covered by several artists from different genres, including J. Cole and Bruce Hornsby. The latter included a live cover of "Changes" on his 2007 box set "Intersections".

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    Changes

    226M
    1.8M     52,069

    Top Hot 100 Songs 1999

    Billboard #32


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