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.
You can fake it for a while
Bite your tongue and smile
Like every mother does her ugly child
But it starts the leaking out
Like spittle from a cloud
Amassed resentment pelting ounce and pound
You entertaining any doubt
'Cause you had to know that I was fond of you
Fond of Y-O-U
Though I knew you masked your disdain
I can see the change was just too hard for us
Hard for us
You always had to hold the reigns
But where I'm headed, you just don't know the way
So affections fade away
Or do adults just learn to play
The most ridiculous, repulsive games?
All our favorite ruddy sons
And their double-barreled guns
You'd better hurry rabbit, run, run, run
'Cause mincing you is fun
And there's a lot of hungry hatters in this world
Set on taking it over
But brittle, thorny stems
They break before they bend
And neither one of us is one of them
And the tears will never mend
'Cause you had it in for me so long ago
Boy, I still don't know
I don't know why and I don't care
Well, hardly anymore
If you'd only seen yourself hating me
Hating me
When I've been so much more than fair
But then you'd have to lay those feelings bare
One thing I know has still got you scared
Yeah, all that cold ire
And never once aired on a dare
You had to know that I was fond of you
Fond of Y-O-U
So I took your licks at the time
And a change like that is just so hard to do
Hard to do
Don't let it whip-crack your life
And I'll bow out from the fight
Those old pious sisters were right
The worst part is over
Now get back on that horse and ride
Bite your tongue and smile
Like every mother does her ugly child
But it starts the leaking out
Like spittle from a cloud
Amassed resentment pelting ounce and pound
You entertaining any doubt
'Cause you had to know that I was fond of you
Fond of Y-O-U
Though I knew you masked your disdain
I can see the change was just too hard for us
Hard for us
You always had to hold the reigns
But where I'm headed, you just don't know the way
So affections fade away
Or do adults just learn to play
The most ridiculous, repulsive games?
All our favorite ruddy sons
And their double-barreled guns
You'd better hurry rabbit, run, run, run
'Cause mincing you is fun
And there's a lot of hungry hatters in this world
Set on taking it over
But brittle, thorny stems
They break before they bend
And neither one of us is one of them
And the tears will never mend
'Cause you had it in for me so long ago
Boy, I still don't know
I don't know why and I don't care
Well, hardly anymore
If you'd only seen yourself hating me
Hating me
When I've been so much more than fair
But then you'd have to lay those feelings bare
One thing I know has still got you scared
Yeah, all that cold ire
And never once aired on a dare
You had to know that I was fond of you
Fond of Y-O-U
So I took your licks at the time
And a change like that is just so hard to do
Hard to do
Don't let it whip-crack your life
And I'll bow out from the fight
Those old pious sisters were right
The worst part is over
Now get back on that horse and ride
Lyrics submitted by heyheyhey111, edited by AliceInWonder
Turn on Me Lyrics as written by James Russell Mercer
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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"Bite your tongue and smile, Like every mother does an ugly child."
"So affections fade away, or do adults just learn to play The most ridiculous, repulsive games?"
Two magnificent lines, both in the same song!