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.
She strolls past a field, alone, without need
of thinking about chasing her bare feet,
that seem to not touch the ground, down that street,
yet knowing that wherever she’d stop, she would fall into sleep
Her mind’s still lost far away to her love she left that day
she escaped from her old self, that threatened to decay
All that’s left is his voice, a faithful companion, a ray
of hope, whispering those words as she feels stand at bay
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
Midnight by noon she’s kept awake by a strong effort not to forsake,
not to go astray between all this increasing, awful ache,
those plunges, her wounded skin, this blurry truth and sticky fake,
still his words keep telling her heart, this is less than she could take
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
She drags herself along trough a thickening dark dust
longing for salvation out of this heavy crust
that imprisons her, longing for the love that she has lost
knowing this is the only path to soothe her sensual lust
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
of thinking about chasing her bare feet,
that seem to not touch the ground, down that street,
yet knowing that wherever she’d stop, she would fall into sleep
Her mind’s still lost far away to her love she left that day
she escaped from her old self, that threatened to decay
All that’s left is his voice, a faithful companion, a ray
of hope, whispering those words as she feels stand at bay
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
Midnight by noon she’s kept awake by a strong effort not to forsake,
not to go astray between all this increasing, awful ache,
those plunges, her wounded skin, this blurry truth and sticky fake,
still his words keep telling her heart, this is less than she could take
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
She drags herself along trough a thickening dark dust
longing for salvation out of this heavy crust
that imprisons her, longing for the love that she has lost
knowing this is the only path to soothe her sensual lust
try to keep up
though you may never stop
walking down that road to your heart
try to believe
you have to relieve
yourself from those chains of reality
Lyrics submitted by Nonny
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