Bunce Road Blues Lyrics
[Intro]
Steady
Will you be around when I'm ready?
I’d rather you go and be happy (Happy)
But I don't wanna leave you alone, no, mm
[Verse 1]
All of y'all n!ggas is p*ssy, you shoot at the opps and run from the cops
And I don’t get it
I ain't suggesting you fire your weapon at 12, but hell
Why in the f*ck do we feel that n!ggas that's lookin' like us who deserve to be killed?
Meanwhile Capitol Hill been makin' it easy for them to go stuff us in cells
I ain't no preacher for real, I just like to cut on the mic' and start lettin' it spill
And I’ve been leavin’ a trail, you play all my albums and find you a letter revealed
This a suicidе note, come herе, look what I wrote, I'm ’bout to kill myself
F*ck J. Cole, I don't even want this role, wanna rebuild myself
Tuck my pole under the driver's seat, n!gga, don't try to reach
I’ll bust a hole right in your frontal lobe, that's a lobotomy
Two months ago, I was on Bunce Road, n!gga done spotted me
Said, "What's up, Cole? N!gga, I love you, bo"
He said he proud of me, that touched my soul
Wasn't too long ago that I was over here at Seventy-First Middle
Had my very first little girlfriend, that'll let me get a feel or two
Back then it was considerable, enough to void the ridicule
But come another year or two
"Boy, you better be f*ckin' on somethin'," my mama ain't never even give me no rubbers
Papa was gone, how to put Trojan on was somethin' I had to discover
All on my own, y'all know the song
I probably been singin' this shit for too long
Pardon me if I've been soundin' like some broken record
I come from the brokest of homes, shit
I come from the brokest of homes
[Refrain]
Will you be around when I'm ready?
I'd rather you go and be happy (Happy)
But I don't wanna leave you alone, no
[Verse 2]
It's 7 o'clock on the dot
I'm in my drop-top cruisin' the streets that I grew up in
I didn't think the same back then
Sayin', "Oh, how we changed", my n!gga, that's when
The pistols go pop, bodies drop
They got the block blocked, it's the police, we ain't see nothin'
I just roll up my weed and get to puffin'
And lay back in my seat, oh yes, I'm numb again
[Bridge]
Uh-oh, uh-oh (Will you be around when I'm ready?)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (I'd rather you go and be happy; happy)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (But I don't wanna leave you alone, no)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (Happy)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (Will you be around when I'm ready?)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (I'd rather you go and be happy; happy)
Uh-oh, uh-oh (But I don't wanna leave you alone, no)
Uh-oh (Oh, yeah), uh-oh (Yeah, hey)
[Verse 3]
Finding you lose when you choose to neglect
The roots that we grew to protect us, oh
The sun has been blinding lately, mm
One day you find when your light's out
You always were a bright star to me
Even at times the world didn't say so
One in the morning
If the walls where you once talked, would they fess up?
I'm scared of the tales they'll tell us
Much better if I ignore
Steady
Will you be around when I'm ready?
I'd rather you go and be happy
But I don't wanna leave you alone, no
Yeah, I'm steady
But love might be gone when you're ready
I should move on and be happy
But I don't wanna leave you alone, oh
Love is a mountain climb for you
Throw you a line, I could pull you
Scared I wouldn't grasp for long
But my holding strong for you
How many ways must I profess?
Gunshot to your head, die for me
Hey, how can I let you go?
[Outro]
Have mercy, it's broken
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
Have mercy, it's broken
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
I'm handcuffed, I'm roped in
________________ End _________________
Bunce Road Blues Song Meaning [J. Cole]
“Bunce Road Blues” appears as a standout moment on J. Cole’s seventh studio album, "The Fall-Off", released on February 6, 2026. "The Fall-Off" is a double-disc project that marks a deep reflection on Cole’s life, hip-hop legacy and roots in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and carries the weight of what many see as his final studio album after more than a decade at the top of rap. "The Fall-Off" traces two eras of Cole’s life — his return home at 29 and a matured return at 39 — offering listeners a panoramic view of his growth, conflicts and self-examination. “Bunce Road Blues” sits on the first disc, blending raw storytelling with soulful production by The Alchemist and emotive vocal contributions from Future and Tems.
