Lyrics

How many roads must a man walk down

Before you call him a man?

Yes, ’n’ how many seas must a white dove sail

Before she sleeps in the sand?

Yes, ’n’ how many times must the cannonballs fly

Before they’re forever banned?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

How many years can a mountain exist

Before it’s washed to the sea?

Yes, ’n’ how many years can some people exist

Before they’re allowed to be free?

Yes, ’n’ how many times can a man turn his head

Pretending he just doesn’t see?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

How many times must a man look up

Before he can see the sky?

Yes, ’n’ how many ears must one man have

Before he can hear people cry?

Yes, ’n’ how many deaths will it take till he knows

That too many people have died?

The answer, my friend, is blowin’ in the wind

The answer is blowin’ in the wind

Standing in line, marking time

Waiting for the welfare dime

'Cause they can't buy a job

A man in a silk suit hurries by

As he catches the poor old ladies' eyes

Just for fun he says, "Get a job"

That's just the way it is

Some things'll never change

That's just the way it is

Ah, but don't you believe them

Said, "Hey little boy, you can't go where the others go

'Cause you don't look like they do"

I said, "Hey, old man, how can you stand to think that way?

Did you really think about it before you made the rules?"

He said, "Son

Well, that's just the way it is

Some things'll never change

That's just the way it is"

Ah, but don't you believe them

(That's just the way it is)

(That's just the way it is)

Well, they passed a law in '64

To give those who ain't got a little more

But it only goes so far

'Cause the law don't change another's mind

When all it sees at the hiring time

Is the line on the color bar, no, no

That's just the way it is

Some things'll never change

But that's just the way it is

That's just the way it is, it is, it is, it is

Come on, come on

I see no changes, wake up in the morning and I ask myself:

"Is life worth living, should I blast myself?"

I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black

My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch

Cops give a damn about a negro

Pull the trigger, kill a nigga, he's a hero

Give the crack to the kids, who the hell cares

One less hungry mouth on the welfare

First ship 'em dope and let 'em deal the brothers

Give 'em guns, step back, watch 'em kill each other

"It's time to fight back," that's what Huey said

Two shots in the dark, now Huey's dead

I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere

Unless we share with each other

We gotta start makin' changes

Learn to see me as a brother instead of two distant strangers

And that's how it's supposed to be

How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?

I'd love to go back to when we played as kids

But things changed, and that's the way it is

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah

I see no changes, all I see is racist faces

Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races

We under I wonder what it takes to make this

One better place, let's erase the wasted

Take the evil out the people, they'll be acting right

'Cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight

And only time we chill is when we kill each other

It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other

And although it seems heaven sent

We ain't ready, to see a black President, uh

It ain't a secret, don't conceal the fact

The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks

But some things will never change

Try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game

Now tell me what's a mother to do

Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you

You gotta operate the easy way

(I made a G today) But you made it in a sleazy way

Sellin' crack to the kid (I gotta get paid)

Well hey, well that's the way it is

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah 

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah

We gotta make a change

It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes

Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live

And let's change the way we treat each other

You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do

What we gotta do, to survive

And still I see no changes, can't a brother get a little peace?

It's war on the streets and the war in the Middle East

Instead of war on poverty, they got a war on drugs

So the police can bother me

And I ain't never did a crime, I ain't have to do

But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you

Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up

Crack you up and pimp smack you up

You gotta learn to hold ya own

They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone

But tell the cops they can't touch this

I don't trust this, when they try to rush, I bust this

That's the sound of my tool, you say it ain't cool

My mama didn't raise no fool

And, as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped

And I never get to lay back

'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs

Some buck that I roughed up way back

Comin' back after all these years

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat that's the way it is, uh

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah

That's just the way it is

Things will never be the same

That's just the way it is

Aww yeah

Some things will never change

What is this land America so many travel there

I’m going now while I’m still young my darling meet me there

Wish me luck my lovely I’ll send for you when I can

And we’ll make our home in the American land

Over there all the woman wear silk and satin to their knees

And children dear, the sweets, I hear, are growing on the trees

Gold comes rushing out the rivers straight into your hands

When you make your home in the American Land

There’s diamonds in the sidewalk the’s gutters lined in song

Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long

There’s treasure for the taking, for any hard working man

Who will make his home in the American Land

I docked at Ellis Island in a city of light and spires

She met me in the valley of red-hot steel and fire

We made the steel that built the cities with our sweat and two hands

And we made our home in the American Land

There’s diamonds in the sidewalk the’s gutters lined in song

Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long

There’s treasure for the taking, for any hard working man

Who will make his home in the American Land

The McNicholas, the Posalski’s, the Smiths, Zerillis, too

The Blacks, the Irish, Italians, the Germans and the Jews

Come across the water a thousand miles from home

With nothin' in their bellies but the fire down below

They died building the railroads worked to bones and skin

They died in the fields and factories names scattered in the wind

They died to get here a hundred years ago they’re still dyin' now

The hands that built the country were always trying to keep down

There’s diamonds in the sidewalk the gutters lined in song

Dear I hear that beer flows through the faucets all night long

There’s treasure for the taking, for any hard working man

Who will make his home in the American Land

Who will make his home in the American Land

Who will make his home in the American Land

Everything black, I don't want black (they want us to bow)

