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.
The devil told my grampa
The day that he would die
And my grampa told my grandma
And she thought it was a lie
Then the day came and my
Grampa he lay dead
Just like the devil said
A train cut off his arms and legs
And it’s a story that my mother told to me
Some people say that its too hard to believe, but
You gotta believe that my mother never lies
She’s never in her life and my grampa he did die, yeah
My father he's hard-workin’ man
the devil’s never had a hand
in anything he did
He’s the hardest workin’ man I’ve ever seen
But I guess his hardest work,
it never worked on me, ‘cause
He thinks I’m lazy and he
thinks that I’m a shame because
I haven’t got a job any
money or a name and…
He’s worried about me and what I’m gonna do
How I’m gonna live I hope the devil’s worried too, yeah
My lover she’s what keeps me alive
She’s the only thing I like in this
World that I despise
She sings and her voice is soft and sweet
She whistles in the shower and
Somehow she loves me
My grandson asked me once, he said
“Grampa are you crazy?” and I said
“Just a touch” and I
Got out my guitar,
I showed him how to play and I
Taught him how to sing the song a little out of key, yeah
And the devil sang with me, and the devil sang with me
On my shoulder like a friend that never leaves
And the devil sang with me, and the devil sang with me
On my shoulder like a friend that never leaves
The day that he would die
And my grampa told my grandma
And she thought it was a lie
Then the day came and my
Grampa he lay dead
Just like the devil said
A train cut off his arms and legs
And it’s a story that my mother told to me
Some people say that its too hard to believe, but
You gotta believe that my mother never lies
She’s never in her life and my grampa he did die, yeah
My father he's hard-workin’ man
the devil’s never had a hand
in anything he did
He’s the hardest workin’ man I’ve ever seen
But I guess his hardest work,
it never worked on me, ‘cause
He thinks I’m lazy and he
thinks that I’m a shame because
I haven’t got a job any
money or a name and…
He’s worried about me and what I’m gonna do
How I’m gonna live I hope the devil’s worried too, yeah
My lover she’s what keeps me alive
She’s the only thing I like in this
World that I despise
She sings and her voice is soft and sweet
She whistles in the shower and
Somehow she loves me
My grandson asked me once, he said
“Grampa are you crazy?” and I said
“Just a touch” and I
Got out my guitar,
I showed him how to play and I
Taught him how to sing the song a little out of key, yeah
And the devil sang with me, and the devil sang with me
On my shoulder like a friend that never leaves
And the devil sang with me, and the devil sang with me
On my shoulder like a friend that never leaves
Lyrics submitted by b-pot
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chris said a lot of this song is yet to happen