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.
Working for the devil
You'll have to pay his tax
That means going to see him
Down among the racks
You do his work so fine
He'll remember you
Worried for my friend
As he shows me round the flat
Where I don't want to find him
His lips an' eyelids black
He don't believe my speech
That lines can and should be drawn
Like if he had a shotgun
The barrels would be sawn
Swallowed by the river
Swollen by the rains
That leakin' ol' computer
Of fingerprints and names
Swimming in the river
That floods the neighborhood
I would call to you
But it would do no good
Voting for the law
That's the general occupation
First comes the public safety
Second comes the nation
You won't believe me now
But there's been some illumination
The wisest cops have realized
They fucked the operation
Cooking up the books
A respected occupation
The anchor and foundation of multi-corporations
They don't believe in crime
They don't know that it exists
But to understand
What's right and wrong
The lawyers work in shifts
'N speaking of the devil
He ain't been seen for years
'Cept every twenty minutes
He zooms between me ears
I don't believe in books
But I read all the time
For ciphers to the riddles
An' reasons to the rhymes
You'll have to pay his tax
That means going to see him
Down among the racks
You do his work so fine
He'll remember you
Worried for my friend
As he shows me round the flat
Where I don't want to find him
His lips an' eyelids black
He don't believe my speech
That lines can and should be drawn
Like if he had a shotgun
The barrels would be sawn
Swallowed by the river
Swollen by the rains
That leakin' ol' computer
Of fingerprints and names
Swimming in the river
That floods the neighborhood
I would call to you
But it would do no good
Voting for the law
That's the general occupation
First comes the public safety
Second comes the nation
You won't believe me now
But there's been some illumination
The wisest cops have realized
They fucked the operation
Cooking up the books
A respected occupation
The anchor and foundation of multi-corporations
They don't believe in crime
They don't know that it exists
But to understand
What's right and wrong
The lawyers work in shifts
'N speaking of the devil
He ain't been seen for years
'Cept every twenty minutes
He zooms between me ears
I don't believe in books
But I read all the time
For ciphers to the riddles
An' reasons to the rhymes
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I can't believe that there are no comments for this song. It is so catchy! I believe that they are talking mostly about the stupidity in blindly swallowing the government line and how this can endanger the country.