[verse 1]



Its been a long and whining road

Even though time keeps a changin

Ima bring it all back home

I been told i spit lyrics wit politics

Why wouldnt i?

Says negro on my birth certificate



Born in 1960 in a nation

Throughout / ive been a spokesperson

For a generation

Within the same ol fear of a black planet

20 years of blood sweat and no tears for fanatics



So damn it

If times is hard

Time is god

Understand it

Never took time for granted

Its all right ma

As child of the sixties

All along the watchtower

I cant bet they gonna miss me



Im only bleeding

Every grain in me

Fans if not for you

There be no pe

From the nashville skyline

Girls in south country

In this world gone wrong 

So heres another love song



[verse 2]



We came a long way baby

You know whats amazin

The surprise we told these new guys

Flav has always been crazy

Hit london 87 like it was an invasion

Toured the world for 3 years

Hell with vacation

Vocation of vocalization

Especially with the impact of it takes a nation

Of millions to hold us back

You bet theres blood on them bomb squad tracks

Black steel , baseheads, party for your right to fight

Prophets of rage , bring the noise 

Dont believe the hype

Cant do nuttin for you man

911 is a joke

20 years we got here by actin like common folk

Touring the world like a rolling stone

Then the nineties came

Welcomed yall to the terrordome

Some threw it away , instead of something to say

Cause the streets still ended up havin no names

Since rebel without a pause beats were never the same

And by 1998 we still had game.



[verse 3]



Only a pawn in the game

Chastised for namin names

What was said and who said it

Anti nothing so forget it

Tears of rage left a friend

Blowin in the wind

But time is god 

Been back for 10 years and black again

Some of them same cats

Help usher in gangster rap

Damn our interviews were better than a lotta them acts.

Praised the gangsta

Just because it sold

While consciousness 

Went from platinum to gold

Seen a nation reduce fight the power to gin and juice

Some people gave it up and turned it loose. 



[verse 4]



Beethoven, bach brahms 

I want some james brown

Even bruce, brian, bono, beck, yeah chuck berry

Prince stevie sly smokey johnny cash in my chevy

Heard some call me an uncle tom

Now thats petty

I'm a songwriter fool 

I condense sense from right and wrong

Livin in the key of protest songs

From basement tapes

Beyond them dollars and cents

Changin of the guards spent

Where the--went

Most of their time out of mind

Hatin my mess age rhymes

Cant truss it, shut em down call it whatcha wanna

But they made a day fit for a king

By the time we got to arizona



Tommorrows a long time 

We got god on our side

Over bass and drum beats hear the good rhymes ride

A poison goin on

Shelter from the storm

Hard rain gonna fall 

Still the people rock on.