C    F#            C            F#
         Check the bassline out,  uh huh
D     E            D           C
Jigga,  uh huh, uh huh, uh huh, yeah
Let it bump though

[Chorus]
It's the hard knock life, for us
              E               F
It's the hard knock life, for us
D          E           F
Steada treated, we get tricked
            E         Gm
Steada kisses, we get kicked
C
It's the hard knock life

[Verse 1]
From standin' on the corners boppin'
To drivin' some of the hottest cars, New York has ever seen
C
For droppin' some of the hottest verses rap has ever heard
From the dope spot, with the smoke glock
C
Fleein' the murder scene, you know me well
From nightmares of a lonely cell, my only hell
C
But since when y'all niggaz know me to fail? Fuck naw
Where all my niggaz with the rubber grips, bust shots?
C
And if you with me, mom, I rub on your tits, and what not

[Verse 2]
I'm from the school of the hard knocks, we must not
C
Let outsiders violate our blocks, and my plot
Let's stick up the world and split it fifty-fifty, uhu uhu
C
Let's take the dough and stay real jiggy, uhu uhu
And sip the cris' and get pissy pissy
C
Flow infinitely like the memory of my nigga biggie, baby
You know it's hell when I come through
C
The life and times of Shawn Carter
Nigga Volume 2, y'all niggaz get ready

[Chorus]
         D          C
It's the hard knock life, for us
                    E     F
It's the hard knock life, for us
            E         F
Steada treated, we get tricked
D          E          C
Steada kisses, we get kicked
It's the hard knock life!

[Verse 3]
C
I flow for those 'dro'ed out all my niggaz
Locked down in the ten by fo', controllin' the house
C
We live in hard knocks, we don't take over we borrow blocks
Burn 'em down and you can have it back, daddy, I'd rather that
C
I flow for chicks wishin', they ain't have to strip to pay tuition
I see you vision mama, I put my money on the longshots
C
All my ballers that's born to clock
Now I'ma be on top whether I perform or not

[Verse 4]
C
I went from lukewarm to hot, sleepin' on futons and cots
To king size dream machines, the green fives
C
I've seen pies let the thing between my eyes analyze life's ills
Then I put it down type braille
C
I'm tight grill with the phony, rappers y'all might feel we homies
I'm like still, y'all don't know me, shit
C
I'm tight grill when my situation ain't improvin'
I'm tryin' to murder everything movin', feel me

[Chorus]
It's the hard knock life, for us
D             E               F
It's the hard knock life, for us
D           E      B   F
Steada treated, we get tricked
D          E          C
Steada kisses, we get kicked

[Chorus]
It's the hard knock life, for us
D             C               F
It's the hard knock life, for us
C           E          F
Steada treated, we get tricked
D          E          C
Steada kisses, we get kicked
F#
It's the hard knock life

[Verse 5]
             C
I don't know how to sleep, I gotta eat, stay on my toes
Gotta a lot of beef, so logically, I prey on my foes
C
Hustling's still inside of me, and as far as progress
You'd be hard-pressed, to find another rapper hot as me
C
I gave you prophecy on my first joint, and y'all lamed out
Didn't really appreciate it, till the second one came out
C
So I stretched the game out, x'ed your name out
Put jigga on top, drop albums non-stop for ya, nigga

[Chorus]
It's the hard knock life, for us
D             E               F
It's the hard knock life, for us
D           E          F
Steada treated, we get tricked
D          E   C
Steada kisses, we get kicked

[Chorus]
         D          C
It's the hard knock life, for us
              E               C
It's the hard knock life, for us
            E          F
Steada treated, we get tricked
D          E   C      F
Steada kisses, we get kicked

[Outro]
         D          C    D    D    C
It's the hard knock life
         D          C
It's the hard knock life