p u n c h i n ’ . t h e . c l o c k lyrics

[Intro: J. Cole & Damian Lillard]

It ain't nothing I want more

Ain't nothing I want more

I ain't c–

I told you, when I first came here, I said, "I ain't come here to waste my time"

I came here

They gave us a chance to get in, like we asked for

And that's, that's what we here to do

Yeah, nigga, 26

The job still ain't done

Straight up

But I, I said, "You, you know what I'm here for"

[Verse: J. Cole]

Back on top, punchin' the clock, clutchin' sanity

I got more cribs than Habitat for Humanity

Shit profound, we propagating more profanity

Paid off collections from recollections of calamity (Oh shit, look, that nigga gonna shoot)

The shit pop off, I learned to duck under the canopy (Oh shit, run, nigga, run)

'Til it cool off, they murked a nigga right in front of me

Told him to come off his chain for tryna floss

Died over a cross just like the start of Christianity

When I was a boy, the teacher often reprimanded me (Jermaine)

Thought it was toys, it was a Glock this nigga handed me

I busted the trees, was barely strong enough to squeeze

Bullets traveled through leaves, it probably killed somebody randomly

Ran in the crib and played it off amongst the family

Nightmare scenes, the police finally apprehended me

Woke up screamin', seen a demon had his hand on me

Still sport the scar on my arm from where he branded me

Like a Que Dog, my niggas burnin' with the mute off

Loud pack smoke through the cracks, I catch a contact

Triggerin' a paranoid mindset, now I'm back

Teeterin' between enlightened and insanity

Now that I'm rich, I feel nobody understandin' me

All I can do is cut the mic on, holler at you

Can't let the fame scare me off from speaking candidly

All them niggas is so Kane, they started singin' like Danity

Now I'm left here, paid like I planned to be, damn

[Outro: Damian Lillard]

A lot of times, those situations are, um, are handled way before the time comes

In the summer, I think when you truly prepare yourself, and

With training and conditioning, and things like that

When you cheat yourself, you fail in those moments

You know, you crash, and when you really put the time in and

Whether people see it, or whether people know it or not

You know, it always come to light

• Artist:J. Cole