The Roots - Why (What's Goin On?) lyrics

Why? Sky's the limit so you know I'm gonna rise and shine I gotta do my thing, I'm kinda getting a little tired of all that's hidden That's the reason I'm a speak my mind, keep from going insane Now work with it, we in the last innin' The world keeps spinnin', my peoples steady losin' while the rich keep winnin' It's like we neva smilin' and the devil steady grinnin' k**in' what we representin' Even our children and women, 2K4, livin' above and under the law Young teen joins the marines, says he'll die for the core Inducted up into the government's war as if the land of money and oil Funny how ain't none of it yours I can't sleep yo I'm paranoid, it's code orange It's far from right, I guess that's why it feels so wrong To see the world get stripped out of every resource And people pray to Coca-Cola now instead of the gods What's goin' on? Why Keepin' your head above water, hustlin' to survive Some people chasin' a dream, others just chasin' a high Some people blind leading the blind, they chasin' a lie Some people chokin' backs broken barely makin' it by But still they workin' all they live, they pushin' for the light Givin' everything they got to stitch them swishes on ya Nike's Puttin' pockets on our jeans, mining diamonds for them rings Rewarded with small change and bullets in the brains And it makes me feel strange everything we take for granted At times I feel stranded on this planet of mine Now should I pull the hammer, clap it out, and laugh about it Or stand up, be counted while I cast my ballot When the undertaker's busy and the prison's is crowded People livin' in fear because they vision is clouded But the sky's the limit, I ain't cryin' you a river Gotta move me a mountain, I'm a git up and shout it Why? When I dream it's hounds on my heels gainin' momentum I'm tired, can't get uninspired or quit runnin' I can feel they only inches behind, I escape, I survive Some how I gotta decide how much I want it Or is anybody listenin' without a pot to piss in If I disappear I wonder if the world will know I'm missin' Who my support system, it's not the court system Gotta letter it said that you're not avoiding prison People 'neath the microscope 'cause we defining the culture They smile and insult you like you shinin' their loafers Them old heads say we need a modern day Moses When the leaders is posers we needing some soldiers It's the X generation, the anger is a nature Got the writing on the wall so clear that I can taste it Like a kid sniffing glue somewhere trying to escape Cause we vulnerable and naked Gotta show 'em we can make it Why?