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.
This next song is a bit of a tongue twister
But if I get all the words
Try to play this and sing at the same time
That's what rock and roll is all about
Always the dreamer, but never the dead
You had a rocky road mapped out somewhere in your head
Anyone in your way, was a spike in your side
With one hand in the wallet, you took them for the ride
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you slammed them right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
You should have seen you when you were eighteen
You were the toughest little fucker I've ever seen
And with each downfall you turned ten foot tall
The biggest kick in the balls you've ever been
And Dr Diablo's on his rounds again
Looking for blame and you know
That he'll diagnose pain again
Yeah, pain again
Narrow the sorrow, sick of the slick
Of the doors of discovery you had your pick
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool, it was up and attack
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit them right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Whoa, you're looking so torrid today, life
Has gone wild, no one blocks out the way
You even look good, so they say
A new lease of life flowed through your body today
Not that looks are all to go by, but anyway
The stuff is free and you can now go to town
Building your life up and smashing it down
Building your life up and smashing it down
You couldn't escape from this fact of life
That existing makes you a mess
That every decision or feeling or reason
Causes some sort of mental distress
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Hey, hey
You couldn't escape from this fact of life
That existing makes you a mess
That every decision or feeling or reason
Causes some sort of mental distress
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Building your life up and smashing it down
Building your life up and smashing it down
Yeah, building your life up and smashing it down
But if I get all the words
Try to play this and sing at the same time
That's what rock and roll is all about
Always the dreamer, but never the dead
You had a rocky road mapped out somewhere in your head
Anyone in your way, was a spike in your side
With one hand in the wallet, you took them for the ride
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you slammed them right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
You should have seen you when you were eighteen
You were the toughest little fucker I've ever seen
And with each downfall you turned ten foot tall
The biggest kick in the balls you've ever been
And Dr Diablo's on his rounds again
Looking for blame and you know
That he'll diagnose pain again
Yeah, pain again
Narrow the sorrow, sick of the slick
Of the doors of discovery you had your pick
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool, it was up and attack
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit them right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Whoa, you're looking so torrid today, life
Has gone wild, no one blocks out the way
You even look good, so they say
A new lease of life flowed through your body today
Not that looks are all to go by, but anyway
The stuff is free and you can now go to town
Building your life up and smashing it down
Building your life up and smashing it down
You couldn't escape from this fact of life
That existing makes you a mess
That every decision or feeling or reason
Causes some sort of mental distress
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Keep the cool for the fool
Hey, hey
You couldn't escape from this fact of life
That existing makes you a mess
That every decision or feeling or reason
Causes some sort of mental distress
You could look in their eyes, you perfected a lie
Never gave them the chance to question why
If they hit on you then you hit right back
Never keeping their cool it was up and attack
Building your life up and smashing it down
Building your life up and smashing it down
Yeah, building your life up and smashing it down
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