[John Legend - Hook] I believe in the light that shines and will never die Oh I believe the fire burns, we stay alive They will talk about us Like they talked about the kings before us They will talk about us [Common - Verse 1] These are the words of a believer, achiever, leader of the globe Feeding souls of those in need I bleed the blood of the struggle Walking over troubled puddles Hustles in my chest, no hustle no progress Extremities of life and it's process Birth of a son, d**h of another With love I can rest both mothers And told ‘em, who's in control is the one thats above us I walk where money talks and love stutters Body language of a nation going through changes The young become dangerous, pain gets spent into anger Anger gets sent through the chamber It's tough when your own look like strangers We are the sons of gangsters and stone rangers If he could how would Ernie Barnes paint us Look at the picture, hard not to blame us But time forgives and the Chi where the young die often Do they end up in a coffin because we haven't taught them? Is it what we talking we really ain't walking Dudes, hustlers pay, how much did it cost ‘em? Find myself on the same corner that we lost ‘em Real talking, in they ear like a walkman Thoughts spin around the corner to the World When I see them, I see my baby girl Believe [John Legend - Hook] I believe in the light that shines and will never die Oh I believe the fire burns, we stay alive They will talk about us Like they talked about the kings before us They will talk about us [Common - Verse 2] The lord lives among us The young guns hunger become a means to get it By any means necessary, under pressure Children feeling lesser, with the steel up on the dresser k**in' will aggressors, destiny's children Survivors, soldiers, in front of buildings they eyes look older Hard to see blessings in the violent culture Face against weapons, sirens, holsters That aint the way that Langston Hughes wrote us Soul controllers on the shoulders of Moses and Noah We go from being oppressors to Oprah Cultivated to overcome ever since we came overseas Today and the way that you can see we determined Solar keeps burning, shawty's know to keep learning Lesson's in our life, but life stripes that we earning Took raps advice that Christ is returning Like a thief in the night, I write the beacons of light For those of us in dark alleys and parched valleys Street kids spark rallies of the conscience conquerors of a contest That seems beyond us, even through the unseen, I know that God watches From one King's dream he was able to Barack us The prophets, nothing can stop us Believe [John Legend - Hook] I believe in the light that shines and will never die Oh I believe the fire burns, we stay alive They will talk about us Like they talked about the kings before us They will talk about us I know I know I know our dreams won't turn to dust They will talk about us I know I know I know our dreams won't turn to dust They will talk about us I know I know I know our dreams won't turn to dust They will talk about us