They Say
Common Kanye West John Legend Lyrics

They say "What's happenin'?"
"What's going on?" they ask.

We say the facts and then, they lie
We tell the truth but then they twist it to their advantage.

We comin' back for them
We're going to retaliate against them.

They might say but they don't know
They may express an opinion, but they don't truly understand.

They say a nigga lost his mind
People claim that I’ve gone crazy.

But in the scheme of things I never lost a rhyme
But from my perspective, I haven't lost my artistic touch.

The thin line between love and hatred
There's a fine line between loving and hating someone.

I'm the black pill in the Matrix, the saturated life
I represent the dark truth in a world that is consumed by superficiality and excess.

They say life is what you make it
People claim that life is the result of one's own choices and actions.

So I wait quick on a spaceship so I can take it
I'm trying to seize every opportunity that comes my way as fast as possible.

As high as the stakes get when paper get low
The risk becomes greater when there is less money involved.

I be tellin' Derick, "Tell Cara get us a show"
I'm instructing my team to book us gigs in order to make money.

Little Com, I make righteous bitches get low
I have the power to make women who think they're morally superior to others, dance provocatively.

The richest man ain't necessarily the nigga with dough
Just because someone has wealth doesn't mean they have true richness.

They say "You ripped", "Wow", yeah, that's what they say
People compliment me by saying that I'm doing great.

My niggas couldn't tell it was me, like Jamie in Ray
My friends were surprised at how successful I've become, just like Jamie Foxx playing Ray Charles in the movie "Ray".

Paintin' a day, with focused crime, broads, and good wine
I'm living life to the fullest by indulging in crime, women, and expensive wine.

They say "Dope is sour so it's homework and hood crimes"
People say that the drugs are of low quality, so deal-making becomes harder and crimes increase in impoverished neighborhoods.

I stood mine, for forever and a day, so goodbye
I've persevered through everything and now I'm ready to say goodbye to my struggles.

They never could say, tell 'em, J
They were never able to truly understand, so I'm turning to my friend J(ohn Legend) to explain it for me.

Ah, the sweet taste of victory
I'm enjoying the satisfying feeling of winning.

Go 'head and breath it in like antihistamine
Take it all in to the point of clearing your sinuses, like taking an antihistamine medication.

I know they sayin', "Damn, Ye' snapped with this beat"
People are saying that I've produced a great beat.

Fuck you expect? I've got a history
What do people expect? I've always been great at what I do.

Groupie love now, gotta be them wheels
Now that I'm famous, I attract women who are only interested in me for my success and the material possessions that come with it.

Haters back down, gotta be that steel
People who criticize me back off when they realize that I have the power and influence to destroy them.

I know they cant wait 'til ya outta ya deal
People are eager to see me leave my record deal so that they have more control over what I do.

Look how they did D'Angelo, ask 'em "How do it feel?"
Just look at the way they treated D'Angelo after he left his record label; it wasn't pretty. Ask him how it felt.

My best friends worry 'bout me
My closest friends are concerned about my well-being.

'Cause they know when you famous
They know that being famous comes with its own set of challenges and struggles.

And you had made cash the media aims at us and you be up so high
Once you've made money and become famous, the media starts to scrutinize your every move and it's easy to get caught up in the hype.

If you ever fall off, it feel like a plane crash
If you ever lose your fame and success, it feels like a devastating crash.

But God don't ever give me nothin' I cant handle
I believe that God won't give me anything I can't handle.

So please don't ever give me records I can't sample
I'm asking God to give me opportunities that I'm capable of handling and succeeding in.

So I could vacay where it ain't no channels
I'm hoping for opportunities to get away from media scrutiny.

But it's quite okay for a gangsta to wear sandals
Even though I'm a "gangsta", it's acceptable for me to relax and wear casual sandals.

They say because of the fame and stardom
People think that being famous and successful has changed me.

I'm somewhere in between the church and insane asylum
I'm somewhere between being a good, religious person and a crazy, insane one.

I guess it's messin' with my health then
I suppose this situation is negatively affecting my health.

And this verse so crazy when I finish
This verse I'm writing is so wild and unorthodox.

I'm just gon' check myself in, again
I'm considering checking myself into a mental health facility again.

They say, "Dude think he righteous"
People say that I think of myself as a moral and virtuous person.

I write just to free minds, from Stony to Rikers
I write music in order to free the minds of people in every place, from Stony Brook to Rikers Island.

Amongst the lifeless, in a world crazy as Mike is
I write music among a group of people who feel dead in a world that is as crazy as Mike Tyson.

On my paper, whether its weed or Isis
I write down whatever comes to mind, whether it's about smoking weed or the terrorist group ISIS.

They say life is a game, so I play hard
People say that life is like a game, so I'm playing it to the best of my abilities.

Writin' for my life 'cause I'm scared of a day job
I'm writing music to support myself because I'm afraid of having to work a regular day job.

They say "Sef kept the hood together"
People say that I'm responsible for uniting and maintaining the neighborhood community.

I tell the young, "We can't play the hood forever"
I'm warning the younger generation that we can't stay in the neighborhood forever and need to move on to bigger and better things.

Play my cards right, they say I went too left
If I play my cards right, people will criticize me for taking a radical or unconventional approach.

They showed me strange love, like I was Mr. F
People have expressed their love to me in a weird or unexpected way, comparable to a fictional character from the "Fantastic Four."

Played chess in this game of, pawns and knights
I'm playing a strategic game among people who are being manipulated, and those who manipulate them.

Now I claim "King" like Don, or Frank White
Now I'm asserting my dominance and referring to myself as a king, like the characters Don Corleone and Frank White.

They say my life is comparable to Christ
People liken my life and experiences to those of Jesus Christ.

The way I sacrificed and resurrected twice
The way I've given up things for my career and come back stronger, twice.

They say "The crochet pants and the sweater was wack"
People didn't like my choice of pants and sweater, criticizing them as uncool or outdated.

Seen "The Corner", now they say "that nigga's back"
After seeing me on TV or in a movie, people are excited that I'm doing well and have returned to the spotlight.