I want everything black, I ain't need black (down to our knees)

Some white, some black, I ain't mean black (and pray to the God)

I want everything black (we don't believe)

Want all things black, I don't need black

Want everything black, don't need black

Our eyes ain't black, I own black

Own everything black

Six in the morn'

Fire in the street

Burn, baby, burn

That's all I wanna see

And sometimes I get off watchin' you die in vain

It's such a shame they may call me crazy

They may say I suffer from schizophrenia or somethin', but homie, you made me

Black don't crack, my nigga

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015

Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean

Been feeling this way since I was sixteen, came to my senses

You never liked us anyway, fuck your friendship, I meant it

I'm African-American, I'm African

I'm black as the moon, heritage of a small village

Pardon my residence

Came from the bottom of mankind

My hair is nappy, my dick is big, my nose is round and wide

You hate me don't you?

You hate my people, your plan is to terminate my culture

You're fuckin' evil I want you to recognize that I'm a proud monkey

You vandalize my perception but can't take style from me

And this is more than confession

I mean I might press the button just so you know my discretion

I'm caught in my feelings, I know that you feel it

You sabotage my community, makin' a killin'

You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot

I said dem treat we like a slave, cah we black

Woi, we feel wul heap ah pain, cah we black

And man ah say dem put we inna chain, cah we black

And watch 'ya now, big gold chain full of rocks

How you nuh see di whip, left scar 'pon we back

But now we have a big whip parked 'pon di block

How dem ah seh we doomed from the start, cah we black?

Remember this, every race start from the block, jus 'member dat

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015

Once I finish this, witnesses will convey just what I mean

I mean, it's evident that I'm irrelevant to society

That's what you're telling me, penitentiary would only hire me

Curse me 'til I'm dead

Church me with your fake prophesize that I'ma be just another slave in my head

Institutionalized manipulation and lies

Reciprocation of freedom only live in your eyes

You hate me don't you?

I know you hate me just as much as you hate yourself

Jealous of my wisdom and cards I dealt

Watchin' me as I pull up, fill up my tank, then peel out

Muscle cars like pull ups, show you what these big wheels 'bout, ah

Black and successful, this black man meant to be special

Katzkins on my radar, bitch, how can I help you?

How can I tell you I'm making a killin'?

You made me a killer, emancipation of a real nigga

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice

The blacker the berry, the bigger I shoot

I said dem treat we like a slave, cah we black

Woii, we feel wul heap ah pain, cah we black

I man ah say dem put we inna chain, cah we black

And watch 'ya now, big gold chain full of rocks

And you nuh see di whip, left scar 'pon we back

But now we have a big whip parked 'pon di block

How dem ah seh we doomed from the start, cah we black?

Remember this, every race start from the block, jus 'member dat

I'm the biggest hypocrite of 2015

When I finish this if you listenin' then sure you will agree

This plot is bigger than me, it's generational hatred

It's genocism, it's grimy, little justification

I'm African-American, I'm African

I'm black as the heart of a fuckin' Aryan

I'm black as the name of Tyrone and Darius

Excuse my French but fuck you, no, fuck y'all

That's as blunt as it gets, I know you hate me, don't you?

You hate my people, I can tell 'cause it's threats when I see you

I can tell 'cause your ways deceitful

Know I can tell because you're in love with that Desert Eagle

Thinkin' maliciously, he get a chain then you gone bleed him

It's funny how Zulu and Xhosa might go to war

Two tribal armies that want to build and destroy

Remind me of these Compton Crip gangs that live next door

Beefin' with Pirus, only death settle the score

So don't matter how much I say I like to preach with the Panthers

Or tell Georgia State, "Marcus Garvey got all the answers"

Or try to celebrate February like it's my B-Day

Or eat watermelon, chicken, and Kool-Aid on weekdays

Or jump high enough to get Michael Jordan endorsements

Or watch BET 'cause urban support is important

So why did I weep when Trayvon Martin was in the street

When gang banging make me kill a nigga blacker than me?

Hypocrite!

Hands up, officer don't shoot

Then pull your pants up, promise you won't loot

We may never understand each other, it's no use

We ain't ever gonna grasp what each other goes through

Black boy, black boy, we ain't gonna lie to you

Black boy, black boy, we don't like the sight of you

Pull up on the side of you

Window rolled down, 'profile'

Then we wonder why we see this side of you

Probably comin' from the dope house

We could let you slide but your tail light is blew, out

We know you're hidin' that Heidi Klum

On you another drug charge, homie, it's back inside for you

And just in case a chase might ensue, we got that tried and true

Pistol drew right at you, we'd be delighted to unload it

In your back, then walk up and lay that taser on the side of you

Fucked up, but what the fuck am I to do?

