Vẫn Là Tao / Still Me

STILL ME / VẪN LÀ TAO [Intro — Old Tape Texture] Before the money... Before anybody knew the name... Before the penthouse and the people and all that noise... There was just me. Funny thing? He's still here. [Verse 1] Same kid same impossible dream Just a better view on a bigger screen Ngày xưa mì gói ngồi thức tới ba Bây giờ đồ ăn ngon mà nhiều đêm vẫn thức tới ba Same heartbeat Different room Same questions under a different moon People say: “You changed.” Yeah. Some things had to. But the part of me that kept going? Nah. He's still here. [Pre-Chorus] I lost some people Found myself Made some money Lost some sleep Learned some lessons Paid too much But somehow... I kept me. [Chorus] Vẫn là tao Still me Before the money after the dream Vẫn là tao Still here Same crazy heart just seeing more clear Take the labels Take the name Take the diamonds take the fame When everything comes and goes— Vẫn là tao. Still me. [Verse 2] I remember every room where nobody believed Every closed door every: “Maybe you should leave.” Every night I almost listened Every morning I came back Funny how the road that nearly broke you becomes the road you wouldn't give back Anh từng hỏi: “Ai thật?” Now I know. Not everybody needs to stay. Some people were a chapter not the whole damn story and that's okay. [Verse 3] To the woman who loved the price tag— hope you found what you were looking for. To the one who loved the name— I don't need that name anymore. To the one who came back too late— no anger. I mean it. And to the few who pulled up a chair when there was nothing on the table— This one's for you. [Beat Drops — Rap] Money comes! Money goes! Friends arrive! True ones show! Love can stay! Love can leave! Lose the world— DON'T LOSE ME. Từng té xuống từng đứng lên Từng trắng tay rồi làm lại thêm Không thiên thần không đại ca Just one stubborn motherfucker who came this far. Yeah. [Chorus] Vẫn là tao Still me Before the money after the dream Vẫn là tao Still here Same crazy heart just seeing more clear Take the labels Take the name Take the penthouse take the fame When everything comes and goes— Vẫn là tao. Still me. [Bridge — Strip Everything] No 808. No drums. No lights. Just piano. ... If tomorrow I wake up and it's all gone— Okay. I've been there before. I know that guy. He knows how to start again. [Pause] And if tomorrow everything becomes bigger than I ever imagined... Okay. I know that guy too. He doesn't need to become somebody else just because the room got bigger. [Final Build] So here's to the broke nights. Here's to the wins. Here's to the people who stayed. Here's to the ones who didn't. Here's to every mistake that cost too much. Every dream that sounded ridiculous. Every version of me I had to lose to finally understand— I was never trying to become somebody. I was becoming... me. [FINAL CHORUS] VẪN LÀ TAO! STILL ME! No matter where this road takes me From nothing to everything and maybe back again I know exactly who I am Vẫn là tao! Still free! No price tag can put a number on me No name can tell me what I'm worth No crowd decides who I should be When the lights go out when the money's gone when everybody goes home— Vẫn là tao. STILL. FUCKING. ME. [Music Stops] [Outro — Spoken, Almost Laughing] So... what did all that money buy me? ... A better microphone. Haha. Worth it. [Final Piano Note]