Life
I wonder
Will it take me under
I don't know

Imagine smoking weed in the streets without cops harassin'
Imagine going to court with no trial
Lifestyle, cruising blue Bahama waters
No welfare supporters, more conscious of the way we raise our daughters
Days are shorter, nights are colder
Feeling like life is over, these snakes strike like a cobra
The world's hot, my son got knocked
Evidently, it's elementary, they want us all gone eventually
Troopin' out of state for a plate of knowledge
If coke was cooked without the garbage, we'd all have the top dollars
Imagine everybody flashin' fashion, designer clothes
Lacing your clique up with diamond Roles
Your people holdin' dough, no parole, no rubbers
Go in raw, imagine law with no undercovers
Just some thoughts for the mind
I take a glimpse into time
Watch the blimp read, "The World Is Mine"

If I ruled the world (imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, I love 'em, love 'em, baby
Black diamonds and pearls
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin' for today, in these last days and times)

Yo, it'd be, paradise life, relaxin'
Black, Latino and Anglo-Saxon
Armani Exchange, the Range
Cash, Lost Tribe of Shabazz free at last
Brand new whips to crash, then we laugh in a iller path
The Villa house is for the crew, how we do
Trees for breakfast, dime sexes and Benz stretches
So many years of depression make me vision
The better livin', type of place to raise kids in
Open they eyes to the lies, history's told foul
But I'm as wise as the old owl, plus the Gold Child
Seeing things like I was controlling, clique rollin'
Trickin' six digits on kicks and still holdin'
Trips to Paris, I'd civilize every savage
Give one shot, I turn trife life to lavish
Political prisoners set free, stress free
No work release, purple M3's and jet skis
Feel the wind breeze in West Indies
I'd let Coretta Scott-King mayor the cities and reverse fiends to Willies
It sounds foul, but every girl I meet'd go downtown
I'd open every cell in Attica, send 'em to Africa

If I ruled the world (imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, I love 'em, love 'em, baby
Black diamonds and pearls
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin' for today, in these last days and times)

And then we'll walk right up to the sun, hand in hand
We'll walk right up to the sun, we won't land
We'll walk right up to the sun, hand in hand
We'll walk right up to the sun, we won't land

You love to hear the story how the thugs live in worry
Duck down in car seats, heat's mandatory
Runnin' from Jake, gettin' chased, hunger for papes
These are the breaks, many mistakes go down out of state
Wait, I had to let it marinate, we carry weight
Tryna get laced, flip the ace, stack the safe
Millionaire plan to keep the gat with the cocked hammer
Makin' moves in Atlanta, back and forth scrambler
'Cause you could have all the chips, be poor or rich
Still nobody want a nigga havin' shit
If I ruled the world and everything in it, sky's the limit
I push the Q-45 Infinit'
It wouldn't be no such thing as jealousies, or B felony
Strictly living longevity to the destiny
I thought I'd never see, but reality struck
Better find out before your time's out, what the fuck

If I ruled the world (imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, I love 'em, love 'em, baby
Black diamonds and pearls
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin' for today, in these last days and times)
If I ruled the world, if I ruled, if I ruled (imagine that)
I'd free all my sons, if I ruled, if I ruled
I love 'em, love 'em, baby
Black diamonds and pearls, black diamonds, black diamonds
(Could it be, if you could be mine, we'd both shine)
If I ruled the world
(Still livin' for today, in these last days and times)

If I ruled the world, if I ruled, if I ruled
I'd free all my sons, black diamonds
I love 'em, love 'em, baby
Black diamonds and pearls, if I ruled
If I ruled the world
If I ruled the world
I love 'em, love 'em, baby


Lyrics submitted by oofus

If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) Lyrics as written by Allan Wayne Felder Samuel J. Barnes

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9, RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC

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If I Ruled the World (Imagine That) song meanings
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15 Comments

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  • 0
    General Comment
    i want to rule
    bman322on January 29, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    awesome song....can't believe there aren't more ratings
    ozpicson September 29, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Love the Scarface reference (which I know most every rapper has, but Nas' was really clever)- "I take a glimpse into time watch the blimp read 'The World Is Mine'"
    GrtOne41on February 02, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The Whodini sample works perfectly in here.
    jusorkon March 07, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is pure art. it works on two inter-twining levels, one is him hoping and wishing how life could really be, in a perfect world, at the same time, its the acknowledgement that this world is far from perfect hence the lines 'Cause you could have all the chips, be poor or rich Still nobody want a nigga havin shit' pure genius.....
    oasis147on November 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This is one of the greatest songs I've ever heard. The guy that typed the lyrics to this song made a few errors.
    Realityon February 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    The only line a have a problem with is "I'd open every cell in Attica, send 'em to Africa." I'm African and this line rubs me the wrong way. You can look at it as he's saying that Africa is the most beautiful place on earth so he'd open all the cells to those that have done wrong and send them somewhere that can change their lives. Or you can look at it like he's saying that Africa is a place of lions, animals and savages so he'd open all the cells of a prison that confines some of the worst in society and send them a place where they can run rampant and wild, killing each other off.
    Realityon May 03, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Solid song.
    iWin4Prepon June 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I dont usually listen to Nas, but i heard a cover of this song on Jtv and fell in love with it. I downloaded the real version and found it was 10 times better than the cover =]]
    dietcocaineon July 07, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    reality, I really feel like that line has the intent of the first interpretation you made. The interpretation being that African Americans really don't have a sense of our past, specifically in this country, and that by taking us back to the continent, there will be some sort of realization of past greatness and thus empowerment. Nas is a genius
    thescenestboyaliveon August 01, 2007   Link

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