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 dark descends through the promised land
Down kingdom come and the acid ban
I'm Babylon, burned inside out
Nothing to kill it
I hit the city
In Marianne I dug the hole
And watched her trip on my heart of stone
And in the end all that crawled, was my skin
I couldn't kill it
I hit the city
I hit the city
Ghost arrives at its bitter end
To the promised land and the dark descents
I'm Babylon, burned inside out
Nothing to kill it
I hit the city (x5)
1,2,3,4
I hit the city
Down kingdom come and the acid ban
I'm Babylon, burned inside out
Nothing to kill it
I hit the city
In Marianne I dug the hole
And watched her trip on my heart of stone
And in the end all that crawled, was my skin
I couldn't kill it
I hit the city
I hit the city
Ghost arrives at its bitter end
To the promised land and the dark descents
I'm Babylon, burned inside out
Nothing to kill it
I hit the city (x5)
1,2,3,4
I hit the city
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Great song. Dark lyrics, ominous music, totally enthralling. Love the video too. I think it's about how at night the city is another world, totally different than as in the daylight, where everything is exposed. Evil lurks in the dark.