I don't think this is a "gang" song. The first line in the song is the street lesson: "Out in the streets where I grew up: First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck" but the immediate reply is "That type of thinking can't get you nowhere: Someone has to care". Another important line is: "Before I go back to the Heavenly Father
Pray for me if it ain't too much bother"
In addition, the song's title links in to a Mahalia Jackson's gospel song with the same title as well as an Aretha Franklin song with the same title. Both of these songs give thanks to the Lord or Jesus from a church perspective for "how they got over". The Roots song depicts a perspective of someone who is in need of help from the streets. There is a need to "pray for them", perhaps this need for someone else to pray for them can be found in another lyric by the Roots: "I'd pray to God but I am tired of lying." This might have something to do with the song meaning.
I don't think this is a "gang" song. The first line in the song is the street lesson: "Out in the streets where I grew up: First thing they teach us, not to give a fuck" but the immediate reply is "That type of thinking can't get you nowhere: Someone has to care". Another important line is: "Before I go back to the Heavenly Father Pray for me if it ain't too much bother"
In addition, the song's title links in to a Mahalia Jackson's gospel song with the same title as well as an Aretha Franklin song with the same title. Both of these songs give thanks to the Lord or Jesus from a church perspective for "how they got over". The Roots song depicts a perspective of someone who is in need of help from the streets. There is a need to "pray for them", perhaps this need for someone else to pray for them can be found in another lyric by the Roots: "I'd pray to God but I am tired of lying." This might have something to do with the song meaning.