Pain (Alternate Version)

Overview

Pain (Alternate Version) is an unreleased recording that contains noticeably different vocal takes to the officially released version of Pain. Although the instrumental remains largely unchanged, numerous lyrics differ throughout the song, making it a unique performance rather than a simple remix.

Among the best known differences is the line "Don't get too close or else you might get shot", which does not appear on the commercially released version. Several other verses also feature alternate wording and ad-libs, suggesting the recording captures an earlier stage in the song's development before the final master was selected for release.

The recording circulated privately among collectors for many years before becoming widely available online. Despite never receiving an official release, it has become one of the most sought after alternate versions from Tupac and Stretch's collaborative period and provides a fascinating insight into the creative process behind one of their best known recordings.

The commercially released version of Pain is documented separately within this archive.

Samples

Samples Used

The alternate version uses the same underlying production as the officially released recording.

Lyrics