Yeah, it's for the people

This is street ra-dio, for unsung heroes
Riding in the regal, trying to stay legal
My daughter found Nemo, I found the new primo
Ye' you know how we do, we do it for the people

And the struggles of the brothas and the folks
With lovers under dope, experiment to discover hopes
Scuffle for notes, the rougher I wrote, times was harder
Went from rocky starter to a voice of a martyr
Why white folks focus on dogs and yoga
While people on the low end trying to ball and get over
Lyrics are like liquor for the fallen soldiers
From the bounce to the ounce, it's all our culture
Everyday we hustlin', trying get them custom rims
Law we ain't trusting them, thick broads we lust in them
Sick and tired of punching it, I look on the bus at them
When I see them struggling, I think how I'm touching them
The People

The days, have come
Now we, are one
Just take, your time
And then, you'll find

This is street ra-dio, for unsung heroes
Riding in the regal, trying to stay legal
My daughter found Nemo, I found the new primo
Ye' you know how we do, we do it for the people

The people said that I was sharp on TV
At the Grammy's, though they tried to India.Arie me
Got back stage, and I bumped into Stevie
He said no matter what, the people gon' see me
Can't leave rap alone the streets need me
Hunger in they eyes, is what seems to feed me
Inside peace mixed with beast seem to breed me
Nobody believe, until I believe me
Now I'm on the rise doing business with my guys
Visions realize, music affected lives
A gift from the skies, to be recognized
I'm keeping my eyes on the people, that's the prize

The days, have come
Now we, are one
Just take, your time
And then, you'll find

This is street ra-dio, for unsung heroes
Riding in the regal, trying to stay legal
My daughter found Nemo, I found the new primo
Ye' you know how we do, we do it for the people

From Englewood to a single hood in Botswana
I see the I in We, my nigga, yours is my drama
Standing in front of the judge with no honor
My raps ignite the people like Obama
The karma of the streets is needs and takes
Sometimes we find peace in beats and breaks
Put the bang in the back so the seats can shake
Rebel Cadillac music for the people's sake
The People

The days, have come
Now we, are one
Just take, your time
And then, you'll find


Lyrics submitted by ADimeADexter, edited by LookOutMoon

The People Lyrics as written by Kanye West Gil Heron

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The People song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

6 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    Wow, no comments yet? This song is a song that I feel a lot of people can relate to. A lot of time I feel like I need to do something just to help out the greater good of others. It seems that Common feels like he needs to continue is work because it's helping others out. This is a great inspirational tune.

    Petary791on December 04, 2008   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Album art
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.