Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes?

Yes, I did
So I packed it up and brought it back to the crib
Just a lil' somethin', show you how we live
Everybody want it but it ain't that serious
Mhm, that's that shit
So if you gon' do it, do it just like this

Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes?

You don't see just how wild the crowd is?
You don't see just how fly my style is?
I don't see why I need a stylist
When I shop so much I can speak Italian
I don't know, I just wanted better for my kids
And I ain't sayin' we was from the projects
But every time I wanted layaway or a deposit
My dad'd say, "When you see clothes, close your eyelids"
We was sort of like Will Smith and his son
In the movie, I ain't talkin' 'bout the rich ones
'Cause every summer he'd get some
Brand new hare-brained scheme to get rich from
And I don't know what he did for dough
But he'd send me back to school with a new wardrobe, but ayy

Did you realize
Ayy, ayy, ayy
That you were a champion in their eyes?

I think he did
When he packed it up and brought it back to the crib
Just a lil' somethin', show you how we live
Everything I wanted, man, it seem so serious
Mhm, that's that shit
So if you gon' do it, do it just like this

Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes?

When it feel like living's harder than dyin'
For me, givin' up's way harder than tryin'
Lauryn Hill said her heart was in Zion
I wish her heart still was in rhymin'
'Cause who the kids gon' listen to? Huh?
I guess me if it isn't you
Last week, I paid a visit to the institute
They got the dropout keepin' kids in the school
I guess I'll cleaned up my act like Prince'll do
If not for the pleasure, least for the principle
They got the CD, then got to see me
Drop gems like I dropped out of PE
They used to feel invisible
Now, they know they invincible

Did you realize
Ayy, ayy, ayy
That you were a champion in their eyes?

This is the story of a champion
Runners on their mark and they pop their guns
Stand up, stand up, here he comes
Tell me what it takes to be number one
Tell me what it takes to be number one
This is the story of a champion
Runners on their mark and they pop their guns
Stand up, stand up, here he comes
Tell me what it takes to be number one
Tell me what it takes to be number one

Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes?

Yes, I did
So I packed it up and brought it back to the crib
Just a lil' somethin', show you how we live
Everybody want it but it ain't that serious
Mhm, that's that shit
So if you gon' do it, do it just like this
Like this

Did you realize
That you were a champion in their eyes? Writer/s: Donald Jay Fagen, Walter Carl Becker
Publisher: Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind