I Can by Nas (lyrics) Chords

_ _ _ [A#] _ _ [D] _ _ _
[C#] _ _ _ _ [F#m] _ [G#] I know I [A] can be [C#m] what I wanna [F#m] be.
[G#] If I work hard at [F#m] it, _ I'll be where I wanna be.
I [Dm] know [C#] I [B] can be _ [D] what I wanna [B] be.
If I work hard at [G#m] it, [F#m]
I'll be where I wanna be.
Be, be, [G#] boys and girls, listen [A] up.
You can be anything in the [F#m] world.
And God may trust an architect, [G#] doctor, maybe an [D] actress.
But nothing comes easy.
It takes much practice.
Like, I met a [C#] woman who's becoming a [B] star.
She was very [G#] beautiful, leaving people in [F#] awe.
Singing songs, Lena [C#] Horne, but the [F#m] younger version.
Hung with the wrong person, [C#] got her strung on that heroin.
[F#m] Cocaine, sniffing [G#] up drugs, all in her [A] nose.
Could've died so [C#] young, now looks ugly and old.
[F#m] No fun, cause now when [A] she reaches for hugs, people [F#] hold they breath.
Cause she [B] smells of corrosion and [D] death.
Watch the company you [C#] keep, and the crowd you [D] bring.
Cause they came to do [G#] drugs and you came to [G#m] sing.
So if you're gonna be the best, I'ma tell you [F#] how.
Put your hand in the air and [C#] take a [F#m] bow.
I know I [B] can [F#m] be what I wanna be.
If I work hard [B] at it, [F#m] I'll be where I wanna _ be.
I [D] know I [C#m] can [A] be what I wanna [G#m] _ [F#m] be.
If I work hard at [G#m] it, [F#m]
I'll be where I wanna be.
_ Be, [G#] boys and girls, listen [F#m] again.
This is for grown looking girls who's only ten.
The ones who watch [C#] videos and do what they [F#m] see.
As cute as can be, up in the club with fake I.E.
Careful, for you [C#] need a man with HIV.
[B] You can host a [G#] TV like Oprah [F#] Winfrey.
Whatever you [G#] decide, be careful, some [F#m] men be rapists.
So act your age, don't pretend to be older than you [G#] are.
Give yourself [F#m] time to grow.
You thinking he can give you wealth, but so young boys.
You can [C#m] use a lot of help, you know.
[F#m] You thinking life's all about smoking [A] weed and ice.
You don't [Bm] wanna be my agent, [A] can't read and write.
Begging [Bm] different women [G#m] for a place to sleep at [Bm] night.
Smart boys turn to [F] men and do [F#m] whatever they wish.
If you believe you can achieve, then say it like this.
I know I [G#m] can [F#m] be what I wanna be.
If I work hard [G#] at it, [F#m] I'll be where I wanna be.
I [D] know I [C#m] can [B] be what I wanna [G#m] be.
[F#m] If I work hard at [G#m] it, [A]
[F#m] I'll be where I wanna _ be.
Be, [Bm] before we came to this country.
We were kings and queens, never poor turkeys.
There was empires in [G] Africa called Kush.
Timbuktu where every race [F#] came to get [C#m] books.
To [D] learn from black [B] teachers who taught Greeks and Romans.
[G#] Asian Arabs and gave them [F#] gold when gold was [G#m] converted to money.
It all [F#] changed.
Money then became [C#m] empowerment for [F#m] Europeans.
The Persian [G#] military invaded.
They [D] heard about the gold, [C#] the teachings and everything [F#m] sacred.
[G#] Africa was almost robbed [F#m] naked.
Slavery was money, so they began making [C#] slave ships.
[D] Egypt [C#m] was the place that Alexander [A] the Great went.
He was in [G#] shock that the mountains were black [F#] faces.
Shot up [G#m] they nose to [F#m] impose what basically still goes on today.
You see, if the truth is [B] told, the youth can [A] grow.
They learn to [C#] survive until they gain [F#m] control.
Nobody says you [G#] have to be gangsters' [F#m] hoes.
Read more, learn more, change the globe.
[C#m] Ghetto children, do your [A] thing.
Hold your head up, little [G#m] man, you're [F#m] a king.
Young [G#m] princess, when you get your wedding [F#m] ring,
[F#] your man is saying, she's my queen.
I know I [G#] can be [Am] what I want to be.
[A] [F#] If I work hard [A] at it, [F#m] I'll be where I want to be.
I [D] know [C#m] I [A] can be what I want to [G#m] _ [F#m] be.
If I work hard at [G#m] it, [A]
[F#m] I'll be where I want to be.
_ _ _ [G#m] _ _
_ [A] _ _ _ [F#m] _ _ [G#m] _ [A] _
[F#m] _ _ _ _ [C#m] _ [Bm] Save the music, [A] y'all.
[G#m] Save the music [F#m] y'all.
[G#] Save [A] the music y [F#]'all.
Save the music y'all.
Save the music.