In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Get tough now
Come away for the S
The S one W
Brothers and sisters
Come away for the S
The S one W
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
Get back cause he whacks the trackq terminator
Get back cause he whacks the tracks terminator
1989 the number another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missin' why'all
Swingin' while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Chorus:
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It's A start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange
People, people we are the same
No we're not the same
Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go�for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say...
Fight the Power
[Chorus:]
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Ebsen was a hero to most
Buddy Rich was a hero to most
Buddy Hackett was a hero to most
Nutty Buddy was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you
See I'm straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
____________ and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
(Get it) lets get this party started right
Right on, see'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
(Fight the Power)
Come away for the S
The S one W
Brothers and sisters
Come away for the S
The S one W
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
On time cause he busta rhymes a hard rhymer
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
It's the flavor, it's the flavor, it's the flavor
Life saver
Get back cause he whacks the trackq terminator
Get back cause he whacks the tracks terminator
1989 the number another summer (get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart cause I know you got soul
(Brothers and sisters, hey)
Listen if you're missin' why'all
Swingin' while I'm singin'
Givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know
While the Black bands sweatin'
And the rhythm rhymes rollin'
Got to give us what we want
Gotta give us what we need
Our freedom of speech is freedom or death
We got to fight the powers that be
Chorus:
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
As the rhythm designed to bounce
What counts is that the rhymes
Designed to fill your mind
Now that you've realized the prides arrived
We got to pump the stuff to make us tough
from the heart
It's A start, a work of art
To revolutionize make a change nothin's strange
People, people we are the same
No we're not the same
Cause we don't know the game
What we need is awareness, we can't get careless
You say what is this?
My beloved lets get down to business
Mental self defensive fitness
(Yo) bum rush the show
You gotta go�for what you know
Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be
Lemme hear you say...
Fight the Power
[Chorus:]
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
Lemme hear you say
Fight the power (Fight the power)
We've got to fight the powers that be
Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Elvis was a hero to most
Buddy Ebsen was a hero to most
Buddy Rich was a hero to most
Buddy Hackett was a hero to most
Nutty Buddy was a hero to most
But he never meant shit to me you
See I'm straight up racist that sucker was
Simple and plain
____________ and John Wayne
Cause I'm Black and I'm proud
I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped
Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps
Sample a look back you look and find
Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check
Don't worry be happy
Was a number one jam
Damn if I say it you can slap me right here
(Get it) lets get this party started right
Right on, see'mon
What we got to say
Power to the people no delay
To make everybody see
In order to fight the powers that be
(Fight the Power)
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