Our Generation
Roots (w/John Legend) Lyrics


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Hope of the world is in our generation
(lets straighten it out)
It's all left up to us to change this present situation
(lets straighten it out)
Take caution from our elders, don't make the same mistake
(lets straighten it out)
Let's fill the world with love, and get rid of all the hate
Our elders taught us one thing but, practice another
Just look at what happened to the Indian and the brother

Straighten it out
Straighten it out
Straighten it out

Hope of the world is in our generation
(lets straighten it out)
It's all left up to us to change this present situation
(lets straighten it out)
Our leaders make us fight, and we don't know what for
(lets straighten it out)
If they want people killed, let them fight the war

It's gotta end somewhere, this killing's got to cease
If no one were to fight, we'd all live in peace

Our generation, it's all left up to us
Our generation, let's do just what we must
Straighten it out, (Straighten it out)
Gotta straighten it out
Straighten it out, (Straighten it out)
We can straighten it out yeah

As long as there's a you, there's a better me
It's why we're together and stronger
Than they ever thought it could be
A world motherless, can health care cover this?
A love for all people no matter what the culture is
Our generation, is makin' huge strides
A self-empowering movement that's on the rise
The more the door is open, the more the youth can see
A fair chance means a greater opportunity
To have a brighter future, deeper insight
Work hard to be anything you want in life
It's what it's all about, the longevity
Educated enough to know what's ahead of me
Need to straighten it out, seek and you'll find
They can cage your body, but not your mind
We lay it all on the line in the struggle
We grew, but together here's what we gotta do

Our generation, it's all left up to us
(Straighten it out)
Our generation,
(Straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must
Straighten it out, our generation
Straighten it out
Lets straighten it out,
Straighten it out, our generation
Straighten it out yeah (Straighten it out)
C'mon yeah our generation
Hey hey lets straighten it out,
Lets straighten it out
Our generation, let's straighten it out
New york city
Our generation, let's straighten it out
Atalanta
Our generation, let's straighten it out




Los Angeles
Our generation, let's straighten it out

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Our Generation" by Roots (w/John Legend) emphasize the role of the current generation in creating a better future for the world. The song asserts that it is up to the current generation to bring about positive changes to the current situation. It calls for the younger generation to learn from the mistakes of the past, and to fill the world with love to eradicate hate. The song suggests that the elders taught one thing but practice another, which has led to the destruction of many cultures and communities, and calls for the younger generation to correct these mistakes.


The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "straighten it out" to emphasize the need for the current generation to take proactive steps to improve the current situation. The lyrics also criticize the role of leaders in creating divisions and encouraging conflict. The song calls for an end to killings and instead promotes peace, encouraging people to fight for a brighter future based on a fair chance and equal opportunities.


Line by Line Meaning

Hope of the world is in our generation
We are the only hope for the world to change for the better


(lets straighten it out)
We should take action and fix the problems in the world


It's all left up to us to change this present situation
It's our responsibility to change the current state of the world


Take caution from our elders, don't make the same mistake
We can learn from our elders and their experiences to avoid repeating their mistakes


Let's fill the world with love, and get rid of all the hate
We should strive to spread love and eliminate hate in the world


Our elders taught us one thing but, practice another
Our elders may have taught us one thing, but their actions say otherwise


Just look at what happened to the Indian and the brother
The mistreatment of Native Americans and African Americans is evidence of our elders' failures


Our leaders make us fight, and we don't know what for
Our leaders cause us to fight wars without a clear understanding of the purpose


If they want people killed, let them fight the war
Leaders who want war should fight it themselves instead of sending others to die


It's gotta end somewhere, this killing's got to cease
The killing and violence in the world must stop eventually


If no one were to fight, we'd all live in peace
If people refused to fight, there would be no war and we could all live in peace


As long as there's a you, there's a better me
We can improve ourselves and the world as long as we have each other


It's why we're together and stronger
Our unity makes us stronger in our efforts to make the world a better place


A world motherless, can health care cover this?
Can healthcare compensate for the lack of a mother's care in the world?


A love for all people no matter what the culture is
We should love and respect all people, regardless of their cultural background


Our generation, is makin' huge strides
Our generation is making significant progress in improving the world


A self-empowering movement that's on the rise
Our generation is taking control of our own destiny and making positive changes


The more the door is open, the more the youth can see
The more opportunities we have, the more the younger generation can learn and grow


A fair chance means a greater opportunity
Giving people an equal chance leads to greater potential for success


To have a brighter future, deeper insight
We need to have a greater understanding of the world to create a better future


Work hard to be anything you want in life
We must work hard to achieve our goals and dreams in life


The longevity
The long-term success and prosperity


Educated enough to know what's ahead of me
We must educate ourselves to understand where our actions will lead us


Need to straighten it out, seek and you'll find
We must take action and search for solutions to the problems in the world


They can cage your body, but not your mind
Others can physically restrain us, but our thoughts and beliefs are ours to control


We lay it all on the line in the struggle
We put everything on the line in our fight for a better world


We grew, but together here's what we gotta do
We have made some progress, but there's still much work to be done


New york city
Reference to one of the cities where the song is addressing and encouraging its listeners


Atalanta
Reference to one of the cities where the song is addressing and encouraging its listeners


Los Angeles
Reference to one of the cities where the song is addressing and encouraging its listeners




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LEON MOORE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@luvableakt1

how did i miss this album 6 yrs later damn!!!

@paulrouhan7288

Avery Tolden More details and we can help you... 😉😀

@ajwadsuleman845

9 years bro 9!!!!

@temazosist

Samanté

@bnk57

It’s so good to be with you.

@djgospelslimwtyj97.7fm6

Power to the people!!!!

@tsmiles27

Thanks Peter for putting me on to
..........Ernie Hines!!!

@earthyplayshd2chanel289

Whoa 7 years and I just found this!!!

@WazigeLogica

Thanks for posting alfalero. Happy to have found this, I tought John Legend would still be making the slick records, so plesantly surprized by this work here. Definetly checking him out live this summer in the Netherlands.

@TheSamBlonde

Music with a message...

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