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Royals Lyrics by Gradient

Born For This

2013

I’ve never been a rich kid; I’m glad I can say that
Parents have debt they have to add up to pay back
But I benefit from never havin’ a Maybach
I remember feelin’ very affluent way back
As a young kid when the money felt bigger
Havin’ 5 dollars kinda felt like five figures
And I thought that I could buy an entire aisle at Best Buy, yeah
But is that the best idea?
I wanted the new toy or game on the shelf
Seeking the fleeting joy that came from the wealth
They mass market products and exploit cheap labor
To make toys we forget about a week later
And we didn’t even like ‘em that much when we bought ‘em
But we had to have it ‘cause our neighbors just got ‘em
Listen to the melody, money it ain’t the enemy
But it just ain’t the remedy, damn it I know I’ll never be
[Chorus: Lorde]
And we’ll never be Royals (Royals)
It don’t run in our blood
That kind of luck’s just ain’t for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler (ruler)
You can call me queen bee
And baby I’ll rule
Let me live that fantasy
Hip-hop has a history of glorifying riches
It evolved in response to impoverished conditions
And as kid hearing the message I didn’t get it
Not something I experienced but Jay-Z said it
“If you grew up with holes in your zapatos
You'd celebrate the minute you was havin’ dough”
So while some rappers focus on material concepts
You can’t rob people of historical context
And I’m next in the line of those who co-opt flows
Hop to shows, rock the clothes but do not know
What’s it’s like lookin’ down the barrel of a firehose
What’s like calling one room your entire home
So who am I to complain, it’s madness
My high school was underfunded but we still had classes
They taught me facts so I learned to stay true and
And be a humble man too, like my friend Andrew
Right Drew? You gotta know what it takes to succeed
We don’t have to be royals, we have what we need
[Chorus]
Credits
Gradient

Gradient

About “Royals” by Gradient

Read the complete lyrics to "Royals" by Gradient from the album "Born For This" in 2013. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rap.

"Royals" is performed by Gradient. from the album "Born For This" in 2013 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Royals", explore more songs by Gradient using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Royals" is credited to Gradient. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Royals" appears on "Born For This" in 2013.

Visit the Gradient artist page at /artist/gradient for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.