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American Skin (41 Shots) Lyrics by Mary J. Blige

2016

[Verse 1: Mary J. Blige]
41 shots
And we'll take that ride
Across the bloody river
To the other side
41 shots
Cut through the night
You're kneeling over his body in the vestibule
Praying for his life
[Pre-Chorus: Mary J. Blige]
Is it a gun? Is it a knife?
Is it a wallet? This is your life
It ain't no secret
It ain't no secret
No secret, my friend, you can get killed just for living in
Your American skin
[Ad-Libs: Mary J. Blige & Kendrick Lamar]
Yeah
Oh yeah
Yeah
Oh-oh
[Verse 2: Kendrick Lamar]
If I die right before I wake
Cross my heart, then I seal my fate
Life in the dark of the heartless
Looking at the remedy for all this
Everyday they look at you a target
Falling victim, them and
Him and her then this one, insensitivity
Talk bad religion, skin identity
Lack rash decision made by yours
Pack facility with the urban boy
Gun admitted he bear arm
The entity, arm and leg and head made to destroy
80% of the victim was yours
Maybe I get to relive years of war
Look on the corner, we been here before
Look at the momma, you seen tears before?
Pain bright and early
Rain, sleet, hail, snow, worry
More storm barricade the city
Prosecution, unhung jury
These days murder keep 'em busy
Sweet blood flowed on the gurney
Yellow tape tied around the street
Colin Kaepernick was more than worthy
I could reverse the day, reverse the time
Reverse the block, reverse the gun, reverse the shot
Reverse the law, reverse the flaw
That made us all the versions of a danger flock
Reverse the love, reverse the hate
Reverse the hope, reverse the way we playing sin
Reverse the moment, so we can live again
Life and times of the American skin
[Chorus: Kendrick Lamar]
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
41 shots
American skin
[Verse 3: Mary J. Blige]
41 shots
Lena gets her son ready for school
She says, "Now, on these streets, Charles
You got to understand the rules (41 shots)
If an officer stops you (41 shots)
Always be polite (41 shots)
And never ever run away
Promise momma you'll keep your hands in sight"
[Pre-Chorus: Mary J. Blige (Kendrick Lamar)]
Is it a gun? (What is it?) Is it a knife? (What is it?)
Is it a wallet? (What is it?) This is your life
It ain't no secret (It ain't no secret)
Sure ain't no secret (It ain't no secret)
No secret, my friend, you can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
You can get killed just for living in
Your American skin
[Outro: Kendrick Lamar & Mary J. Blige]
41 shots
You can get killed just for living in
41 shots
Your American skin
41 shots
Be careful out there, oh baby
41 shots
Listen to momma [?]
41 shots
Don't wanna take the ride
41 shots
Don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wanna, don't wanna take the ride
41 shots
Don't wanna take the ride
41 shots
[?] shots
Credits
Mary J. Blige

Mary J. Blige

About “American Skin (41 Shots)” by Mary J. Blige

Read the complete lyrics to "American Skin (41 Shots)" by Mary J. Blige in 2016. 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 R&B, Pop, Rap.

"American Skin (41 Shots)" is performed by Mary J. Blige. in 2016 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 "American Skin (41 Shots)", explore more songs by Mary J. Blige 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

"American Skin (41 Shots)" is credited to Mary J. Blige. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

Album information for "American Skin (41 Shots)" is not available in our database yet. You can still read the full lyrics on this page.

Visit the Mary J. Blige artist page at /artist/mary-j-blige for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.