Pray

[Beyoncé:]
Deliver me from my enemies, O God:
Defend me from all that rise up against me.
Deliver me from the work of iniquity,
And save me from the bloody men

[Jay-Z:]
Look, mind state of a gangster from the forties,
Meets the business mind of Motown's Berry Gordy,
Turned crack rock into a chain of 40/40's.
Sorry, my jewelry's so gaudy,
Slide into the party with my new pair of Mauris,
America, meet the gangster Shawn Corey!
Hey, young world, wanna hear a story?
Close your eyes and you can pretend you're me.
I'm cut from the cloth of the Kennedies,
Frank Sinatra, havin' dinner with the Genovese,
This is the genesis of a nemesis,
Mother America's not witnessed since
The Harlem Renaissance birthed black businesses.
This is the tale of lost innocence,
As the incense burn and the turntables turn,
And that Al Green plays.
I see my mother's afro,
As mama taps her toes, as she rolls her J's,
And my papa just left the house
In search of the killer of my uncle Ray,
And she's tryin' to calm her nerves.
As I observe this is just one day,
And what tomorrow has in store
We can never be sure, so all we can do is pray.

[Beyoncé:]
Because of your strength
While I walked upon thee:
For God is my defense.
Pray for me!

[Jay-Z:]
As I head to my homeroom,
I observe the ruins,
Dope needles on the ground,
I hear a car go vroom!
Drug dealer in the BM with the top down.
As the girls start to giggle,
I ask, “Why you laughin'?”
They say, “You're too little.
One day you'll understand
When you become a man
About things you have to get you.”
Fast forward, freeze frame on my pistol, fistful of dollars,
Ignorance is so blissful.
I didn't choose this life, this life chose me
Around here it's the shit that you just do.
I just left school,
The same BM is pulled over by the boys dressed blue,
They had their guns drawn,
Screamin', “Just move!
Or is there something else you suggest we can do?”
He made his way to the trunk,
Opened it like, “Huh?”
A treasure chest was removed,
Cops said, he'll be back next month.
What we called corrupt, he calls payin' dues,
Now when the rules is blurred
As they is and were,
What am I to do but pray,
Pray the Lord forgive me,
Pray He guides me by for what I'm ‘bout to go through,
Pray.

[Beyoncé:]
Deliver me in thy righteousness,
And cause me to escape:
And climb thine air unto me,
Save me thine Lord.
Pray for me!

[Jay-Z:]
Yeah, anywhere there's oppression,
The drug profession.
Flourishes like beverages,
Refreshin', ahh – sweet taste of sin!
Everythin' I seen, made me everythin' I am.
Bad drug dealer or victim, I beg!
What came first,
Movin' chickens or the egg?
This I why I be so fresh.
I'm tryin' to beat life ‘cause I can't cheat death,
Treat shame with shamelessness,
Aim stainless at anuses.
You know the game this is?
Move coke like Pepsi,
Don't matter what the brand name is,
I stand behind mine.
Everythin' I do, I'm a man behind mine,
I'm not an angel, I'm sure,
But every night before I lay,
I drop my knees to the floor and I pray.

[Beyoncé:]
The name shall endure forever:
The name shall be continued as long as the sun.
Pray for me!
Men shall be blessed in Him:
All nations shall call Him blessed.
In your name I pray.
Pray for me!
Lord bless us.