Shuffering And Shmiling

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)

[stic.man]

(to the ancestors)

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot (to the warriors)

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot (to those who came before us)

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot (long lived the revolution)

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot

[stic.man]

religion is like prison

keep the people locked up in different divisions

some of them promise you heaven

but I see a whole lot of bullshit ism-scism

imperialism in the form of spirituality

slave mentality, escape reality

what we supposed to just suffer and smile and be content?

sendin our prayers to the clouds? (stic.man - uhn uh)

i want my heaven now, freedom on earth

and if the preacher ain't with us, then we takin his church

what is it worth to have the biggest religion

when the people got miserable living conditions?

no water, no lights, no rights

all over africa we fight, but we have to unite

cause ain't no power in the gospel

when the priest puttin powder in his nostril

and the elder's council fails to lead

and the children suffer from daily need

and the people can barely eat

is it a sin to stand up

to fight against the ones that put is in handcuffs?

goddamn, what happened to the daily bread, spread love

and not what the bible said, but in the name of the bible

how much love is spread compared to how much blood is shed

chorus:

[Bilal]

everyday my people get inside the bus

(women - shuffering and shmiling)

everyday its the circle

(women - shuffering and shmiling)

everyday my people get inside the bus

(women - shuffering and shmiling)

everyday its the circle

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)

(women - shuffering and shmiling) x4

everyday its the same thing

[Talib Kweli]

yo

every day I wake up is a miracle, thank you

seperate religious and the spiritual, thank you

see, I dont be askin in the air, every action is a prayer

the bear won't attack me, I be, attackin the bear, see

back in the day I used to work in a bookstore

my job was to find whatever book you look for

i remember one day this lady came for a bible

we was out, so I started showin here other titles

tryna share information about a religion

everything that I showed her was written by christians, still

she got the hell up outta the place

wonderin something about me shakin her faith

now, knowledge is power, we spread information

how strong is your faith? what it take to be shaken?

yo, I think she missed what jesus was sayin

can't keep your eyes closed to a revelation

you could be speakin in tongues

could be speakin of sons and daughters

my reflection of course, within the water is

beautiful, attractive, my musical contraption

classified as unusual practice but

thats what it take to be a man

free the land, crash down on babylon like the sea to the sand

peace to the fam, we want you all to stay strong and live long

like a de la song, c'mon

[stic.man & Talib Kweli]

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot

can't keep quiet

this time gon' be more than a riot

[m1]

this way of life, ain't right

pray all day and night and don't fight

poped up, doped up

work three jobs to fill the gold cup

no water, no food, no lights, no rights

no power til the people unite

it's gone - divison and they work us in prison

look round, how my niggas is livin

everything we make, they takin it to the bank

while we sittin up in the church to give thanks

don't you know the preacher got bank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)

don't you know the deacon smoke dank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)

did you ever think the bible was a prank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)

somebody bout to faint

before they came

they had the bible, we had the land

now, we got the bible, they got the land

and what do you believe in, heaven or hell?

life is what you make it, so thats why I rebel

uncle sam, got blood on his hands

good god, how the devil can dance

nobody wanna help a nigga

put your hands together, do it yourself my nigga

don't sit there

you won't have nobody rushin to die

so do something don't just suffer and smile

[chorus]

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)

[m1] (repeats until end)

africa, africa, africa

aids is killin

africans, africans, africans