Song Meaning
From the opening lines, “Bunce Road Blues” immediately situates itself in emotional tension and vulnerability. Cole reflects on the contradictions of street life — the bravado, the violence, and the hollow valor that comes with hustling and survival. He juxtaposes the bravado of “the streets” with introspection about systemic pressures and a longing for something deeper than gang affiliation or bravado. This duality reflects a matured artist wrestling with the dichotomy between survivalism and emotional honesty.
The first verse moves quickly from social critique to personal reflection. Cole recounts moments from his youth marked by deprivation, awkward adolescence, and the formative pressures of growing up without firm guidance. These flashes of memory anchor the song in autobiography rather than abstract commentary, grounding its themes in tangible lived experience. In these moments, the song feels less like a boast and more like an excavation — peeling back layers of pain to understand how they shaped him.
The refrain and subsequent sections pivot toward emotional risk and love. Here, Tems’ voice softens the lyrical landscape with a melancholic reflection on attachment and loss. The interplay between Cole’s weighty bars and Tems’ melodic hook becomes a meditation on vulnerability — how love can both anchor a person and threaten to expose them. It’s a delicate balance: devotion counterweighted with fear of abandonment. This underscores the emotional core of the track, where personal connection becomes a battlefield of hope and fear.
Later in the song, the narrative deepens into a more existential inquiry. Cole considers how neglecting the foundations that once protected him — community, relationships, self-worth — leads to disorientation. The imagery of light gone dim becomes a metaphor for fading certainty, capturing what it feels like when the world feels colder than it used to. In this way, the song isn’t just autobiographical; it taps into a universal human anxiety: the fear of losing what matters most when you need it most.
The outro crystallizes this psychological struggle. Repeated musical motifs and phrasing create a sense of being tied down by internal conflict — a cycle of hope and claustrophobia. This sonic loop mirrors the emotional pattern of seeking connection while wrestling with the fear of loss. The effect is haunting and intimate, leaving listeners in the emotional landscape the track explores: tethered between self-preservation and surrender.
Emotional Core and Themes
At its center, “Bunce Road Blues” is a deeply reflective piece about memory, identity, survival, and emotional vulnerability. It marries street-wise turbulence with poignant introspection, creating a reflective space where the toughness associated with hip-hop coexists with soft, aching human fragility. Lyrically, it’s a meditation on how past struggles shape present fears and desires. Here, emotional honesty replaces posturing, and authenticity becomes the deeper point of resonance. The collaborative presence of Future and Tems — each bringing their own tonal gravity — enriches this blend of grit and emotion, allowing the beat to serve more than just rhythmic support; it becomes a landscape for reflection.
Connection With Listeners
What makes “Bunce Road Blues” connect is its fusion of individual storytelling with collective experience. While Cole’s narrative stems from his personal history and condition, the emotions he probes — insecurity, longing, reflection, fear of change — are universal. For fans who have followed Cole’s career, the song evokes a sense of continuity: themes of overcoming struggle, reconciling success with self-doubt, and facing the emotional consequences of life choices. For new listeners, the genuine emotional weight becomes an entry point into appreciating Cole’s depth as an artist willing to expose his vulnerabilities over hard, yet soulful production.
Conclusion
“Bunce Road Blues” is more than a track on an album; it’s a portrait of a complex emotional state. It captures the tension between past and present, street wisdom and emotional openness, toughness and tenderness. Within the larger arc of "The Fall-Off", the song stands as a moment where legacy and introspection intersect — where J. Cole not only reflects on who he was but also confronts who he has become. It’s a nuanced blend of hip-hop storytelling and soulful meditation that illustrates why Cole remains a compelling voice in rap.
_______________ End ________________
Song Details
Song Name: Bunce Road Blues
Artists: J. Cole, Future & Tems
Album: The Fall-Off (2026)
Lyricist: J. Cole, Future, Tems, USHER & The Alchemist
Producers: The Alchemist
Genre: Rap
Language: English
Label: Dreamville, Cole World, Inc., Interscope Records
Released: February 6, 2026
[Disclaimer: Lyrics are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All rights belong to the original owners.]
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