The People Version
Common Lyrics


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Louder, louder,
Louder, louder, louder, louder
Louder, louder, yeah

Yeah, it's for the people

[Chorus:]
This is street radio for unsung heroes
Ridin' in they Regal, tryin' to stay legal
My daughter found Nemo, I found the new Primo
Yeah, you know how we do - we do it for the people

And the struggles of the brothas and the folks
With lovers under dope, experiment to discover hopes
Scuffle for notes, the rougher I wrote, times were harder
Went from rocky starter to a voice of a martyr
While white folks focus on dogs and yoga
While people on the low end tryin' to ball and get over
Lyrics are like liquor for the fallen soldiers
From the bounce to the ounce, it's all our culture
Everyday we hustlin', tryin' to get them custom rims
Law - we ain't trustin' them, thick broads - we lust in them
Sick and tired of bunchin' it, I look on the bus at them
When I see them struggling, I think how I'm touchin' them
The people

The day has come
Now we are one
Just take your time
And then you'll find...

[Chorus]

The people said that I was sharp on TV
At the Grammys, though they tried to India.Arie me
Got back stage, and I bumped into Stevie
He said no matter what, the people gon' see me
Can't leave rap alone; the streets need me
Hunger in they eyes is what seems to feed me
Inside peace mixed with beast seem to breed me
Nobody believe until I believe me
Now I'm on the rise, doin' business with my guys
Visions realized, music affected lives
A gift from the skies to be recognized
I'm keeping my eyes on the people: that's the prize

The day has come
Now we are one
Just take your time
And then you'll find...

[Chorus]

From Englewood to a single hood in Botswana
I see the "I" in "We," my nigga; yours is my drama
Standin' in front of the judge with no honor
Barack stick, knight the people like Obama
The karma of the streets is needs and takes
Sometimes we find peace in beats and breaks
Put the bang in the back so the seats can shake
Rebel Cadillac music for the people's sake
The people

The day has come
Now we are one




Just take your time
And then you'll find...

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Common's song The People is an anthem for all unsung heroes who are trying to survive and thrive in the harsh realities of life. The song starts with an introduction from Common to raise the volume and make it louder, affirming that it's time for the people to speak up. He then proceeds to thank and acknowledge all the individuals who are riding in their regals, trying to stay legal, and struggling every day to cope up with their lives. He speaks about the pains and struggles of all the brothers and folks who are facing the hard realities of life.


Common continues to delve deep into the lives of people on the low end, who are hustling to get by and get over their struggles. He states how society focuses on trivial things like dogs and yoga when they should be focusing on real problems. Lyrics are like liquor for the fallen soldiers, and it's all part of a culture that people should embrace. Common believes in the power of believing in oneself and never giving up, which he emphasizes in the song's chorus.


In the second verse, Common talks about how people recognize him on the streets and the Grammys, and he feels humbled that people love and appreciate him. He knows that rap music is more than just clout chasing; it's an avenue for people to heal and cope with their struggles, making him feel needed by the people. Common believes that the streets need him, and he uses his music as a tool to bring a change in society. In the end, he acknowledges that only when we stand together and rise as one can we make a difference in our lives.


Line by Line Meaning

Louder, louder,
We need to amplify our message


Louder, louder, louder, louder
We need to be heard by everyone


Louder, louder, yeah
We need to speak our truth boldly


Yeah, it's for the people
We are doing this for the good of the people


This is street radio for unsung heroes
We are giving a voice to those who are often ignored


Ridin' in they Regal, tryin' to stay legal
We are representing those who are working hard to make a living


My daughter found Nemo, I found the new Primo
We are constantly discovering new things and evolving


Yeah, you know how we do - we do it for the people
Our actions are driven by our commitment to the people


And the struggles of the brothas and the folks
We recognize and acknowledge the difficulties faced by marginalized communities


With lovers under dope, experiment to discover hopes
People often turn to drugs in order to cope with their struggles


Scuffle for notes, the rougher I wrote, times were harder
I faced many obstacles in my journey to get where I am today


Went from rocky starter to a voice of a martyr
I overcame my struggles and became a symbol for change


While white folks focus on dogs and yoga
While some people have the luxury to focus on trivial things, others are struggling for survival


While people on the low end tryin' to ball and get over
People who are poor are often desperate to make ends meet


Lyrics are like liquor for the fallen soldiers
My words are a form of comfort for those who are struggling


From the bounce to the ounce, it's all our culture
Our music is a reflection of our culture and way of life


Everyday we hustlin', tryin' to get them custom rims
We are all struggling to achieve our goals and dreams


Law - we ain't trustin' them, thick broads - we lust in them
We are skeptical of those in power and are drawn to material things


