High for Hours
J. Cole Lyrics

This is called being high as shit For hours That's the name of this song nigga, "High as Shit for Hours"
The song is called 'High as Shit for Hours'

American hypocrisy, oh let me count the ways They came here seeking freedom and they end up owning slaves Justified it using Christianity would say Religion don't mean shit, it's too much ego in the way That's why ISIS is a crisis But in reality this country do the same shit Take a life and call it righteous
America is hypocritical, they came for freedom but ended up owning slaves using Christianity to justify their actions. Religion doesn't mean anything, there's too much ego in the way. ISIS is considered a crisis, but America has done the same thing by taking a life and calling it righteous.

Remember when Bin Laden got killed, supposedly In a hotel lobby after a show Was noticing these white ladies watching CNN Covering the action They read the headline and then they all started clapping As if Lebron has just scored a basket at the buzzer I stood there for a second watch them high five each other For real? I though this was thou shalt not kill But police still letting off on niggas in the Ville Claiming that he reached for a gun They really think we dumb and got a death wish Now somebody's son is laying breathless
People celebrate when Bin Laden was killed, but it goes against the 'Thou shalt not kill' rule. Meanwhile, police are still killing black men and justifying it by claiming they reached for a gun. They think black people are dumb and have a death wish, but this has resulted in someone's son being killed.

When I was a little boy my father lived in Texas Pulled up in Toyota, drove that bitch like it was Lexus Put my bag in his trunk and headed off for Dallas Out their for the summer feeling just like I was Alice Lost in the wonder land where niggas still suffering Just like they was back home and that's wrong So now its fuck the government, they see my niggas struggling And they don't give a fuck at all and that's wrong, yeah
As a child, the artist's father lived in Texas and drove a Toyota like it was a fancy car. The artist went to Dallas for summer and felt like he was lost in wonderland where black people are still suffering just like back home, and this is wrong. The government doesn't care about black struggles, and this is wrong.

I had a convo with the president, I paid to go and see him Thinking bout the things I said I'd say when I would see him Feeling nervous, sitting in a room full of white folks Thinking about the black man plight, think I might choke, nope Raised my hand and asked a man a question 'Does he see the struggles of his brothers in oppression? And if so, if you got all the power in the clout as the president What's keeping you from helping niggas out?'
The artist had a conversation with the president and paid to see him. Feeling nervous in a room full of white people, he asked the president if he sees the struggles of black people and why he isn't doing anything to help them despite being in power.

He look me in my eyes and spoke and he was rather swift He broke the issues down and showed me he was well aware I got the vibe he was sincere and that the brother cared But dawg you in the chair, what's the hold up? He said there's things that I wanna fix But you know this shit nigga, politics Don't stop fighting and don't stop believing You can make the world better for your kids before you leave it Change is slow, always has been, always will be But fuck that, I'mma bust back, 'till they kill me But fuck that, I'mma bust back until they kill me You feel me?
The president seemed sincere and aware of the issues, but he mentioned that there are certain things he wants to fix but politics stands in the way. He encourages the singer to not stop fighting and to make the world better for his kids. Change is always slow, but the singer will keep fighting until they kill him.

Here's a thought for my revolutionary heart Take a deeper look at history, it's there to pick apart See the people at the top, they get to do just what they want 'Til after while the people at the bottom finally get smart Then they start to holla revolution, tired of living here, destitution Fuck that looting, can you tell me what's the best solution? I used to think it was to over throw oppressors See, if we destroy the system that means we'll have less of greed But see, it's not that simple I got to thinking 'bout the history of human nature While this instrumental, play Then I realized something that made me wonder if revolution was really ever the way Before you trip and throw a fit over these words I say Think about this shit for second, you heard the way The children in abusive households grow up knocking girlfriends out cold That's called a cycle Abused becomes the abuser and that how life go So understand Look at the power, but you know what power does to man Corruption always leads us to the same shit again So when you talk about revolution dawg, I hear just what you saying What good is taking over, when we know what you gon' do The only real revolution happens right inside of you I said The only real revolution happens right inside of you, nigga
The singer realizes that overthrowing oppressors may not be the best solution to end greed. Destroying the system doesn't mean less greed, and the singer thinks about how abused children can become abusers. The cycle of abuse is a result of power, and corruption leads to the same outcome. The real revolution happens within oneself and changing their own behavior.