[00:00.000] 作词 : Tony Cottrell/Talib Kweli Greene/D. Smith
[00:00.120] 作曲 : Tony Cottrell/Talib Kweli Greene/D. Smith
[00:00.241]"What'd you do last night?"
[00:01.085]"We did, umm, two whole cars
[00:02.745]It was me, Dez, and Mean Three, right?
[00:05.134]And on the first car in small letters it said
[00:07.141]'All you see is…' and then you know
[00:09.162]Big, big, you know some block silver letters
[00:11.835]That said 'crime in the city', right?"
[00:13.314]"It just took up the whole car?"
[00:14.573]"Yeah, yeah, it was a whole car and ****..."
[00:16.285]
[00:17.229]¡Escúchela! La ciudad respirando
[00:35.535]
[00:36.103]The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
[00:39.410]Shining, like, "Who on top of this?"
[00:41.440]People was tusslin', arguing and bustlin'
[00:43.737]Gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustlin'
[00:46.604]I'm wrestling with words and ideas
[00:48.950]My ears is pricked, seeking what will transmit
[00:51.647]The scribes can apply to transcript
[00:53.746]Yo, this ain't no time where the usual is suitable
[00:57.221]Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
[00:59.890]The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
[01:03.535]Draped in metal and fiber optics
[01:05.664]Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
[01:07.867]For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
[01:10.649]Hard knuckles on the second hands of working class watches
[01:13.203]Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous
[01:16.768]Stay alive, you play or die, no options
[01:18.627]No Batman and Robin
[01:20.017]Can't tell between the cops and the robbers
[01:22.002]They both partners, they all heartless with no conscience
[01:25.291]Back streets stay darkened
[01:26.775]Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
[01:28.774]My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbing
[01:32.120]You either make a way or stay sobbin'
[01:34.054]The shiny Apple is bruised but sweet
[01:36.025]And if you choose to eat, you could lose your teeth
[01:38.343]Many crews retreat, nightly news repeat
[01:41.288]Who got shot down and locked down
[01:42.883]Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
[01:45.782]My narrative rose to explain this existence
[01:48.178]Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance
[01:51.000]
[01:51.394]So much on my mind that I can't recline
[01:53.383]Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
[01:56.069]Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
[01:58.823]Breathe out, **** smoke retrace the skyline
[02:01.430]Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
[02:04.090]I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
[02:06.974]Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
[02:09.691]Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
[02:12.541]
[02:12.764]Breathin' in deep city breaths, sittin' on ****ty steps
[02:14.907]We stoop to new lows, Hell froze the night the city slept
[02:17.584]The Beast crept through concrete jungles
[02:19.188]Communicating with one another
[02:20.303]And ghetto birds where waters fall
[02:21.816]From the hydrants to the gutters
[02:23.169]The Beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin'
[02:25.576]You on the wrong side of the track, looking visibly shaken
[02:28.348]Taken them plungers
[02:29.146]Plunging to death that's painted by the numbers
[02:31.303]With Krylon applied pressure; cats is playing God
[02:33.721]But having children by a lesser baby mother, but **** it
[02:36.289]We played against each other like puppets
[02:38.045]Swearing you got pull
[02:39.157]When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
[02:41.638]Getting knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
[02:44.341]Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
[02:47.079]Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
[02:49.759]Thoughts that people put in the air
[02:51.579]Places where you could get murdered over a glare
[02:53.914]But everything is fair; it's a paradox we call reality
[02:56.826]So keepin' it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
[03:00.530]Killers Born Naturally, like Mickey and Mallory
[03:03.071]Not knowing the ways'll get you capped, like an NBA salary
[03:05.880]Some cats be emceein' to illustrate what we be seein'
[03:08.716]Hard to be a spiritual being
[03:10.183]When shit is shaking what you believe in
[03:11.405]For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
[03:14.166]I'm asking if y'all feel me and the crowd left me stranded
[03:16.794]My blood pressure boiled and rose
[03:18.636]‘Cause New York ****** acting spoiled at shows
[03:20.460]To the winners, the spoils go
[03:21.971]I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
[03:24.630]New York life type trife, the Roman Empire state
[03:27.372][Chorus: Common, Mos Def, all]
[03:27.735]So much on my mind, I just can't recline
[03:30.098]Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
[03:32.781]Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
[03:35.590]Breathe out, green smoke retrace the skyline
[03:38.162]Yo, don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call?
