Stolen Innocence
Kendrick Lamar

Verse 1:

Y'all don't know the pain I hold, shattered dreams and hearts so cold
Growing up in a broken home, mama cried while daddy roamed
Saw the world through a cracked lens, innocence lost, toxic trends
How can you bloom in the dark? No sun to shine, just broken sparks

Pre-Chorus:

Tears of a child hit hard, echoes in an empty yard
Mad at the world, everything, cursed at life for the suffering

Chorus:

Stolen innocence, rage against the fate they gave
Lost our childhood, buried in an early grave
Fighting shadows, in the night, trying to pave my way
Anger in my veins, and it burns like a brand new flame

Verse 2:

Dreams deferred, promises burned, all the life lessons I learned
Mean streets, they took our youth—robbed of joy, corrupted truth
Battled demons face-to-face, nowhere was a safe place
Trauma in the rearview, can't escape no matter what I do

Pre-Chorus:

Tears of a child hit hard, echoes in an empty yard
Mad at the world, everything, cursed at life for the suffering

Chorus:

Stolen innocence, rage against the fate they gave
Lost our childhood, buried in an early grave
Fighting shadows, in the night, trying to pave my way
Anger in my veins, and it burns like a brand new flame

Bridge:

Can't bring back what's gone, only fight on and on
Every scar tells a tale, of a child lost and failed
Grew up fast, couldn't last, haunted by a shattered past
Anger's all that's left to grasp, in this desolate forecast

Chorus:

Stolen innocence, rage against the fate they gave
Lost our childhood, buried in an early grave
Fighting shadows, in the night, trying to pave my way
Anger in my veins, and it burns like a brand new flame

Outro:

Stolen innocence, forever scarred, but I'll stand
Rage fuels the fire, I'm a product of this land
No more tears left to cry, fighting till the day I die
For every child that once was me, raising voices, setting free