Squeeze - Audobon Ballroom lyrics

[Intro: sample] "So in America, black people should never Be accused of being violent, or advocating violence In America, when a black man says 'I have to defend myself' You should call that what it is, self defense And if America has the right to defend herself, from her enemy The black man in America has the right, to defend himself, from his enemies Because if it's alright for - please I don't want to hear this That handclapping's been done long enough" [k**ah Priest] I hold my marker, like Huey P. held his revolver Plottin' vengeance, since them bullet shells, sailed through Martin I'm stressed, puffing cigarettes, going through cartons, I'm vexed Since the Panther leaders went up on charges, upset I'll never meet 'em, but I'm with 'em regardless, my guess They die for freedom, and they die as a martyrs, they blessed But some share needles in the pissy apartments, obsessed By thoughts of treason, what they did to the father Jesse Jackson, in the face, of his best friend's a**a**in But wait, if I meet 'em, I'mma hand him a magnum And whisper, in his ear, "leave none of them standing" It ain't fair, he ain't here, you still appearin' in pageants Imagine gags in the dungeon, thoughts started by gunmen Beating me, but I'm sworn to market secrecy (I feel you son), they will never weaken me For the struggle, til my fate reaches me [stic.man] You either pimpin' the system, or gettin' pimped by the sytem Don't want no slice of the pie, we want control of the kitchen Gotta get this bread up n***a, handle business and boss up Ain't no slacking or slipping, perpetrating or shortcuts The spirit of love, putting in work on the grind Gotta sacrifice that blood, that sweat and our time If you see it, we need it, we want it, we get it, for folks Plotting them planets, they own it, committed like soldiers Til we make it happen, it ain't no mystery God It's guaranteed when we move scientifically, God It's like planting the garden, I'm just a seed of Garvey's In the field, trying to see the fruits of the harvest Same and long range, grown folks do grown things Can't let the game change me, I got to change the game I'm thinking long range, grown folks do grown things Can't let the game change me, I got to change the game [Tragedy Khadafi] One hand wash the other, both wash the face Now real recognize real, homey stay in your place What about the, revolutionaries givin' they lives My souls on ice, it's like I got, blood in my eye The price of freedom is bleeding, I ain't comitting no treason Why they hate my black skin, god, give me a reason My mother said I'm an angel, women say I'm a monster I grew up in the hood environment, lived amongst the thugs And k**as, the gangstas, the streets, they feel us Ain't nothing realer than the feeling, when you loving yourself Just be a man, take a stand, don't be begging for help, help My regulation is building my black nation I'm running out of my patience, you owe us some reparations Guns blowing, blood flowing, I ain't tryin' to be waiting Out of control, sellin' our souls to Satan Fakin' Satans fatin', Larry Davis [M-1] Nowadays wars wage quietly, through secret societies Nobody gon' fight back, we sit back silently Reality hit hard, that could cause riots See they dumbin' us down, medicate us with non-violence Television is Ritalin, they lockin' up the militant in you But the struggle continue, when they can prison you In your dome, your home, your zone, you a zomb' But you're fried and deputized, something is going wrong Is you an agent of the state, but wait Cuz if you really wasn't choosin' your side Somebody choosin' your fate, cuz the system don't fight fair Guerillas don't fight fair, it's warfare everywhere Look, it's right there, in the gated communities They hatin' on you and me; in Bush's economy All he left us was the streets In this dog eat dog world, we gotta fill our stomach's, son We takin' back what they took, knock-knock, we coming [Savoy] Somebody told me that ya'll, n***as is haters I'mma tell ya'll one thing, that ya'll, n***as can't trade us Do about my business, and all about my paper You can try to burn and lock, but the group is gon', phase ya I'm from the gutter, where n***as pitchin' that bu*ter When n***as up in your mother, they get knocked by undercovers, man For all my sisters who on they own with they children Surviving to make a living, hold yea head up, there's a brighter day