Liberation
Outkast feat. Cee Lo Green Lyrics

And there's a, and there's a
There exists, there exists

And there's a, and there's a fine, line
And there exists a delicate boundary

Too late to pray that I'm on it
Regretting that I am now involved in it

Ya yeah yeah
Yes, indeed

Y'all, uh huh, y'all
All of you, yes, indeed, all of you

There's a fine line between love and hate you see
There is a fragile distinction between affection and hostility, as you can perceive

Came way too late but baby I'm on it
It may be tardy, but I am determined to handle it

Can't wait too late but baby I'm on it
I cannot delay any longer, but I am determined to handle it

Can't worry bout, what a nigga think now see
I cannot be concerned with someone else's opinions, you understand

That's Liberation and baby I want it
That is true freedom, and I desire it

Many times I sit back and contemplate
Frequently, I reflect and ponder

I'm fresh off the dank, but I'm telling my story
Although I am influenced by drugs, I am sharing my personal narrative

My relationship, with my folks is give and take
The connection I have with my people involves reciprocity

And I done took so much, now gimme my glory
I have endured numerous hardships, so now I deserve recognition

To have a choice to be who you wants to be
Having the freedom to become the person one desires to be

It's left up to me, and my momma and 'em told me (yes she did)
The decision is mine, and my mother and others advised me

No, no, no
Absolutely not

I'm so tired, it's been so long, struggling, hopelessly
I am exhausted and have been enduring a lengthy, hopeless struggle

Seven and forty days, hey
Forty-seven days, hey

Oh, I sacrifice every breath I breathe
I am willing to give up my every breath

To make you believe, I'd give my life away
In order to convince you, I would relinquish my life

Oh lord, I'm so tired, I'm so tired
Oh lord, I am extremely exhausted

My feet feel like I walked most of the road on my own
My feet feel as if I have traveled most of the journey alone

All on my own, we
Completely on my own, we are

We alive but we ain't living, that's why I'm giving until it's gone
We are alive, but we are not truly experiencing life, which is why I am giving all I have until it is depleted

Cause I don't want to be alone (I don't want to be alone)
Because I do not wish to be lonely

I don't want to be alone, yeah
I do not want to be alone, yes

Is there anything I can say to help you find your way
Is there anything I can express to assist you in discovering your path

Touch ya soul, make ya whole, the same for you and I
To touch your soul, to make you complete, in the same way as you and I

There's not a minute that goes by that I don't believe
Not a single moment passes that I do not have faith

We can fly.. but I can feel it in the wind
That we can soar.. but I can sense it in the air

The beginning or the end
The commencement or the conclusion

So people keep your head to the sky
Therefore, individuals should remain optimistic

Shake that load off, shake that load off [Repeat: x16]
Eliminate that burden, eliminate that burden

Folk in your face, you're a superstar
People are in your face because you are a celebrity

Niggas hang around cause of who you are
Individuals linger because of your identity

You get a lot of love cause of what you got
You receive plenty of adoration because of your possessions

Say they happy for you but they really not
They claim to be happy for you, but they truly are not

Sell a lot a' records and you roll a Benz
Sell many records and you drive a Mercedes-Benz

Fall up in the spot now you losing friends
Arrive at the venue and now you are losing friends

All ya want to do is give the world ya heart
All you want to do is offer your heart to the world

Record label trying to make you compromise ya art
The record label is attempting to make you compromise your artistic integrity

You make a million dollars, make a million mo'
You earn a million dollars, then make another million

First class broads treat ya like a nigga po
First class women treat you like a pauper

You want to say "Wait!" but you're scared to ask
You wish to protest, but you are afraid to inquire

Ya world starts spinning and it's moving fast
Your world begins to revolve rapidly

Ya try to stay sane that's the price of fame
You attempt to remain mentally stable, and that is the cost of being famous

Spending your life trying to numb the pain
Devoting your life to numbing the pain

Ya shake that load off and sing ya song
You release that burden and sing your song

Liberate the minds, then you go on home...
Freeing the minds of others, then you return home...

I must admit, they planted a lot of things
I must confess, they indoctrinated numerous ideas

In the brains and the veins of my strain
Within the minds and bloodlines of my lineage

Makes it hard to refrain, from the host of cocaine
It becomes difficult to resist the allure of cocaine

From them whores, from the flame
From those prostitutes, from the allure

From a post in the game
From a position in this lifestyle

Makes it hard to maintain focus
Causes difficulties in sustaining concentration

Then from the glock rounds and lockdowns and burials
And then there are the gunshots, imprisonments, and funerals

The seeds that sow, get devoured by the same locusts
The individuals who plant seeds are consumed by their own troubles

Cause it's a hard row to hoe
Because it is a difficult path to traverse

If your ass don't move, and the rain don't fall
If you do not take action, and the blessings do not come

And the ground is dry
And the earth is parched

But the roots are strong, so some survive
But the roots are resilient, so a few endure

To your surprise, no one voiced their cries
To your surprise, no one expressed their sorrows

You got more juice than Zeus
You possess more power than Zeus

Slanging lightning trying to frighten
Commanding thunderbolts and attempting to instill fear

Plains dwellers, of the Serengeti
Inhabitants of the plains, of the Serengeti

But get beheaded when you falsely dreaded
But become decapitated when you falsely provoke fear

Melanin silicon and collagen injected
Melanin, silicone, and collagen artificially enhanced

Dissecting my pride, fool I don't want to get it started
Dissecting my dignity, fool, I do not wish to initiate conflict

We be the lionhearted, without a fantasy
We are the brave, without illusions

It's like that red sprite, you can't imagine it
It is akin to lightning, you cannot fathom it

Unless you looking at the canvas of life
Unless you are observing the entirety of life

And not through the peephole of mortality
And not through the limited perspective of human existence

Single minded mentality
Narrow-minded outlook

Getting over on loopholes
Taking advantage of legal technicalities

Getting paid two-fold on technicalities
Earning twice the amount through legal loopholes

Clicking your heels, scared to bust how you feel
Tapping your heels together, hesitant to express your emotions

Pack the steel
Carry a firearm

Picking cotton from the killing fields with no Toto
Engaging in laborious tasks with no assistance

I don't we in Kansas no mo' though
I do not believe we are in Kansas anymore

Midwest or Dirty South
Either the American Midwest or the Southern United States

Clean dressed or dirty mouth
Well-dressed or foul-mouthed

Whether robbing preachers or killing Poor Righteous Teachers
Whether stealing from religious leaders or murdering those who strive for righteousness

You a scared demon
You are a fearful demon

Shouldn't be allowed to spread semen
You should not be permitted to procreate

And your cowardly lies never defying the jackals of babble
And your cowardly lies never challenging the senseless chatter

Running with they pack, tail between your legs
Running with their group, showing submissive behavior

Though the man on your head say the story
Although the authority figure in your life narrates the tale

As you downplay your glory
While you diminish your greatness

Cackling, helping the shackling of your brethren happen
Chuckling, aiding in the oppression of your own people

Just by rapping
Simply by rapping

Liberator
One who frees and empowers