Music and Lyrics by Stevie Wonder

 

Jobless people starving babies spreading

over the land

More oppression to the have nots is how you

play your hand

More world fighting is the writing from those

say they know

And if that's true we know just who

you'll be picking to go

 

But the beat you are playing to what Jah is

saying is wrong

And we do recommend that you stop before

it's too far gone

 

And I just got to say

You're playing us too close

 

We in the ghettos

You're playing us too close

The jobless and the hungry

You're playing us too close

Filling up more and more with Frustration

You're playing us too close

We're losing our patience

 

So take heed and do let it be known that

I've told you today

You're playing us much too close yea

 

All the teaching of JAH bible you don't

want to obey

But you're writing your own ticket to the price

you will pay

Us you hold hock but the drawback is not

to us alone

Time will make you too a victim before you

see the wrong

 

And the melody that you are playing is

in the wrong key

For Jah's choirs that sings out to all live

in world harmony

 

And I just got to say

You're playing us too close

We in the ghettos

You're playing us too close

Red black white brown and yellow poor people

You're playing us too close

The babies are crying

You're playing us too close

Good people are dying

 

So take heed and do let it be known that

I've told you today

Jah say you're playing us much too close

 

Now when I was just a little boy my grandfather

use to say to me, "Brother B, trust no shadow

after dark... "It's not till I grew to be a man that

I understand what the old brother was talking

about. You see some people take the liberty to

treat you any way they want to, they feel

some times that you don't have no dignity. But

brother fire de ah mus mus tail him think ah

cool breeze, better watch out easy squeeze

makes no riot my brethren

 

You're playing us much too close, so why the

Don't you people out there all get up off your

backsides and do something for the worlds for

every living boy, woman, man and girl. There's

hungry people all over starving, have no place

to lay their heads Huh Don't play us so close

Don't play us so close Don't play us so close

 

(Chorus during rap)

Some a dem rap, none a dem a holler

'Cause Jah say all the musicians shall be there

The players on instruments shall gather

at His feet

 

You need to raise your conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

We need to raise our conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

You need to raise your conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

(Percussion)

 

We're gonna raise our conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

 

 

I'm gonna raise my conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

We're gonna raise our conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world

 

You've gotta raise your conscious high

So Jab Jah Love can rule the world

 

I'm gonna raise my conscious high

So Jah Jah Love can rule the world