Sick and tired of bunchin' it, I look on the bus at them
I am fed up with the system that keeps people down


When I see them struggling, I think how I'm touchin' them
I am inspired to make a difference in people's lives


The day has come
The time for change is now


Now we are one
We are united in our goal to improve society


Just take your time
We need to be patient in our journey to make a difference


And then you'll find...
We will find a way to make the world a better place


The people said that I was sharp on TV
People recognized my talent and skills


At the Grammys, though they tried to India.Arie me
Even in moments of success, I faced discrimination


Got back stage, and I bumped into Stevie
I had the opportunity to meet one of my musical heroes


He said no matter what, the people gon' see me
Stevie Wonder reassured me that my message would be heard


Can't leave rap alone; the streets need me
I feel a sense of responsibility to use my platform for good


Hunger in they eyes is what seems to feed me
The struggles of others are what drive me to make a difference


Inside peace mixed with beast seem to breed me
I am a complex individual with both peaceful and aggressive traits


Nobody believe until I believe me
I had to believe in myself before anyone else did


Now I'm on the rise, doin' business with my guys
I have achieved success and am working with my closest collaborators


Visions realized, music affected lives
Our music has made an impact in people's lives


A gift from the skies to be recognized
I am grateful for my talents and the recognition I have received


I'm keeping my eyes on the people: that's the prize
My focus remains on making a positive change in society


From Englewood to a single hood in Botswana
Our message reaches people around the world


I see the "I" in "We," my nigga; yours is my drama
We are all connected and share each other's struggles


Standin' in front of the judge with no honor
Minorities are often unfairly targeted by law enforcement


Barack stick, knight the people like Obama
Barack Obama gave hope to marginalized communities and inspired us to fight for change


The karma of the streets is needs and takes
People in poor communities are often trapped in cycles of poverty


Sometimes we find peace in beats and breaks
Music can be a form of escapism and comfort


Put the bang in the back so the seats can shake
Our music is meant to be enjoyed and celebrated


Rebel Cadillac music for the people's sake
Our music represents rebellion and resistance for the greater good


The day has come
We are at a critical turning point


Now we are one
We must come together to make a difference


Just take your time
Change will come slowly, but it will come


And then you'll find...
We will eventually find the change we need


The people
Our message is for the people, and we will continue to fight for their rights




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Gil Heron, Kanye West, Lonnie Lynn

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

yirish martinez

She came from Greece she had a thirst for knowledge
She studied sculpture at Saint Martin's College
That's where I
Caught her eye
She told me that her dad was loaded
I said, in that case I'll have rum and Coca-Cola
She said fine
And then in thirty seconds time she said
I wanna live like common people
I wanna do whatever common people do
Wanna sleep with common people
I wanna sleep with common people
Like you
Oh what else could I do
I said I'll, I'll see what I can do
I took her to a supermarket
I don't know why
But I had to start it somewhere
So it started there
I said pretend you've got no money
She just laughed and said
Oh you're so funny
I said; yeah
I can't see anyone else smiling in here
Are you sure?
You wanna live like common people
You wanna see whatever common people see
Wanna sleep with common people
You wanna sleep with common people
Like me
But she didn't understand
She just smiled and held my hand
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'Cause when you're laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all, yeah
You'll never live like common people
You'll never do whatever common people do
You'll never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And you dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do
Sing along with the common people
Sing along and it might just get you through
Laugh along with the common people
Laugh along even though they're really laughing at you
And the stupid things that you do
Because you think that poor is cool
Like a dog lying in a corner
They will bite you and never warn you
Look out, they'll tear your insides out
'Cause everybody hates a tourist
Especially one who thinks it's all such a laugh
Yeah and the chip stains and grease
Will come out in the bath
You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright
Whilst you can only wonder why
Rent a flat above a shop
Cut your hair and get a job
Smoke some fags and play some pool
Pretend you never went to school
But still you'll never get it right
'Cause when you're laid in bed at night
Watching roaches climb the wall
If you called your dad he could stop it all
Yeah
Never live like common people
Never do what common people do
Never fail like common people
You'll never watch your life slide out of view
And then dance and drink and screw
Because there's nothing else to do
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
Wanna live with common people like you
I wanna live with common people like you
Oh, la, la, la, la
Oh, la, la, la, la
Oh, la, la, la, la
Oh, la, la, la, la
Oh you



Sw88

I can remember being 15 years old and laying in a beer garden on the other side of town. Me and my best friend had been out all day walking and exploring.. and we had to stop for a little while and grab a coke.
I’ll never forget laying on the grass at the back of the pub… and a beautiful girl with blonde hair came walking towards us.. she had a mate with her, he was American… over protective and snooty as F!
The conversation started off well… and very quickly became a “we’re richer than you “ narrative. She was a little drunk and at the time that was edgy as hell… I could feel my soul leaving my body in the minutes that followed… and the ivory tower snobbery came out like a rampant dog.. to say it was degrading would not do it any justice.. and i could hear a song playing in the bar and because the back door was fully open i could hear the music and the melody alone was catching my attention.

