Coulda Been

"**Coulda Been**" is a song by Lupe Fiasco, released on May 12, 2017. It samples Willie Hutch's "Mother's Theme (Mama)". It is the remastered version of his 2007 leaked track, and ruminates over what he "coulda been" if not choosing a music career.

## Lyrics

**Lyrics**
[Intro]

And they say, and they say

And they say, and they say, they say, they say

They say ... y'know a lot of stuff, y'know what I mean?

Don't know what I coulda been

If I wasn't doin' this thing right here

Shit, yo

[Verse 1]

If I wasn't rappin', I'd probably be wrastlin'

Hand-to-hand grapplin' on the corner of Madison

Or real-estatin', tryin' to sell you a mansion

Or rollerbladin', doin' 360 flatspins

Or I'd probably be flippin' a burger

Attemptin' a murder, or paralyzed sippin' on Gerber

I could be workin' at Jewels, chain-snatchin', jerkin' your jewels

Homeless, workin' for food

I might be cleanin' your pool, teachin' your school, preachin' to fools

Leechin', smokin' weed to be cool

At DMVs, holdin' lines up

Or wind up in line-ups, time's up

Full of holes in a hole in a fine tux

Out on parole, out of control, holdin' your dime up

I could be lazy, sittin' on your couch

Or I could be crazy, cussin' pigeons out

[Chorus]

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

[Verse 2]

I could be thankin' the Academy

A friend of the family, your man deliverin' bail

Or I could be the man that delivers your mail

Or I could be takin' the stand, trickin' on L

This could be my third life, on my third strike

On my third wife, or garbage on my first mic

I could've got off easy, that n\*\*\*a deserved life

Or the Orkin man, searchin' for termites

I could be stickin' up convenience stores

Or twistin' up what you fiendin' for

Gettin' buck with the meanest whores that been givin' up

On top of a buildin', leanin' forward, with no wings to soar with

They could've kidnapped my daughters

Been extorted for a couple of Porsches

I might be drunk from the Mo', stumblin' slow

Someone to know, runnin' the show, or shovelin' snow, shit

[Chorus]

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

[Verse 3]

I could be startin', guardin', or plantin' a garden, or security guardin'

Or I could be starvin' and eatin' out your garbage

And found stardom starrin' in sitcoms with Martin

I could've been marchin' with Martin

Handcuffed, North Face over the face with no comment

I might not even be dark-skinned

I might not even be conscious, comatose from a overdose

A R&B singer blowin' the notes

A tailor sewin' a coat, a sailor rowin' a boat

I could've boxed a little, fought for the title

Lost and lost my vitals on the way to the hospital

I could've lost my business

Won the lotto and lost my ticket

I could be the last one to cross the finish, shit

I could be you, I could be him

You could be me, we all got a job to do

[Chorus]

Shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

I could be hustlin' bags, strugglin' bad

If I wasn't up in the lab, shit, I just might be

Cuttin' your grass, walkin' your dog

Pumpin' your gas, or nothin' at all

## References

1. ↑ Braboy, Mark (May 15, 2017). "Lupe Fiasco Releases a 10-Year-Old Remastered Version Of "Coulda Been"". *Vibe*.