The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
[Chorus: x2]
I want to talk to the mayor, the governor, the motherfucking president
I want to talk to the FBI, and the CIA, and the motherfucking congressman
[Nas]
Step up to the White House let me in
what's my reason for being I'm ya next to kin
And we built this motherfucker
You want to kill me because my hunger?
Mr. America young black niggas want ya
I want to talk to the man understand
Understand this motherfucking G-pack in my hand
Look what happened to San Fran young girl hit by policeman
Twelve shots up in her dome, damn
Niggas thought we slept but the architect sent
The Pentagon's from Egypt, government secret
The 99 to 2-G computer shutdown, what now
Extension on Earth, human cut-down
Niggas play with Playstations, they build a spacestations
On Mars plotting civilizations
Dissing us discriminating different racists
Tax payers pay for more jail for black Latin faces
[Chorus]
[Nas]
I'm just a black man why y'all made it so hard damn
Niggaz gotta go create their own job
Mr. Mayor imagine if this was your backyard
Mr. Governor imagine if it was your kids that starved
Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive
Swing a mack to be live cart ack to get high
It's the ghetto life yea I celebrate it I live it
And all I got is what you left me with I'ma get it
Now y'all combinin all the countries we goin do the same
Combine all the cliques to make one gang
It ain't all about a black and white thing
it's to make the change, citizens of a higher plane
[Chorus]
[Nas]
What y'all waiting for the world to blow up
Before you hear this rewind this 4 minutes before we timeless
Let y'all niggas bang my shit before ? is
The Nastradamus tell us what time it is
They try to buy us with doe
Fake black leaders of puppets always talking bout the city budget
The news got it all confused lyin to the public
They eyes watching stay wise move above it
Water floods predicted hurricanes twisters
Its all signs of the Armageddon three sixes
People reverse the system politics verse religion
Holy war muslim verse christians
Niggaz in high places they don't have the balls for this
People in power sit back and watch them slaughter us
Mr. President I assume it was negligence
The streets upside down, I'm here to represent this
[Chorus: x2]
[Nas]
Can I talk to you Mr. President
Niggas trying to get with the computers
We ain't John Henry
Banging down machines and shit
Part of establishment
That's what we are stepping up for
This shit is real
Total Package in this nigga
LES in this nigga
Ill Will nigga
Mr. President want to keep us from establishment
Niggas are American baby
American Made
I want to talk to the mayor, the governor, the motherfucking president
I want to talk to the FBI, and the CIA, and the motherfucking congressman
[Nas]
Step up to the White House let me in
what's my reason for being I'm ya next to kin
And we built this motherfucker
You want to kill me because my hunger?
Mr. America young black niggas want ya
I want to talk to the man understand
Understand this motherfucking G-pack in my hand
Look what happened to San Fran young girl hit by policeman
Twelve shots up in her dome, damn
Niggas thought we slept but the architect sent
The Pentagon's from Egypt, government secret
The 99 to 2-G computer shutdown, what now
Extension on Earth, human cut-down
Niggas play with Playstations, they build a spacestations
On Mars plotting civilizations
Dissing us discriminating different racists
Tax payers pay for more jail for black Latin faces
[Chorus]
[Nas]
I'm just a black man why y'all made it so hard damn
Niggaz gotta go create their own job
Mr. Mayor imagine if this was your backyard
Mr. Governor imagine if it was your kids that starved
Imagine your kids gotta sling crack to survive
Swing a mack to be live cart ack to get high
It's the ghetto life yea I celebrate it I live it
And all I got is what you left me with I'ma get it
Now y'all combinin all the countries we goin do the same
Combine all the cliques to make one gang
It ain't all about a black and white thing
it's to make the change, citizens of a higher plane
[Chorus]
[Nas]
What y'all waiting for the world to blow up
Before you hear this rewind this 4 minutes before we timeless
Let y'all niggas bang my shit before ? is
The Nastradamus tell us what time it is
They try to buy us with doe
Fake black leaders of puppets always talking bout the city budget
The news got it all confused lyin to the public
They eyes watching stay wise move above it
Water floods predicted hurricanes twisters
Its all signs of the Armageddon three sixes
People reverse the system politics verse religion
Holy war muslim verse christians
Niggaz in high places they don't have the balls for this
People in power sit back and watch them slaughter us
Mr. President I assume it was negligence
The streets upside down, I'm here to represent this
[Chorus: x2]
[Nas]
Can I talk to you Mr. President
Niggas trying to get with the computers
We ain't John Henry
Banging down machines and shit
Part of establishment
That's what we are stepping up for
This shit is real
Total Package in this nigga
LES in this nigga
Ill Will nigga
Mr. President want to keep us from establishment
Niggas are American baby
American Made
Lyrics submitted by spliphstar
I Want to Talk to You Lyrics as written by Lewis Jones
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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