I was getting sick of these two absolutely helmets, taking to us and harping on and on about how much their parents made and how we were on the rich side of town and they just kept on asking us about our parents cash flow and i had to put my head back on the lush long grass and I could feel the conforming feeling of the grass around my neck and my head as I realised I could not even escape the derision and ridicule of my peers at school in my summer break…. My poorness just followed me around… and it switched off and I just listened to the song coming out on the warm breeze form the back of the pub… I think I caught the song at the second verse…. And it was probably the only thing in my life before that told me of my actual place.. I was one of those guys.
I hadn’t even heard of the band before this moment… and I didn’t know the name of the band for a long time after…
But the lyrics were really deeply rooted in my head… and I felt it on a molecular level.

It was an almost identical feeling in my chest… that I was a poor little boy for the more well off people to consider as a little trinket, a little bit of fun for rich people… and in that moment I finally found my place in the world.. I was the lower class!
I had nothing.. my family had nothing… we all had nothing.. in a time of widespread unemployment and the A hole of any type of working class town… with half the population out of work… and the other side of the town just felt like a different planet.

No wonder these two idiots have been conditioned to hate poor people….. and I’ll never forget the whole thing and how the music of one song in the most influential part of a young man’s life between childhood and adulthood…. The almost “wonder years “prelude at the end of the show when the lesson is learned…. Terrible grammar but you get the point.

Listening to this song as a teenager and having a good. Hard lessons on my place in the world was a memory I had now and I’ll always have in my mind every time I listen to pulp… especially this particular song… as it’s the first song in my life until this point I ever really cared for…. I was just not that interested in music before I was gifted this song… and that midsummer afternoon in the back of the pub garden accompanied by my best friend and a couple of absolute idiots with the most rock hard attitude I’ve ever seen in kids. We were all kids, these two little clowns were another level of fun.
I wonder what they are doing now… the American guy is probably back home in a mood because his girlfriend more interested in me than she was him…. Apart from being too broke…. I bet we could have been happy together. Lol
Kidding…. I’ve loved pulp ever since and J Cocker is one of the coolest people on the planet and I even got the bus to London one day with my friend and we were both going to see if we could bump into him in soho and we went to Bar Italia and had a chicken sandwich and a milkshake…. Having no idea what we were actually doing all said and done.. it was so funny… in the end he said that we should see if we could get into the nearest pub and we did… I’ve never been so drunk in my life before that afternoon in London…. So drunk in fact that I ended up getting a tattoo nest to the Raymond review bar…. Compared out of my head drunk…. Literally just doing what common people do…. And it’s true… You will never understand
How it feels to live your life
With no meaning or control
And with nowhere left to go
You are amazed that they exist
And they burn so bright
Whilst you can only wonder why..



All comments from YouTube:

Child Of Nature

The anthem of the working class. Request this at any pub in the country on s Saturday night and witness the common people singing it as loud as possible, as if forcing the universe itself to acknowledge their existence and to acknowledge that they matter. It’s s beautiful thing.

Curiosity Piqued

Pre mr brightside perhaps....not so well known rhese days

Jean Lundi

Cringe.

Curiosity Piqued

@Jean Lundi what's cringe

Curiosity Piqued

@Jean Lundi ??

18 More Replies...

Tom Vallance

Being born in the late 90s I (obviously) missed Pulp's peak of popularity but if there's one thing in modern society that I can fully support, it's the ease in which you can discover artists from before your time. I discovered Pulp in 2012 while doing my paper round and I'm now seeing them 3 times this year. Neighbourhood weekender performance is already by best gig of all time

Holly-Leanne

you're so lucky! ❤ from canada!

dave conyard

Nice One Tom, Have a Great Time 👍👍

Chantal Guevara

That’s so lucky to be able to see them several times this year alone! Some years ago, a choreographer I can’t stand (I work in dance) had a show in London at the Barbican, but after opening night, reviews mentioned that Jarvis was involved. I checked for tickets, there was a choice between first row on the right or first row on the left; I bought the ticket on the left AND HE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME 😍😍😍😍😍😍😍😍

CamdenBloke

I discovered "I Spy" on the mission impossible soundtrack album. I discovered several bands on that album. I got a cd of 'Different Class' and the fandom began.

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