[03:40.792]I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
[03:43.617]Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
[03:46.728]Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
[03:49.174]
[03:49.375]¡Escuchela, Respirando como yo… Ojos sinceros, escondiendo pena y temor
[03:53.793]El silencio de mentira, tocando al hogar escapando sentimientos entre ella y yo
[03:58.957]On The Amen corner I stood lookin' at my former hood
[04:02.575]Felt the spirit in the wind
[04:03.820]Knew my friend was gone for good
[04:05.066]Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
[04:07.760]Mixin' down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
[04:10.591]I choreograph seven steps to Heaven
[04:13.125]In Hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leaven
[04:16.077]Veteran of a cold war; it's Chica-I-go for
[04:18.822]What I know or what's known
[04:21.119]So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
[04:24.075]From the crib I spend months gone
[04:25.846]Sat by the window with a clutched dome
[04:27.891]Listening to shorties cuss long
[04:29.177]Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong
[04:31.778]Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord
[04:33.651]But didn't have a touch-tone
[04:34.690]It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
[04:37.053]Some of this land I must own
[04:38.354]Outta the city, they want us gone
[04:40.093]Tearing down the 'jects creating plush homes
[04:42.737]My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
[04:45.427]Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
[04:47.816]Ask my guy how he thought travelling the world sound
[04:50.655]Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
[04:53.343]It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
[04:56.153]Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
[04:58.844]Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
[05:01.488]Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
[05:04.664]
[05:04.957]So much on my mind, I just can't recline
[05:06.942]Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
[05:09.441]Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
[05:12.106]Breathe out, **** smoke retrace the skyline
[05:14.826]Yo, how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call?
[05:17.630]I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
[05:20.309]Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
[05:22.976]Kiss the odds goodbye, I’m on the last train leaving

作词 : Tony Cottrell/Talib Kweli Greene/D. Smith
作曲 : Tony Cottrell/Talib Kweli Greene/D. Smith
"What'd you do last night?"
"We did, umm, two whole cars
It was me, Dez, and Mean Three, right?
And on the first car in small letters it said
'All you see is…' and then you know
Big, big, you know some block silver letters
That said 'crime in the city', right?"
"It just took up the whole car?"
"Yeah, yeah, it was a whole car and ****..."
¡Escúchela! La ciudad respirando
The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis
Shining, like, "Who on top of this?"
People was tusslin', arguing and bustlin'
Gangstas of Gotham hardcore hustlin'
I'm wrestling with words and ideas
My ears is pricked, seeking what will transmit
The scribes can apply to transcript
Yo, this ain't no time where the usual is suitable
Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable
The indisputable, we New York the narcotic
Draped in metal and fiber optics
Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips
For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets
Hard knuckles on the second hands of working class watches
Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living is preposterous
Stay alive, you play or die, no options
No Batman and Robin
Can't tell between the cops and the robbers
They both partners, they all heartless with no conscience
Back streets stay darkened
Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened
My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbing
You either make a way or stay sobbin'
The shiny Apple is bruised but sweet
And if you choose to eat, you could lose your teeth
Many crews retreat, nightly news repeat
Who got shot down and locked down
Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages
My narrative rose to explain this existence
Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance
So much on my mind that I can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, **** smoke retrace the skyline
Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
Breathin' in deep city breaths, sittin' on ****ty steps
We stoop to new lows, Hell froze the night the city slept
The Beast crept through concrete jungles
Communicating with one another
And ghetto birds where waters fall
From the hydrants to the gutters
The Beast walk the beats, but the beats we be makin'
You on the wrong side of the track, looking visibly shaken
Taken them plungers
Plunging to death that's painted by the numbers
With Krylon applied pressure; cats is playing God
But having children by a lesser baby mother, but **** it
We played against each other like puppets
Swearing you got pull
When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes
Getting knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise
Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog
Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene
Thoughts that people put in the air
Places where you could get murdered over a glare
But everything is fair; it's a paradox we call reality
So keepin' it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality
Killers Born Naturally, like Mickey and Mallory
Not knowing the ways'll get you capped, like an NBA salary
Some cats be emceein' to illustrate what we be seein'
Hard to be a spiritual being
When shit is shaking what you believe in
For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted
I'm asking if y'all feel me and the crowd left me stranded
My blood pressure boiled and rose
‘Cause New York ****** acting spoiled at shows
To the winners, the spoils go
I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates
New York life type trife, the Roman Empire state
So much on my mind, I just can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, green smoke retrace the skyline
Yo, don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call?
I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Sigh before we die like the last train leaving
¡Escuchela, Respirando como yo… Ojos sinceros, escondiendo pena y temor
El silencio de mentira, tocando al hogar escapando sentimientos entre ella y yo
On The Amen corner I stood lookin' at my former hood
Felt the spirit in the wind
Knew my friend was gone for good
Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it
Mixin' down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered
I choreograph seven steps to Heaven
In Hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leaven
Veteran of a cold war; it's Chica-I-go for
What I know or what's known
So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home
From the crib I spend months gone
Sat by the window with a clutched dome
Listening to shorties cuss long
Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong
Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord
But didn't have a touch-tone
It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on
Some of this land I must own
Outta the city, they want us gone
Tearing down the 'jects creating plush homes
My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones
Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
Ask my guy how he thought travelling the world sound
Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown
It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep
Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep
So much on my mind, I just can't recline
Blastin' holes in the night 'til she bled sunshine
Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, **** smoke retrace the skyline
Yo, how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call?
I can't take it, y'all, I can feel the city breathing
Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening
Kiss the odds goodbye, I’m on the last train leaving