SHELTER ft. Chance The Rapper
Chance The Rapper Lyrics

There's a war going on outside
There is a conflict occurring outside of our personal space

That nobody's safe from
This conflict affects everyone, no one is truly safe

But here in my arms
In my embrace, I will protect you

I'll keep you from harm
I will do everything in my power to ensure your safety

There's no guarantee tonight
There is no certainty in what may happen during this evening

That we will wake up
We cannot be sure whether we will survive until morning

When night takes the morning
When night comes to an end and morning begins

But if no alarm rings
If we are not alerted by an alarm

You can count on one thing
Know that you can rely on me

I'll be your shelter
I will protect you from harm

Emergency
In a time of crisis, count on me

Please count on me, yeah, I
Please trust me, I am here for you

I'll be your superhero
I will be your savior in times of danger

When danger arrives
If danger arises

I'll be by your side (uh)
I will be there to support you

You're my lucky dime (uh)
You are my good luck charm

Wyclef told me call 911
Wyclef instructed me to call for emergency assistance

But who do you call when the ambulances don't come
What other option do we have when even emergency services fail us?

Or watch as the ones sworn by law protect us
Watch as the officials who have sworn to protect us...

Wrongfully convict us then call it corrections
...are the ones who falsely accuse and label it as correction

Next, they bail the banks out when we in recession
During financial crisis, banks receive aid before those in need do

And hang us in the jail cell so they can swing the elections
They imprison individuals to sway elections in their favor

I walk Chicago streets where pot holes is deep and Tahoes creep like TLC
I traverse the poorly maintained streets of Chicago where cars slowly pass like the TLC music video

Hospital workers in scrubs with no PPE
Medical workers are putting themselves at risk due to lack of protective gear

But they got money for riot gear, my nigga, we dying here, yeah
Despite the severe conditions, money is still available for weapons instead of life-saving resources

You tell me not to move with my gun
They advise against carrying a weapon

But we got more funeral homes than schools where I'm from
In my community there are more funeral homes than learning institutions

And on the news all you view is homicides
The media primarily covers cases of murder

Tell me why it ain't no trauma units when everybody traumatized
Why aren't there resources for those who face emotional trauma?

Tryna get on your feet, playing the hand they dealt ya
We try to make a living despite unfair disadvantage

If your house is not a home let this song be your shelter
If your living situation is unstable, let this song provide comfort

It's a hundred bags under the underpass
There are many homeless individuals residing below the underpass

Rumbling stomachs, cups jingle when Hummers pass
There is a hunger issue, and even the sound of a Hummer vehicle passing can be heard

Brisk winds, summer's done, winter is coming fast
The weather is changing quickly, catching people off guard

And then they Zoom teacher wonder why they don't come to class
Despite the shift to online classes during the pandemic, teachers still don't understand why students are not attending

The internet been out, the hot water been out
Essential resources like the internet and hot water have not been available

She moved to her aunt's house, then to her friend's couch
A woman has had to relocate to different living arrangements

Abuser went to jail but that nigga been out
Her abuser was imprisoned but is now released

Producer was in house, they closer then pen pals
A producer was once in close proximity and now they communicate like pen pals

Homeless in the home of the slaves, I wonder how that would feel
Being forced to live on the streets in the land that used to have slaves is a depressing thought

The manifested destiny a bunch of land they could steal
The western expansion of America was a way for colonizers to steal more land

Think about Kenneth Walker and Philando Castile
Reflect on the innocents like Kenneth Walker and Philando Castile who have suffered from police brutality

How they only wanted to protect their family
They were only trying to protect themselves and their loved ones

While it's niggas out here that make it worse for they folks
Those within our own community that worsen our situation

It's a deeper, hotter hell for the worst of these folks
The hardest situations are experienced by the most vulnerable individuals in our society

It's a mystery, we never heard the murder she wrote
It's unknown what happens to someone seeking revenge for a loved one's death

If we finally paid her back the whole earth would be broke
If we repaid for the damages of the oppressed, the entire world would be impacted

I write for my niggas doing life with no possibility of parole
I write for those facing life imprisonment without chance of release

You playing Fortnite, that's how long you spent in a hole
While you play a video game, someone else has been imprisoned for that same duration

Live from Death Row, free my nigga Julius Jones
Reporting live from death row, I call for the release of Julius Jones

I had a dream that Mumia was home, I speak freedom in songs
I dream of Mumia's freedom and through my music, I demand liberation

'Cause all I see is racist faces
Everywhere I look, there are faces filled with hatred and prejudice

Where hate lives and they rape kids in cages
An environment of hate leads to atrocities like child imprisonment

What kinda nation lynch Elijah McClain?
How can a nation allow a tragedy like the lynching of Elijah McClain?

Then send us to the Middle East to die for the flag
They send us to fight in a foreign war while our own country is in turmoil

They drive us insane to sell us medication
They use our own mental health issues to profit from medication sales

We demand reparations and they tell us have patience
We seek reparations for the wrongs done to us, yet they respond with apathy

Instead of cash payments, we get minimum wages
We receive meager pay rather than fair compensation

They give us the black plague, then send us a white savior
They inflict misfortune on us and then try to 'save' us through questionable means

I found faith when I lost hope
Even when all hope was gone, I found faith in something

That's when Julius reminded me of a bar I wrote
Julius inspired me to remember a specific lyric I wrote

Behind bars on the yard where they dream of the street
Prisoners long for the outside world when they are confined to the yard

On death row singing we could be free (we could be free)
Even those on death row still dream of the possibility of freedom

I know you'll be my shelter from the storm
I trust that you will protect me during difficult times

I know you'll be my shelter from the storm
I trust that you will protect me during difficult times