This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
To come around and lose yourself
To know a different life
To know that time will pass you by
We've learned to change but did we change to learn
Is this our so called imitation
To carry on with no convictions
We have the calling of another life
Another way to live
We are the ones We are the ones to blame
So wake up! Now it's time, this is all we have
This is the sound of revolution
So get up! Get up!
To the tune of the voice inside
This is the calling of a new life
Now that we know familiar scribes
The motion of our lives
We realize our actions
Let's stop and make this happen
Here we are with so much confidence
But in the end will we be falling suddenly
And find our lives are nothing but the opposite
Of something confident
We are the ones
We are the ones to blame
So wake up! Now it's time, this is all we have
This is the sound of revolution
So get up! Get up!
To the tune of the voice inside
This is the calling of a new life
Wake up there's no more time to waste
Today is the day
We are the ones
We are the ones
This is who we are
Now all rise
To who we are inside
To know a different life
To know that time will pass you by
We've learned to change but did we change to learn
Is this our so called imitation
To carry on with no convictions
We have the calling of another life
Another way to live
We are the ones We are the ones to blame
So wake up! Now it's time, this is all we have
This is the sound of revolution
So get up! Get up!
To the tune of the voice inside
This is the calling of a new life
Now that we know familiar scribes
The motion of our lives
We realize our actions
Let's stop and make this happen
Here we are with so much confidence
But in the end will we be falling suddenly
And find our lives are nothing but the opposite
Of something confident
We are the ones
We are the ones to blame
So wake up! Now it's time, this is all we have
This is the sound of revolution
So get up! Get up!
To the tune of the voice inside
This is the calling of a new life
Wake up there's no more time to waste
Today is the day
We are the ones
We are the ones
This is who we are
Now all rise
To who we are inside
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what exactly does he mean by "we learned to change but did we change to learn"?