Letter To My Countrymen-Brother Ali/Dr. Cornel West

[ti:Letter To My Countrymen (Feat.] [ar:Brother Ali] [al:Mourning In America And Dreami] [by:] [offset:0] [00:00.00]Letter To My Countrymen - Brother Ali/Dr. Cornel West [00:31.96]I used to think I hated this place [00:34.58]Couldn't wait to tell the president straight to his face [00:37.36]But lately I changed nowadays I embrace it all [00:40.65]Beautiful ideals and amazing flaws [00:42.58] [00:43.39]Got to care enough to give a testament [00:45.39]'Bout the deeply depressing mess we're in [00:48.53]It's home so we better make the best of it [00:51.03]I wanna make this country what it says it is [00:53.58]Still dream in the vividest living color [00:55.83]No matter how many times my love been smothered [00:57.75] [00:58.44]Who's ever above us won't just let us suffer [01:01.18]All of this struggling got to amount to something [01:03.37] [01:04.86]This is a letter to my countrymen [01:06.92]Especially those my age and younger than [01:09.79]We're up against an ugly trend [01:11.91]Everybody's hustling don't nobody touch their friends [01:14.67] [01:15.43]No group singing and dancing [01:17.22]No anthem nobody holds hands and [01:20.53]Instead they give a handheld [01:22.59]And make you shoulder life's burden by your damn self [01:24.90] [01:25.71]One thing that can't be debated [01:27.78]Power never changed on it's own you got to make it [01:30.53]That's why community is so sacred [01:33.40]That's the symbol that we make when we raise fists [01:35.65] [01:37.77]"Sooner or later" [01:39.33] [01:42.95]"Sooner or later" [01:44.57] [01:47.00]We don't really like to talk about the race thing [01:48.81] [01:49.44]The whole grandparents used to own slaves thing [01:51.87]Pat ourselves on the back in February [01:54.33]Looking at pictures of Abe Lincoln and the great King [01:57.27]But the real picture's much more embarrassing [01:59.83]We're still not even close to really sharing things [02:02.51]The situation of oppressed people [02:04.88]Shows what we feel it means to be a human being [02:07.57] [02:08.44]What does it mean to be American [02:10.50]I think the struggle to free is our inheritance [02:12.77] [02:13.70]And if we say it how it really is [02:15.75]We know our lily skin still give us privilege [02:18.01] [02:18.63]Advantages given to the few [02:20.63]That are built into the roots of our biggest institutions [02:23.00] [02:23.68]That's the truth in life we got to choose [02:25.99]Do I fight in the movement or think I'm entitled to it [02:28.50] [02:30.31]This is not a practice life [02:31.87]This is the big game we got to attack it right [02:34.49]Each one of us is headed for the grave [02:36.68]This old crooked world won't be saved by the passive type [02:39.11] [02:40.30]This is a letter to my countrymen [02:41.81] [02:42.43]Not from a Democrat or a Republican [02:43.84] [02:45.03]But one among you that's why you call me brother [02:47.64]Ain't scared to tell you we're in trouble 'cause I love you [02:50.14] [02:51.95]"Sooner or later" [02:53.51] [02:57.08]"Sooner or later" [02:58.95] [03:01.45]They tell me I'm a dreamer they ridicule [03:02.65] [03:03.59]They feel defeated old bitter and cynical [03:06.21]Excuse me but I see it from a different view [03:08.83]I still believe in what a driven few could really do [03:11.20] [03:11.76]I know that the masses want to sleep [03:13.82]And they would just rather hear me rapping to the beat [03:16.38]But I want to pass this planet to my son [03:19.00]A little better than it was when they handed it to me [03:21.87]So I wrote a letter to my countrymen [03:24.87]I'll be happy if it only reaches one of them [03:27.43]Reporting live A-L-I your brother [03:29.86]Mourning in America dreaming in color [03:32.35] [03:33.29]My dear Brother Ali [03:35.04] [03:36.53]I think you know deep down in your soul that [03:38.45]Something something just ain't right [03:41.69] [03:42.76]You don't want to be just well adjusted to injustice [03:45.31] [03:46.01]And well adapted to indifference You want to be [03:49.81]A person with integrity who leaves a mark on the world [03:53.05] [03:54.42]People can say when you go that you left the world [03:57.55]Just a little better than you found it I understand I want [04:02.50]To be like that too [04:03.54]Lyrics by 卟 断 努 力