Sideline Story Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I put my heart and soul in this game, I'm feelin' drained
Unappreciated, unalleviated
Tired of comin' up short—fuck abbreviated
Want my whole name spelt out, my own pain spilt out
No pain, no gain, I blow brains—Cobain
Throw flames, Liu Kang, the coach ain't help out, so I call my own shots
I'm David Blaine, I'm breakin' out of my own box, you stay the same
But homie if you change, may you change for the better
Back when Martin King had a thing for Coretta
Wonder if she seen all the dreams he was dreamin'
Did she have a clue of all the schemes he was schemin'
Still loved him just enough to put up with the cheatin'
Months go by and only see him for a weekend
I say a prayer—hope my girl ain't leavin'

We all got angels, we all got demons
As you fall through the club
Bad bitches down to do all the above
Money come fast so bein' hungry don't last
'Til you look in the mirror and you saw who you was

Cole World—it couldn't be more clearer
The time is now—couldn't be more here-er
My reign gonna last like 3-4 eras
Say hello to the real, I can be your hero

[Chorus]
Hey, I'ma put us all on the map
Gone and I ain't lookin' back

I know they gone feel it like they tank on E
I promise baby, you can bet the bank on me
Cause can't nobody tell me what I ain't gon' be no more
You thinking I'ma fall, don't be so sure
I wish somebody made guidelines
On how to get up off the sidelines

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About

Genius Annotation

“Sideline Story” is the 6th track on CW: TSS. In this song, Jermaine lays three verses about how he managed to “get up off the sideline.” From pouring his heart out to signing to the Roc, Cole simply wants to put his city on the map.

On April 11th, 2012, Cole released the visuals for “Sideline Story” scoring 12 millions views on YouTube.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did J. Cole say about "Sideline Story"?
Genius Answer

That skit leads into ‘Sideline Story,’ which to me is one of the best songs on the album. It just sounds classic, just such a mood to it. The raps, each verse to me, it’s different stories but they’re all potent things that I’m talking about.

via Billboard.com

Credits
Produced By
Written By
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Mixing Engineer
Recorded At
Tree Sound Studios (Atlanta, GA)
Release Date
September 27, 2011
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