The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
[Chorus:] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R
We - are - much more, Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer.
[Verse 1:]
We trust no black leaders, Use the stove to heat us,
Powder eggs and government cheeses,
The calendar was Martin, JFK, & Jesus,
Gotta be fresh Go to school with fly sneakers.
Schools with outdated books, We are the forgotten,
Summers coolin' off by the fire hydrant. Yeah I'm from the ghetto,
Where old black women talk about they sugar level, It's not unusual,
To see photos of dead homies' funerals,
Aluminum foil on t.v. antennas
Little TV sit on top the big TV eatin TV dinners,
Girls die they hair with kool-aid,
They gave us lemons we made lemonade,
But this nigga's paid, Ancestry of slaves,
Descendant of Kings It's necessary I, Bling,
Puts rings on every thing Where Timbs on every scene.
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer
[Verse 2:]
Do I mean it like a slave master? NIGGER!
No! I'm gangsta Gotta eat rappers!
My abbreviation Was young when I caught the cases,
That should mean the court could see my changes Take off the bracelets,
Savage when broke, Smoke sour diesel Need no Bo-flex
My chest still cut-up like a bag of dope, Thought patterns consist of boss
matters, Spit Moses' "Lost Commandments"
Like a gross sandwich out my mouth.
Toast to government cameras Peepin us every week I must have my cars
homes & phones Squeaked for bugs, But this is what I was dreamin of,
Between cutting hard coke with new razors Slicing my fingers up,
They use to string us up, We wanted everything,
But the one bringing us cake be the snakes Like the...
Like the New Jack City wedding scene No time for mistakes trying to get it
like [? ]
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master, What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
[Verse 3:]
My nig... Whattup my nig ? People afraid of criticism
But I always put myself in a sacrificial position!
They been know I ain't just rappin for fame, I got my old homie [? ]
the father asking for change! Yep!
I'd give this cash up This paper don't matter They seen me from skinny to
fatter When I rap about war, They got the tendency to scatter,
They ain't my backup no more, So now my enemies are at my front door,
Cause any time we mention Our condition, our history or existence,
They calling it reverse racism, Still till today the street's torn,
My brother Jungle always have a seat for 'em Not behind me -
beside me You'll always know where to find me,
They say the close ones will hurt you, So let's keep a small circle,
On the road to riches,
and diamond rings In the land of the blind
The man with one eye is the king.
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer
We - are - much more, Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer.
[Verse 1:]
We trust no black leaders, Use the stove to heat us,
Powder eggs and government cheeses,
The calendar was Martin, JFK, & Jesus,
Gotta be fresh Go to school with fly sneakers.
Schools with outdated books, We are the forgotten,
Summers coolin' off by the fire hydrant. Yeah I'm from the ghetto,
Where old black women talk about they sugar level, It's not unusual,
To see photos of dead homies' funerals,
Aluminum foil on t.v. antennas
Little TV sit on top the big TV eatin TV dinners,
Girls die they hair with kool-aid,
They gave us lemons we made lemonade,
But this nigga's paid, Ancestry of slaves,
Descendant of Kings It's necessary I, Bling,
Puts rings on every thing Where Timbs on every scene.
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer
[Verse 2:]
Do I mean it like a slave master? NIGGER!
No! I'm gangsta Gotta eat rappers!
My abbreviation Was young when I caught the cases,
That should mean the court could see my changes Take off the bracelets,
Savage when broke, Smoke sour diesel Need no Bo-flex
My chest still cut-up like a bag of dope, Thought patterns consist of boss
matters, Spit Moses' "Lost Commandments"
Like a gross sandwich out my mouth.
Toast to government cameras Peepin us every week I must have my cars
homes & phones Squeaked for bugs, But this is what I was dreamin of,
Between cutting hard coke with new razors Slicing my fingers up,
They use to string us up, We wanted everything,
But the one bringing us cake be the snakes Like the...
Like the New Jack City wedding scene No time for mistakes trying to get it
like [? ]
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master, What you looking for?
You the question and the answer
[Verse 3:]
My nig... Whattup my nig ? People afraid of criticism
But I always put myself in a sacrificial position!
They been know I ain't just rappin for fame, I got my old homie [? ]
the father asking for change! Yep!
I'd give this cash up This paper don't matter They seen me from skinny to
fatter When I rap about war, They got the tendency to scatter,
They ain't my backup no more, So now my enemies are at my front door,
Cause any time we mention Our condition, our history or existence,
They calling it reverse racism, Still till today the street's torn,
My brother Jungle always have a seat for 'em Not behind me -
beside me You'll always know where to find me,
They say the close ones will hurt you, So let's keep a small circle,
On the road to riches,
and diamond rings In the land of the blind
The man with one eye is the king.
[Chorus] They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
Still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
Man this history don't acknowledge us,
We was scholars long before colleges.
They say we N -- I - Double G -- E -- R We - are - much more,
But still we choose to ignore, The obvious.
We are the slave and the master,
What you looking for? You the question and the answer
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"Man this history don't acknowledge us, We was scholars long before colleges."
This song is soooo deep, the first time I heard it I felt a very deep sorrow. It's amazing that going through school at an majority "black" school in elementary I learned so much about European history but barely breezed over the history of Africa, or Egypt.
"But still we choose to ignore, The obvious."
We choose to ignore we come from great people, that they were kings and queens, making us a sort of royalty, Still I go outside and I see African Americans on the corners selling themselves cheap. staying at home not becoming anything, we have so much potential as a People. It's not just other races that are pushing the divide between black and white, Somehow Somewhere we started doing the same. We are all one people, human, yet we choose to ignore it...
We are the slave and the master, What you looking for? You the question and the answer.
We were freed by the government, only to imprison ourselves. Did we become so comfortable with being inferior that when given the chance, the control to change it, we instead forced ourselves to assume the role of inferior?
The question is who are we? What is an African American, What is being black. It was a title of inferiority. Yet the fact is now we have the power to change the answer. Lets make it something proud. The question is "Who are you?" And the answer is what we make it.
The first chorus in this completely describes the neighborhood I grew up in. Where shoes hung from telephone poles and the fastest way to cool off was a Hydrant party.
Which of these facts will we carry? Ancestry of slaves, or Descendant of Kings
All I'm saying is that though it has been outlawed, from my viewpoint, not much changed and It's because of us now, Take some responsibility and lets change the world.