Shuffering And Shmiling

(featuring Bilal, Jorge Ben Jor, Positive Force & Talib Kweli)

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)

[stic.man]
(to the ancestors)
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot (to the warriors)
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot (to those who came before us)
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot (long lived the revolution)
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot

[stic.man]
religion is like prison
keep the people locked up in different divisions
some of them promise you heaven
but I see a whole lot of bullshit ism-scism
imperialism in the form of spirituality
slave mentality, escape reality
what we supposed to just suffer and smile and be content?
sendin our prayers to the clouds? (stic.man - uhn uh)
i want my heaven now, freedom on earth
and if the preacher ain't with us, then we takin his church
what is it worth to have the biggest religion
when the people got miserable living conditions?
no water, no lights, no rights
all over africa we fight, but we have to unite
cause ain't no power in the gospel
when the priest puttin powder in his nostril
and the elder's council fails to lead
and the children suffer from daily need
and the people can barely eat
is it a sin to stand up
to fight against the ones that put is in handcuffs?
goddamn, what happened to the daily bread, spread love
and not what the bible said, but in the name of the bible
how much love is spread compared to how much blood is shed

chorus:

[Bilal]
everyday my people get inside the bus
(women - shuffering and shmiling)
everyday its the circle
(women - shuffering and shmiling)
everyday my people get inside the bus
(women - shuffering and shmiling)
everyday its the circle

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)
(women - shuffering and shmiling) x4
everyday its the same thing

[Talib Kweli]
yo
every day I wake up is a miracle, thank you
seperate religious and the spiritual, thank you
see, I dont be askin in the air, every action is a prayer
the bear won't attack me, I be, attackin the bear, see
back in the day I used to work in a bookstore
my job was to find whatever book you look for
i remember one day this lady came for a bible
we was out, so I started showin here other titles
tryna share information about a religion
everything that I showed her was written by christians, still
she got the hell up outta the place
wonderin something about me shakin her faith
now, knowledge is power, we spread information
how strong is your faith? what it take to be shaken?
yo, I think she missed what jesus was sayin
can't keep your eyes closed to a revelation
you could be speakin in tongues
could be speakin of sons and daughters
my reflection of course, within the water is
beautiful, attractive, my musical contraption
classified as unusual practice but
thats what it take to be a man
free the land, crash down on babylon like the sea to the sand
peace to the fam, we want you all to stay strong and live long
like a de la song, c'mon

[stic.man & Talib Kweli]
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot
can't keep quiet
this time gon' be more than a riot

[m1]
this way of life, ain't right
pray all day and night and don't fight
poped up, doped up
work three jobs to fill the gold cup
no water, no food, no lights, no rights
no power til the people unite
it's gone - divison and they work us in prison
look round, how my niggas is livin
everything we make, they takin it to the bank
while we sittin up in the church to give thanks
don't you know the preacher got bank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)
don't you know the deacon smoke dank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)
did you ever think the bible was a prank? (m1 - uhn uh, uhn uh)
somebody bout to faint
before they came
they had the bible, we had the land
now, we got the bible, they got the land
and what do you believe in, heaven or hell?
life is what you make it, so thats why I rebel
uncle sam, got blood on his hands
good god, how the devil can dance
nobody wanna help a nigga
put your hands together, do it yourself my nigga
don't sit there
you won't have nobody rushin to die
so do something don't just suffer and smile

[chorus]

[Jorge Ben Jor] (scat singing)

[m1] (repeats until end)
africa, africa, africa
aids is killin
africans, africans, africans