A Dream
Common / Will.I.Am Lyrics

(I am happy, I Have a Dream) I got a Dream
I am elated to say that I have an aspiration in life that I am actively pursuing.

(That One Day ) We gonna work it out out out
There will come a time when we will finally come to an agreement and fix our problems.

(I Have a Dream) I got a Dream
Again, I would like to state that I have a driving purpose in life.

(That One Day) That one day
Someday in the future.

(That One Day) I'ma look deep within myself
At some point, I will take a good, hard look at my inner self.

I gotta find a way, (I Have a Dream)
I need to come up with a solution to the problems I'm facing, as I'm living with a goal.

My Dream Is To Be Free
I yearn to experience autonomy and liberation.

In search of brighter days, I ride through the maze of the madness,
I am traveling through turbulent times in the pursuit of a more promising future.

Struggle is my address, where pain and crack lives,
I am living in a world of hardship and drug addiction.

Gunshots comin' from sounds of Blackness,
I am constantly hearing gunshots as a result of the chaos taking place in Black communities.

Given this game with no time to practice,
People like me are forced to navigate dangerous situations with no prior experience or guidance.

Born on the Black list, told I'm below average,
I was born into a society that places a low value on life for Black people and was made to feel unworthy.

A life with no cabbage,
I have no financial means nor resources.

That's no money if you from where I'm from,
Where I come from, what I consider to be not enough money is just a standard way of life.

Funny, I just want some of your sun,
Ironically, all I want is just a little hope and positivity from your world.

Dark clouds seem to follow me,
I feel as though I am constantly surrounded by negativity and sadness.

Alcohol that my pops swallowed bottled me,
My father's drinking problem has affected me deeply, as I'm dealing with unresolved issues.

No apology, I walk with a boulder on my shoulder,
I carry the weight of my past experiences and mistakes with me, and no one has tried to make it right.

It's a Cold War, I'm a colder soldier,
I am fighting a brutal, emotionally-charged war and am gradually becoming hardened as a result.

Hold the same fight that made Martin Luther the King,
I am continuing to fight for the same equal rights and privileges that Dr. King once advocated for.

I ain't usin' it for the right thing,
Unfortunately, I am not always putting my energy and time into noble, constructive purposes.

In between Lean and the fiends, hustle and the schemes,
I am trapped between addiction, scheming, and the hard realities of my life.

I put together pieces of a Dream
I am trying to piece together fragments of hope and ambition to keep my dream alive despite the discomforts.

The world's seen me lookin' in the mirror,
The world has seen me take a long, hard look at myself in the mirror.

Images of me, gettin' much clearer,
I am gradually becoming more self-aware and enlightened as I undergo this reflection.

Dear Self, I wrote a letter just to better my soul,
I wrote a letter to myself as a means of self-improvement.

If I don't express it then forever I'll hold, inside
I need to express myself or else I will continue to hold things in and never heal emotionally.

I'm from a side where we out of control,
I come from a community where we are often devoid of any real control over our lives.

Rap music in the 'hood played a fatherly role,
Rap music in my neighborhood filled in the societal gaps left by absent fathers and role models.

My story's like yours, yo it gotta be told,
My story is the same as many others, and it is important to be told for others to know that they are not alone in their struggles.

Tryin' to make it from a gangsta to a godlier role,
I am trying to transform from a criminal to a more virtuous type of person.

Read scrolls and stow slaves,
I am reading about slavery and the struggle for freedom of my ancestors.

And Jewish people in cold cage,
Jewish people were once trapped in concentration camps, which were similarly torturous as the slave factories my ancestors were trapped in.

Hate has no color or age, flip the page,
It is time to turn the page and put aside our hate for one another regardless of race, age, or other attributes.

Now my rage became freedom,
I managed to transform my anger and hatred into an overwhelming sense of liberation.

Writin' dreams in the dark, they far but I can see 'em,
I may be looking for hope in dark, uncertain times, but there is still a glimmer of aspiration to be seen.

I believe in Heaven more than Hell,
I have faith that I will one day get to an ideal place of paradise, rather than someplace miserable.

Blessings more than jail,
I would much rather have good things befall me than have to spend any more time in prison.

In the ghetto let love prevail,
In spite of the harshness of inner-city life, we must remain positive and loving towards one another.

With a story to tell, my eyes see the glory and well,
I have an important story to tell, and looking into the future, everything looks bright and optimistic.

The world waitin' for me to yell "I Have a Dream"
The world is waiting for me to announce proudly that I have a goal that I plan to achieve.

[Chorus]
Reiteration of the chorus.