Found the girl of my dreams
And I moved out the hood
Had a little baby,
Life was all good
Then I got a call
That something was wrong

Next thing I know I was back to my old ways
Doin' it till they came and took me away
Now everything I worked for is gone (gone)

Oooh,
I wish I woulda turned away
I would still be free today
Sometimes it don't pay to be the hero

Oooh shoulda looked into my baby's eyes
Before I took another man's life
It don't pay to be the hero

(Oooh) There's nothing you can say to bring it back
You lost it just like that
I wish that we could turn around
Ooh, there's nothing you can say to bring it back
You lost it just like that
I wish that we could turn around

Don't know why I worked so hard to let that life go
I was mad, wasn't thinking about my family at home
And how much they depended on me

Now I'm looking at 20 years no parole,
I'm not going to get the chance to see my baby grow
And what's he going to think about his daddy (daddy, ooh)

[CHORUS]

[Bridge]

So many nights I don't sleep (nights I don't sleep)
Cuz I think about the things that I've seen ( things that I've seen)
There almost really
Driving me crazy
Instead a piece of glass separates my family from me (Oooh)

[Chorus]

Oooh,
Wish I woulda turned away (wish I woulda turned away)
I would still be free today
Sometimes it don't pay to be the hero (don't pay, noo)

Oooh shoulda looked into my baby's eyes (looked into my baby's eyes)
Before I took another man's life
It don't pay to be the hero (it don't pay to be the hero)

(Oooh) There's nothing you can say to bring it back
You lost it just like that
I wish that we could turn around (I wish I coulda turned around, yehh)
Ooh, there's nothing you can say to bring it back
You lost it just like that
I wish that we could turn around

[Ending]

Found the girl of my dreams
And I moved out the hood
Had a little baby,
Life was all good
Then I got a call
That something was wrong...