Babylon
LIVING ROOM - Joey Bada$$ Lyrics

They say you never know what you got
It's been said that you don't appreciate what you have until it's gone

'Till it's all up and away
Until everything is lost or taken away

And it's all lonely at the top
Being at the top can be lonely and isolating

Sometimes you wanna throw it away
Sometimes you feel like giving up and starting over

But lately I've been talking to God
Recently, I've been seeking spiritual guidance

He told me heaven is a way better place
I've been told that heaven is a far better place than here on earth

So I'm taking everything that I've got
I'm taking all of my possessions and leaving

And I'm running away, I'm running away
I'm choosing to escape and start anew

I just can't cope with the pain
The pain is too much for me to bear

You just Don't understand
Others don't comprehend my situation

Gone like the wind, I can't seem to win
I feel like I'm constantly losing, with nothing staying constant

I know the end is near, but I just don't know when
I am aware that my time is limited, but unsure when it will come

Turn on to CNN, look at what I see again
When I watch CNN, the news is always the same

It's another black man died at the white hand of justice
Another black man has died due to injustice perpetrated by those in power

To tell the truth, man, I'm fucking disgusted
Honestly, I am completely disgusted

I fear for the lives for my sisters, my brothers
I am concerned for the safety of my siblings

Less fortunate than I, let's formulate a plan
Those who are less fortunate than I need a plan to help them

I'm sick of holding grudges, I'm loading in all my slugs and
I am tired of being resentful and am loading ammunition to fight back

Aiming it at you judges, fuck the cops
I am directing my anger towards the judges and police

Fuck the system and the government, you fuckers not
I reject the societal and governmental constructs in place

Protecting and serving
The police are supposed to protect and serve, but they're not

You more like damaging and hurting
In reality, they are doing more harm than good

And letting off shots 'till you motherfuckers certain
They continue to use excessive force until they are certain they have control

He ain't breathing, you made it clear
The victim is dead, which was the clear intention

Fuck your breath, nigga, don't even deserve air
The perpetrator dehumanizes the victim, suggesting they don't deserve basic rights

Don't even deserve shit, don't even deserve nothing
The victim deserves nothing, which is why they were treated so inhumanely

If black lives really mattered you niggas would do something
If black lives really mattered, more would be done to protect them

Instead we mean nothing, in fact we being hunted
Black lives matter no less than any other, but feel as though we are being preyed upon

They don't want us in abundance
Those in power don't want us to be successful and numerous

They know there's strength in the numbers
Those in power fear the strength of a large community of people coming together

That's why they gave you off
That's why they allowed you to leave, or escape

The time is coming, no discussion
The time is approaching, and it's non-negotiable

If you ain't got a gun then you better start runnin'
If you don't have a weapon, you better start running

Run to the rock of my salvation
I'm running to the place that will save me

Run to the stone that the builder rejected
I'm escaping to the place that others have deemed unworthy or unimportant

I run to Ababa, Christ Haile I Selasse
I am running to the sacred city of Ababa to seek guidance

Tell me nmerica is the land of the free, that a lie
To claim that America is a country of freedom is false

Cuh nobody no free bo ya
Because nobody is truly free

Better we leave Babylon and go a Ethiopia
It's better to leave America and go to Ethiopia

And if you don't believe we can achieve that
If you think it's impossible to do so

Then you're just another idiot or another
Then you're either ignorant or in denial

Motherfucker, it's the J-O-Z-I-F B-A-D-M-O-N
I am Joseph 'Joey Bada$$' Badmon

Come on, bring them ends on in
Bring the money in

I'm on the upside now, you can turn 'em M's upside down
I'm doing well, and we can flip the script

We bout to win, there's an L for the other side of him
We are going to emerge victorious, and the other side will lose

Most grace that you lost, I invite 'em in
I welcome those who have lost their dignity or hope to come with me

To my soul, don't you feel the vibes when I'm channeling
Can't you feel the energy and emotion I'm expressing?

The innermost of my spirit been engulfed with plenty gold
I am enriched spiritually, not financially

But most of them labels don't paint my soul
Most record labels don't share the same values or beliefs that I do

Who you think investing in penitentiaries though?
Who do you think is funding the prisons?

Same owners as them labels
The same people who own the record labels also own the prisons

Same owners of your cables
The same people who own the media control the narrative

Spoon feeding you fables trying to keep your mind stable
They are feeding you lies to keep you complacent and content

Your eyes blind, and your skin's hazel
You are not seeing the truth, and it doesn't matter what your skin color is

The truth is under your nasal
The truth is right in front of you

But even the air's all fucked up
Even the air we breathe is polluted and poisoned

How we supposed to see stars? Chemicals all above us
How are we supposed to see past our current situation when there are factors beyond our control?

Plus bunch of other shit that's undiscovered
And there are plenty of other problems that we don't even know about

Detached from your roots, set sail, my brothers
Let go of your past, and start a new journey

That's word to motherland
I am speaking the truth about the motherland

Sold us on stolen land
We were forced to live on land that wasn't rightfully ours

Visions from brother men
Messages from our fellow men

You seen us all holding hands
You've seen us come together and show unity

Fifty years later still see my brothers choked to death
We were supposed to have made progress, but black men are still being killed unlawfully

R.I.P. to Eric Garner, only right I show respect
We must pay our respects to Eric Garner, who was killed the same way

Nowadays they hanging us by a different tree
Now they're using new and more subtle ways to oppress us

Branches of the government, I can name all three
I can name all three government branches that are responsible for our oppression

Judicial, legislative and executive
The court system, lawmakers, and those in power

Lock your pops away your moms and next of kin
They are imprisoning not just individuals, but entire families

It's all consecutive
It's all happening one after another, with no end in sight

I'm just trying to break the cycle
I am trying to put an end to this repeating pattern

I wonder if I'll do it all before they take my life, yo
I'm not sure if I have enough time to make a real change before I'm killed

Crucify my image, the Lord is my witness
They may try to make me out as a villain, but God knows the truth

Seen them Heaven's gates closed
I have seen people being sent to hell, which feels like heaven's doors are closed

I'mma break all them hinges for my niggas
I'll do whatever it takes to free my people

Yes, I'mma break all the hinges for my niggas
I will work tirelessly to free my community

You better start running, running
You need to start running away from Babylon

Babylon boy them a coming, coming yeah
The oppressors are coming to take us down

Babylon is coming, Babylon get jealous of we
The people in power are threatened by us

Of we, just because I walk this way, Babylon get jealous of we, of we hey
Simply because we choose to live and walk in our own unique way, we are seen as a threat to those in power