I keep tellin' myself, keep doin' like you're doin'

No matter how many lives you ruin

It's for the red, white and blue

Time to go find a new one and split his head right in two

No one's ever indicted you

Why? 'Cause you're a...

White boy, white boy, you're a rockstar

My momma talkin' to me, tryna tell me how to live

White boy, white boy, in your cop car

But I don't listen to her, 'cause my head is like a sieve

White boy, white boy, you're untouchable

The world's coming to an end, I don't even care

Nobody can tell me shit 'cause I'm a big rockstar

Black boy, black boy, we don't get your culture and

We don't care what our government's done to fuck you over, man

Don't tell us your attitude's a result of that

Balderdash, where'd you get the chip on your shoulder at?

Why you kicking that soda can?

Pull your pants up, we 'bout to roll up and

Throw your ass in the van cuffed

You don't have to know our plans or what our intentions are

Our cards are close to our chest, you better show your hands

And put our minds more at ease

Or get shot in the thyroid, comply or die, boy

We're fightin' a crime war, here come the swine

Tryna clean up the streets from all these minorities

That's what we call 'em pigsties for

They're like eyesores to police

Talk to you like just a piece of trash

Feels like we're stuck in a time warp to me

As I kick these facts and get these mixed reactions

As this beat backspins, it's like we're drifting back in

To the sixties, having black skin is risky

'Cause this keeps happening

Throughout history, African-Americans have been treated like shit

And I admit, there have been times where it's been embarrassin' to be a...

White boy, white boy, you're a rockstar

My momma talkin' to me, tryna tell me how to live

White boy, white boy, in your cop car

But I don't listen to her, 'cause my head is like a sieve

White boy, white boy, you're untouchable

The world's coming to an end, I don't even care

Nobody can tell me shit 'cause I'm a big rockstar

Seems like the average lifespan of a white man

Is more than twice than a black life span

I wonder sometimes if it has a price scanner

I feel like checking out on life, can't escape this circumstance

I'd rather hear 'em say "Die N-word" than Die Antwoord

Ninja, now it's better disguised banter

But that's life, strapped 'cause we're strapped financially

And can't find answers

We're applying, but McDonald's

Seems to be the only franchise that'll hire

So how can we have higher standards?

As Dallas overshadows the battle for Black Lives Matter

We fight back with violence but acts like that are

Black eyes on the movement

Which makes black lives madder

At cops and cops madder

That's why it's at a stalemate

And can't arrive at a compromise so it's Black Ops

I wonder if we hire more black cops, the crap stops

The block is our backyards, officers, not the crack spot

Call the attack dogs off of us, man

You always act all pissed off at us at a traffic stop

And bad cops fuck it up for the good cops, and man, stop

Sendin' white cops in the black neighborhoods

Who ain't acclimated to 'em, like that's the way to do it

Who seen some fuckin' videos of rappers waving guns

And know nobody black so they act afraid of us

And that's racism, the fear that a black face gives 'em

A subconscious racist

Wait, why are there black neighborhoods?

'Cause America segregated us, designated us to an area

Separated us, Section-Eight'd us

When we tear it up's the only time attention's paid to us

And education sucks, and every day's another

Freddie Gray for us, a levy breaks or fuzz

Why is it they treat us like dryer lint?

We just want a safe environment for our kids

But can't escape the sirens

Don't take a scientist to see our violent nature lies in

The poverty that we face so the crime rate's the highest in

The lowest classes, it's like a razor wire fence

And we're trapped in these racial biases

That plague our society which makes our anxiety levels raise

Every time we see a devil's face

Lions, tigers, and bears, oh my

It's more like billy clubs and gats

And we really love it when you think we're guilty ‘cause we're black

"But you kill each other, facts

You peel each other's caps, for silly stuff like hats”

Single mother strugglin' through substance abuse

While people with nothin' to lose shoot each other for shoes

Fuck your Republican views

Pull ourselves up by our bootstraps, where the fuck are the boots?

And streets act as a narrator, don't gotta read comics

Or be that into characters, just to see that, just to be black

You better be strapped with a derringer

Or be “capped in America” like Steve Rogers

'Cause no one oversees these cops and

All we see is 'em beat charges

We done seen 'em beat Rodney King unconscious, and got off

So we don't need all you crooked police officers' peace offerings

Just keep marchin', 'til we reach congress

But they're gonna say you're tryin' to take an irrational stance

If you try to slander the flag but

Somebody has to be the sacrificial lamb

So they call it a Kaepernick tantrum

If you don't stand for the national anthem

We raise it, you better praise it

Or you'll be made to feel like a traitor, we'll

Treat you like Rodney Dangerfield

Home of the brave is still racist 'ville

So this whole nation feels like a plantation field

In a country that claims that its foundation was based on United States ideals

That had its Natives killed

Got you singin' this star-spangled spiel

To a piece of cloth that represents the "Land of the Free" that made people slaves to build