The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
[Grand Puba]
Uhh..
Now it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we're thinking of
Now they say we playa hatin cause we hate the black on black
And the fact we can't stand when we act like that
Self-hate killin us more than the Po-Po or crack
I tell my peoples with the gats it ain't about all that
We arrived on slave ships, tortured chained and whipped
Four hundred years of bein slaves in the land of the brave
Have we forgotten? Our ancestors forced to pick cotton
Women raped and tortured, murdered if they caught ya
Niggaz swung from trees like a breeze do summer leaves
Swayin back and forth, failed attempts to make it North
Millions of people died just so that we can survive
So this knowledge I provide cause these facts can't be denied
Nowadays it's new ways, sixties it was the smack
Eighties it was the crack, nineties it be the gat
Time to recognize how uncivilized we got
Get wise and unify and not fall victim to the plot
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we're thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
It's time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
[Lord Jamar]
Uh, when will we make our Exodus? When will the guns
bust the other way instead of at the brother next to us?
That's all that they expect from us, police stand by
Don't believe the lie that they're the ones protectin us
Projects, to see how poverty's affectin us
Robberies, we lust objects of high quality
or so we think we slowly sink into the quicksand
With no support, like a bike that doesn't have a kickstand
We stay in court, smoke Newport's, and fail to support
our seeds, with no thoughts for they needs
We fought for the cheese and all it got us was a grave
or a bid as a slave, we live in the land of the brave
where the home isn't free, grown niggaz be
in a zone, tryin to act out the TV
We cracked out and greedy with a lack of respect
It's time to come correct, it's time to come correct
[Grand Puba]
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's my people that I'm thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
[Sadat X]
Sally, been gettin beat for years
Husband come home high off of weed and beers
He frustrated cause his job is low rate
Low money, plus his wife brother act kinda funny
My nosey neighbor always makin it her labor
to cause controversy, I seen them out in Jersey
The teacher say my son show aggression
I tell her it's in our lesson, for him to know himself
To me the greatest wealth is the best of health
When the music stops, I'll play the role like my pops
and his pops and so on I got a legacy to go on
I'll watch out for my babies and I'll kill for em
And if they want to receive the knowledge
then I'll build for em
Now if it's love vs. hate, then what's your fate?
What we showin with the money we blown?
Shit is still chaos, ain't a damn thing sewn
[Grand Puba]
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
Uhh..
Now it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we're thinking of
Now they say we playa hatin cause we hate the black on black
And the fact we can't stand when we act like that
Self-hate killin us more than the Po-Po or crack
I tell my peoples with the gats it ain't about all that
We arrived on slave ships, tortured chained and whipped
Four hundred years of bein slaves in the land of the brave
Have we forgotten? Our ancestors forced to pick cotton
Women raped and tortured, murdered if they caught ya
Niggaz swung from trees like a breeze do summer leaves
Swayin back and forth, failed attempts to make it North
Millions of people died just so that we can survive
So this knowledge I provide cause these facts can't be denied
Nowadays it's new ways, sixties it was the smack
Eighties it was the crack, nineties it be the gat
Time to recognize how uncivilized we got
Get wise and unify and not fall victim to the plot
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we're thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
It's time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
[Lord Jamar]
Uh, when will we make our Exodus? When will the guns
bust the other way instead of at the brother next to us?
That's all that they expect from us, police stand by
Don't believe the lie that they're the ones protectin us
Projects, to see how poverty's affectin us
Robberies, we lust objects of high quality
or so we think we slowly sink into the quicksand
With no support, like a bike that doesn't have a kickstand
We stay in court, smoke Newport's, and fail to support
our seeds, with no thoughts for they needs
We fought for the cheese and all it got us was a grave
or a bid as a slave, we live in the land of the brave
where the home isn't free, grown niggaz be
in a zone, tryin to act out the TV
We cracked out and greedy with a lack of respect
It's time to come correct, it's time to come correct
[Grand Puba]
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's my people that I'm thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
[Sadat X]
Sally, been gettin beat for years
Husband come home high off of weed and beers
He frustrated cause his job is low rate
Low money, plus his wife brother act kinda funny
My nosey neighbor always makin it her labor
to cause controversy, I seen them out in Jersey
The teacher say my son show aggression
I tell her it's in our lesson, for him to know himself
To me the greatest wealth is the best of health
When the music stops, I'll play the role like my pops
and his pops and so on I got a legacy to go on
I'll watch out for my babies and I'll kill for em
And if they want to receive the knowledge
then I'll build for em
Now if it's love vs. hate, then what's your fate?
What we showin with the money we blown?
Shit is still chaos, ain't a damn thing sewn
[Grand Puba]
Cause it's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
It's love, vs. hate
Time for my people to eliminate
that hate, let's love
Because it's our people that we thinking of
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
Love vs. Hate Lyrics as written by Lorenzo Dechalus Derek Murphy
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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