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Pray Lyrics by JAY-Z

American Gangster

2007

[Intro: 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

[Verse 1: Jay-Z]
Look, mind state of a gangster from the '40s
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
Slid into the party with my new pair of Mauri's
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 Kennedy's
Frank Sinatra, having 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 trying 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

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

[Verse 2: 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 laugh?" 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, screaming, "Just move!" ("Don't 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 call corrupt, he calls paying 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

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

[Verse 3: Jay-Z]
Gyeah...
Anywhere there's oppression
The drug profession flourishes like beverages, refreshing
Ahh! Sweet taste of sin
Everything I seen made me everything I am
Bad drug dealer or victim, I beg
What came first? Moving chickens or the egg?
This is why I be so fresh
I'm tryna beat life, 'cause I can't cheat death
Treat shame with shamelessness
Aim stainlesses at anuses
You know the game this is?
Move coke like Pepsi, don't matter what the brand name is
I stand behind mine
Everything 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

[Outro: 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
Credits
JAY-Z

JAY-Z

About “Pray” by JAY-Z

Read the complete lyrics to "Pray" by JAY-Z from the album "American Gangster" in 2007. 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 Soul Rap, New York Rap, USA.

"Pray" is performed by JAY-Z. from the album "American Gangster" in 2007 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 "Pray", explore more songs by JAY-Z 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.

View all songs and biography for JAY-Z · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"Pray" is credited to JAY-Z. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Pray" appears on "American Gangster" in 2007.

Visit the JAY-Z artist page at /artist/jay-z for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.

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