A Song for Assata
Common featuring Cee‐Lo Lyrics

In the Spirit of God
In the belief that this movement is being guided by divine power.

In the Spirit of the Ancestors
In the belief that our ancestors who fought for freedom are with us in spirit.

In the Spirit of the Black Panthers
In the belief that the ideals and values of the Black Panther Party are the foundation for this movement.

In the Spirit of Assata Shakur
In the belief that Assata Shakur's struggle for freedom and justice is an inspiration and a model for our own struggle.

We make this movement towards freedom
We are engaged in a movement to achieve freedom for all those who have been oppressed and are still struggling.

For all those who have been oppressed, and all those in the struggle
The goal of this movement is to achieve freedom for everyone who has been oppressed and is still fighting for their rights.

There were lights and sirens, gunshots firing
The scene was chaotic and dangerous, with police firing gunshots.

Cover your eyes as I describe a scene so violent
The imagery that follows is graphic and disturbing.

Seemed like a bad dream, she laid in a blood puddle
The situation was so surreal that it seemed like a nightmare, but it was real and violent.

Blood bubbled in her chest, cold air brushed against open flesh
Assata was badly wounded, with blood bubbling from her chest and cold air making her injuries even more painful.

No room to rest, pain consumed each breath
Assata was in so much pain that she could not find any relief, as every breath was difficult.

Shot twice wit her hands up
Assata was shot twice by police while her hands were in the air, indicating surrender.

Police questioned but shot before she answered
The police shot Assata before she had a chance to answer their questions.

One Panther lost his life, the other ran for his
A member of the Black Panther Party was killed, and another fled the scene to avoid being arrested or killed.

Scandalous the police were as they kicked and beat her
The police were brutal and violent towards Assata, even after she had been shot and was injured.

Comprehension she was beyond, tryin' to hold on
Assata was in shock and struggling to stay conscious.

To life. She thought she'd live with no arm
Assata believed that she would lose one of her arms due to her injuries.

That's what it felt like, got to the hospital, eyes held tight
Assata was in so much pain and shock that she could barely open her eyes.

They moved her room to room-she could tell by the light
Assata was moved around the hospital frequently, and could only tell where she was by the amount of light coming in.

Handcuffed tight to the bed, through her skin it bit
Assata was handcuffed to the bed, causing her skin to hurt and be marked by the restraints.

Put guns to her head, every word she got hit
The police threatened Assata with guns and physically assaulted her when she did not provide the information they wanted.

"Who shot the trooper?" they asked her
The police were trying to find out who was responsible for shooting one of their colleagues.

Put mace in her eyes, threatened to blast her
The police used mace to blind Assata and threatened to kill her.

Her mind raced till things got still
Assata's mind was filled with fear and thoughts of what might happen, until the situation became quiet and still.

Opened her eyes, realized she's next to her best friend who got killed
Assata woke up and realized that her friend and fellow activist had been killed in the same incident.

She got chills, they told her, that's where she would be next
Assata was threatened by the police with the same fate as her friend - death.

Hurt mixed wit anger-survival was a reflex
Assata was both physically and emotionally hurt by the incident, but her instinct to survive kicked in.

They lied and denied visits from her lawyer
The police did not allow Assata to see her lawyer and tried to prevent her from getting legal representation.

But she was building as they tried to destroy her
Assata was becoming stronger and more determined, even as the police tried to break her will.

If it wasn't for this German nurse they would of served her worse
Assata was able to receive medical care and help from a German nurse who treated her with compassion and kindness.

I read this sister's story, knew that it deserved a verse
The songwriter thought that Assata's story was powerful and inspiring, and deserved to be told in a song.

I wonder what would happen if that would of been me?
The songwriter imagines what it would be like to experience the same kind of oppression and violence that Assata did.

All this shit so we could be free, so dig it, y'all
Assata's struggle and the struggle of others who have been oppressed has been to achieve freedom for everyone.

From North Carolina her grandmother would bring
Assata's family members would visit her in prison from North Carolina.

News that she had had a dream
Assata's grandmother would share her dreams with her when she visited.

Her dreams always meant what they needed them to mean
Assata's grandmother's dreams were like prophecies that came true.

She dreamt that Assata was free in they old house in Queens
Assata's grandmother had a dream that she was free and living in her childhood home.

The fact that they always came true was the thing
The fact that Assata's grandmother's dreams always came true was remarkable and meaningful.

Assata had been convicted of a murder she couldna done
Assata was wrongly accused and convicted of a crime she did not commit.

Medical evidence shown she couldna shot the gun
There was evidence that proved Assata was not capable of committing the crime she was accused of.

It's time for her to see the sun from the other side
Assata has spent too much time in captivity and deserves to be free.

Time for her daughter to be by her mother's side
Assata deserves to be reunited with her family, including her daughter.

Time for this Beautiful Woman to become soft again
Assata has been through too much and deserves to be able to rest and heal.

Time for her to breathe, and not be told how or when
Assata deserves to have control over her own life and decisions.

She untangled the chains and escaped the pain
Assata was able to break free from the chains of oppression and the pain that accompanied it.

How she broke out of prison I could never explain
The songwriter does not know how Assata was able to escape from prison.

And even to this day they try to get to her
Assata is still being pursued by authorities who want to capture her.

But she's free with political asylum in Cuba
Assata has found refuge and freedom in Cuba, where she has been granted political asylum.

Freedom! You askin' me about freedom
The songwriter is being asked to define what freedom means.

I'll be honest with you
The songwriter is going to speak truthfully about their thoughts on freedom.

I know a whole more about what freedom isn't
The songwriter has experienced a lack of freedom more than they have experienced true freedom.

Than about what it is, cause I've never been free
The songwriter has never experienced true freedom, so they cannot fully define what it means.

I can only share my vision with you of the future
The songwriter can only imagine what true freedom might look like in the future.

About what freedom is
The songwriter is going to try and articulate their vision of what freedom might be.

Freedom is, is the right to grow, is the right to blossom
Freedom means having the opportunity to develop and flourish as an individual.

Freedom is is the right to be yourself, to be who you are
Freedom means being able to express yourself and live your life on your own terms.

To be who you want to be, to do what you want to do
Freedom means having the autonomy and agency to make your own decisions and pursue your own goals.