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 not the shouting
Or the angry words
It's not those looks
Sideways glancing
It's not do as I say
It's not compliance
It's the silence
It's the silence
It's not the reasoning
It's not the logic
It's not the questions
Third degree
It's not acceptance
No, it's not defiance
It's the silence
It's the silence
Fear of the unknown
Is bad enough, yeah
But saying nothing
Says so much
It ain't you, it ain't me
Ain't where you come from
Color of skin
It's not about pain
It ain't about violence
It's the silence
It's the silence
It's the silence
(Yeah)
It's the silence
No more silence
No more silence
No more silence
No more silence
Wait a minute, no more silence
Stand up better, shout it out, shout it out
Silence, yeah
Won't you please shout it out, silence?
No more, no more silence
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No more silence, please, please, please
No more silence, no more silence, yeah
Scream a minute, scream a minute
Silence, yeah, yeah, stop it now stop it now
Silence, please no more, please no more
Please no more, please no more silence
Oh, no, no, no, no more silence
Please, no more silence
Or the angry words
It's not those looks
Sideways glancing
It's not do as I say
It's not compliance
It's the silence
It's the silence
It's not the reasoning
It's not the logic
It's not the questions
Third degree
It's not acceptance
No, it's not defiance
It's the silence
It's the silence
Fear of the unknown
Is bad enough, yeah
But saying nothing
Says so much
It ain't you, it ain't me
Ain't where you come from
Color of skin
It's not about pain
It ain't about violence
It's the silence
It's the silence
It's the silence
(Yeah)
It's the silence
No more silence
No more silence
No more silence
No more silence
Wait a minute, no more silence
Stand up better, shout it out, shout it out
Silence, yeah
Won't you please shout it out, silence?
No more, no more silence
No, no, no, no, no, no, no
No more silence, please, please, please
No more silence, no more silence, yeah
Scream a minute, scream a minute
Silence, yeah, yeah, stop it now stop it now
Silence, please no more, please no more
Please no more, please no more silence
Oh, no, no, no, no more silence
Please, no more silence
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Silence Lyrics as written by Dennis Diamond Corey Glover
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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