C.O.T.I. (Captains Of The Imagination) - Hands Up lyrics

[Verse 1: Imagine] Deep into the caves of hate we paved the waste We ate our race and enslaved it in disgrace! We took the confidence out of the timid And enlightened their shame We s**ed the bravery out of the soldier And made of him coward fighting in vain We drank the blood of our brothers out of the fountain of pain Society is swallowed by the shallowness of this system The darkness is just the shadow of the government Reflecting on our vision Only seeds of greed can grow acres of lust Only trees of conviction can carry fruits of trust Seize the day is what we must! Stop thinking only "I" and work on a better "us" Only together we will grow wiser Each one teach one, reunited we shall glow brighter [Chorus] Hey mister policeman Can't you see we got our hands in the air? Hey mister politician Can't you see we got our hands in the air? (bis) [Verse 2: Evita Koné] Please mister officer, how could you put him to d**h? For standing on the corner selling some loose cigarettes? You put him in a chokehold, and you robbed him of breath Mercilessly put an asthmatic brother to rest 'Cause I'm black and I walk alone makes me me a target Packing a pocket full of heat makes a man forget That we human too. And melanin don't change that Ain't it strange how Our judgement gets so skewed and faded? Straight hair, bleached skin: camouflage to the cops They still shooting at us though we got our hands up! Ego tripping, quota filling, overcompensating villains Disguised in uniforms, fulfilling evil intentions Militarised with the design to protect civilians Terrorising communities that we living in Police brutality's an everyday reality- We gotta wake up to real criminality! [Chorus] Hey mister policeman Can't you see we got our hands in the air? Hey mister politician Can't you see we got our hands in the air? (bis) [Verse 3: Dr Koul] In this world where we drink petrol and eat plastic Clothes made of money, and mouths of elastic We swallow tears of pain, burn rain forests Sleep with computer chips planted in brains White-washed, a diet option, the side's plain Quiet eyes pry, watching us die, besides playing - We raise funds for causes That have names of sponsors That ironically mastered the game Military giving aid to those they blown up As we sip kool-aid and the news gets shown Mock those who pray as we praise the norm Enter the Matrix, where the sun explodes And y'all don't even know! Begin to seek for peace within The meek inheriting mean streets, not police! Samaritan beats bringing the heart breeze Of real healing To beings who need love: Start breathing [Chorus] Hey mister policeman Can't you see we got our hands in the air? Hey mister politician Can't you see we got our hands in the air? (bis)