DESCRIPTION:
Intrinsic's rendition of J. Cole's Return of Simba. PFC William Hayes is a semi-fictional character, based upon multiple Marines and their true stories. Thank you to all service members, past and present. No copyright infringement intended. I do not own any part of this song other than the lyrics. All rights reserved.
Lyrics:
I haven't slept in 48 hours. 24 hour patrols, distant explosions and gunfire. Every time I hear one I wonder if any Marines were killed and how many, and if perhaps I knew any of them. I've already lost a few friends, but there's a combat grief counselor we can talk to. Not many Marines do, but I tried it and it's helping, I think.

You sure talk a lot homie but I can truly attest,
Because I've had to wear a Kevlar and that flak on my chest.
My M16 with me and she never left my side.
We live and die by the rifle, don't close your eyes,
Open your ears don't ignore that shit you don't wanna hear
War is hell, fog and smoke people you can't see clear
But imma spit a little story for my boys overseas
A couple bars for my dogs called U.S. Marines
From 1/9 aka the got damn walking dead
Got that name from a bounty that was placed on their head
To 2nd LAR always rolling mechanized
Just to live another day is their grand prize
Sleeping in their boots and MREs for every meal
You'd be crazy too if all you knew was how to kill
Trained to be the best, the superhumans of the land
Invincible until they got their friends blood on their hands
Witnessing little children spray their whole entire team
Listen to your best friend die and cry your name as he screams
It's all part of the struggle and this shit happens every day
You find yourself in trouble cause you got bills to pay?
See how it feels to take a life, how about 3 yesterday
Only nineteen years old, little PFC Hayes
Who just 2 years ago was smoking weed caught in a daze,
And college he didn't go cause he didn't have the grades,
Loved playing call of duty cause it was his favorite
But it's life and death homie, this ain't no game shit.

So he walked up to the recruiter cause he liked his dress blues,
Always saw the commercials but never watched the news
Still a kid, he wasn't even old enough to vote
Still signed that contract because he thought it was a joke
Always heard the military could pay for his school
And to be a U.S. marine? Well hell that was pretty cool
So he bought the graphic T's and then started working out
Cause he thought that this would be his only way out
See Billy had a secret that he never told
He fucking hated his life with every fiber of his soul
Picked on every day at school just because his clothes clashed
Then went home to his mom because there was no dad
The prick up and left after he beat and raped his son
And now that kid is nineteen and he's carrying a gun
Shooting it was fun, yeah he always loved the thrill
The adrenaline rush, eternal power to kill
His mom never wrote him, was brain-dead when popping pills
Working two jobs just trying to make them dollar bills
But now PFC William Hayes is in Afghanistan
And he wasn't supposed to do this shit, it wasn't part of the plan
Never imagined all the horrors he would have to see
The Mass murder, executions, blood, and IEDs
The constant threat of death, he truly hated it there
He just wanted to get out again cause he was more than scared
And I don't need to use big words to get my point across
Someone give this kid a compass, cause that boy was lost
Confused about what to do, Billy saw no escape
No more friends in his platoon and couldn't feel but hate

I'm 19 years old, and I'm a U.S. Marine currently deployed in Kandahar, Afghanistan. I've been here for 5 months now, 2 more to go. I'll miss Thanksgiving and Christmas but I'll be home for New Year's.

So Billy grabbed that gun he trusted his life to,
Pulled the trigger and the 5.56 went right through,
All he could have accomplished and all that he might do
Just another life lost, cause he decided to fight for you.