[Couplet 1 - Coolio] As I walk through the valley of the shadow of d**h I take a look at my life and realize there's nothing left Cause I've been blastin' and laughin' so long That even my momma thinks that my mind is gone But I ain't never crossed a man that didn't deserve it Me be treated like a punk, you know that's unheard of You better watch how you're talkin' and where you're walkin' Or you and your homies might be lined in chalk I really hate to trip, but I gotta, loc' As they croak, I see myself in the pistol smoke Fool, I'm the kinda G that little homies wanna be like On my knees in the night sayin' prayers in the street light [Refrain 1 - LV] Keep spending most our lives Livin' in a gangsta's paradise Been spending most their lives Livin' in a gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives Livin' in a gangsta's paradise We keep spending most our lives Livin' in a gangsta's paradise [Couplet 2 - Coolio] Look at the situation they got me facing I can't live a normal life, I was raised by the street So I gotta be down with the 'hood team Too much television watching got me chasing dreams I'm an educated fool with money on my mind Got my ten in my hand and a gleam in my eye I'm a loc'd out gangsta, set tripping banger And my homies are down so don't arouse my anger Fool, d**h ain't nothing but a heart beat away I'm living life, do or die, what can I say? I'm twenty-three now, will I ever live to see twenty-four? The way things is going I don't know [Refrain 2 - LV] Tell me why are we So blind to see That the ones we hurt Are you and me [Refrain 1 - LV] [Couplet 3 - Coolio] Power and the money, money and the power Minute after minute, hour after hour Everybody's running, but half of them ain't looking It's goin' on in the kitchen, but I don't know what's cookin' They say I gotta learn But nobody's here to teach me If they can't understand it, how can they reach me? I guess they can't I guess they won't I guess they front That's why I know my life is out of luck, fool [Refrain 1] [Refrain 2](x2)