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.
It's been a long, long, long, long,
long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time.
When I was a kid, I used to draw airplanes, with stars and bars shooting down airplanes, adorned with hammers and sickles.
I bought a hundred water guns so I could save the world, saving my lunch money and stealing my father's quarters, dimes, and nickels.
I discovered religion watching Luke Skywalker rescue Princess Leia and destroying the Death Star by letting go and closing his eyes.
And I devoured comic books, Greek colored mythology books taught me right and wrong, and if you believe, you can fly.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
I remember listening to songs about trains and feeling the rush of wonder at the possibility that the world was infinite and accessible all at the same time. And then it was songs about highways and born to be wild and little red corvette and the road went on forever in my mind.
But now it's clogged bumper to bumper with stinking SUVs and two-story pickup trucks that can drive over anything except the two-story pickup truck right in front of it.
Not even the highways look the same, Starbucks and 711s and Walmarts jam the feeder roads. We don't live around this mess, we live under it.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
Since I felt fine.
Now all the songs are about gangsters and guns and the TV speeds by at 100 deaths an hour and everyone wants to pull off the crime of the century.
Steal two hundred gazillion dollars, enough to buy myself an island and build a real honest-to-God train on it for noone but me.
And get away with it. Get away with it. We Americans are freedom-loving people and nothing says freedom like getting away with it.
We went from Billy the Kid to Richard Nixon, Enron, Exxon, O.J. Simpson...
We used to dream about heroes, but now it's just how to beat the system.
So where to we go to dream now? Up on the roof of the projects, straining through the city lights to see if they've built golden arches on the moon yet?
Self-medicated, pacifated, trying our best to stay distracted, living life according to the TV set.
Corporations owning nations, telling us "don't change the station, it's the only safe way to win the human race."
I wonder how the world sees us.
Rich beyond compare, powerful without equal, a spoiled, drunk, 15-year-old waving a gun in their face.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
Since I felt fine.
long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, time.
When I was a kid, I used to draw airplanes, with stars and bars shooting down airplanes, adorned with hammers and sickles.
I bought a hundred water guns so I could save the world, saving my lunch money and stealing my father's quarters, dimes, and nickels.
I discovered religion watching Luke Skywalker rescue Princess Leia and destroying the Death Star by letting go and closing his eyes.
And I devoured comic books, Greek colored mythology books taught me right and wrong, and if you believe, you can fly.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
I remember listening to songs about trains and feeling the rush of wonder at the possibility that the world was infinite and accessible all at the same time. And then it was songs about highways and born to be wild and little red corvette and the road went on forever in my mind.
But now it's clogged bumper to bumper with stinking SUVs and two-story pickup trucks that can drive over anything except the two-story pickup truck right in front of it.
Not even the highways look the same, Starbucks and 711s and Walmarts jam the feeder roads. We don't live around this mess, we live under it.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
Since I felt fine.
Now all the songs are about gangsters and guns and the TV speeds by at 100 deaths an hour and everyone wants to pull off the crime of the century.
Steal two hundred gazillion dollars, enough to buy myself an island and build a real honest-to-God train on it for noone but me.
And get away with it. Get away with it. We Americans are freedom-loving people and nothing says freedom like getting away with it.
We went from Billy the Kid to Richard Nixon, Enron, Exxon, O.J. Simpson...
We used to dream about heroes, but now it's just how to beat the system.
So where to we go to dream now? Up on the roof of the projects, straining through the city lights to see if they've built golden arches on the moon yet?
Self-medicated, pacifated, trying our best to stay distracted, living life according to the TV set.
Corporations owning nations, telling us "don't change the station, it's the only safe way to win the human race."
I wonder how the world sees us.
Rich beyond compare, powerful without equal, a spoiled, drunk, 15-year-old waving a gun in their face.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
It's been a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.
Since I felt fine.
Lyrics submitted by monkluvr007
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I think this artist is extremely insightful in his complaints against the U.S. even though he seems to be pessimistic. I especially like the 3rd verse (We used to dream about heroes, but now it's just how to beat the system. So where to we go to dream now? Up on the roof of the projects, straining through the city lights to see if they've built golden arches on the moon yet? Self-medicated, pacifated, trying our best to stay distracted, living life according to the TV set.) I admire how Forsyth points out the problems of extreme corporation expansion.
I just like this song because it's true
I think it's Exxon [the gasoline company], not X-on in the line "We went from Billy the Kid to Richard Nixon, Enron, X-on, O.J. Simpson..."
just fyi
hey sorry it took me forever to fix that.
i dig the line/lines in this song is/are "i wonder how the world sees us .. rich beyond compare powerful without equal a spoiled drunk 15 year-old waving a gun in their face.