Take It There
The Roots Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stand up, stretch for the stars
Get somebody else involved right next to ya
Y'all elected me to keep it so fresh for ya
Just cause I make it possible for the rest of ya
To just take it there come on and
Get your head ringin' from the sting of the snare
Spine tingle elevating every singular hair
All the way from South Philly on a wing and prayer
And still bringin' it yeah

C'mon take it there, let's take it there

I'm from the side of town
Where shots get sprayed around
Where the expectancy rate be twenty-eight around
Downtown battleground where cops parade around
Have your whole view of life beyond jaded
How everybody sick of breaking down, tryin' a make it out
Hand over fist the only way to get the paper down
People tired of gettin' pushed around, gettin' gangsta now
Discipline the only way to bring some kinda change around
Chain cirgarette smokin' with bad nerves
And brothas with bad lungs from smokin' mad herb
Whoever in the dark is unseen and heard
Let's submerge, I can feel something close we on the verge
Talkin' bout, to my street sweepers, hotel housekeepers
And my people spillin' this out through jail house speakers
Some people rather use than might than use heaters
Some people rather lose they life than lose freedom
For real

C'mon take it there, let's take it there

Flash light, red light, proceed ahead right
Straight into them headlights, you get your head right
Head right get a third strike, hit the turnpike
Life quicker than spliff that wouldn't burn right
Make you wanna holla 'bout it
It ain't no doubt about it
Every now and then you gotta stand up and shout about it
And I'll be shoutin' it to, as if a shout'll count
Yo they got accountin' to do, reamount the balance
The shit more puzzlin' than a jigsaw
Raw pitbulls hustlin' through the pitfalls
Some of y'all toys let the laughter rip roar
Heart felt truth in every lyric I spit forth
Raise up time to lift off
Written on a legal pad, poetry that sizzle the clip board
My og, my homey who taught me deal
Said in prayer that's the only time you should ever kneel
And that's real, I'm a take it there





C'mon take it there, let's take it there

Overall Meaning

The first verse of the song "Take It There" by The Roots feat. Wadud Ahmad encourages listeners to step out of their comfort zone and strive for greatness. The singer acknowledges that their position of being elected to keep things fresh for the listeners means that it is their duty to inspire others to take risks and reach for the stars. The imagery in the lyrics is vivid, describing the sensory experience of the music with phrases like "head ringing from the sting of the snare" and "spine tingle elevating every singular hair." The second verse is more introspective, with the singer reflecting on the challenges and dangers of life in their community. They acknowledge the prevalence of violence and crime, and the difficulty of escaping poverty. The lyrics also highlight the resiliency and strength of the people living in these conditions, with phrases like "my street sweepers, hotel housekeepers" and "my people spillin' this out through jail house speakers." The message of the song is ultimately one of hope and perseverance, encouraging listeners to rise up and take control of their own lives.


Line by Line Meaning

Stand up, stretch for the stars
Get motivated and reach for your goals


Get somebody else involved right next to ya
Collaborate with others to achieve greatness


Y'all elected me to keep it so fresh for ya
I'm here to keep things new and exciting for you


Just cause I make it possible for the rest of ya
I enable others to succeed through my efforts


To just take it there come on and
Let's push ourselves to achieve greatness


Get your head ringin' from the sting of the snare
Get pumped up and energized by the music


Spine tingle elevating every singular hair
Feel inspired by the music to create something amazing


All the way from South Philly on a wing and prayer
Against all odds, we come from South Philly and strive to succeed


And still bringin' it yeah
We're still working hard and producing great work


C'mon take it there, let's take it there
Let's continue pushing ourselves to achieve more


I'm from the side of town
I come from a tough neighborhood


Where shots get sprayed around
Gun violence is common in my community


Where the expectancy rate be twenty-eight around
People don't live very long due to the violence


Downtown battleground where cops parade around
The police presence is heavy, but it's still a dangerous place


Have your whole view of life beyond jaded
Living in such a difficult environment can warp your perspective on life


How everybody sick of breaking down, tryin' a make it out
Everyone is tired of struggling and trying to escape their situation


Hand over fist the only way to get the paper down
Working hard is the only way to make money


People tired of gettin' pushed around, gettin' gangsta now
People are fed up with being mistreated and are turning to violence


Discipline the only way to bring some kinda change around
The only way to improve the situation is through discipline and hard work


Chain cigarette smokin' with bad nerves
People in this community often smoke cigarettes to cope with stress


And brotha's with bad lungs from smokin' mad herb
Smoking marijuana is also common in this community and has negative health effects


Whoever in the dark is unseen and heard
People who are marginalized and oppressed are often ignored and unheard


Let's submerge, I can feel something close we on the verge
We should all come together and work towards a better future


Talkin' bout, to my street sweepers, hotel housekeepers
Addressing the people who work hard every day but are often overlooked


And my people spillin' this out through jail house speakers
People in prison are also speaking out against the injustices they face


Some people rather use than might than use heaters
Some people would rather use drugs than weapons to cope with their situation


Some people rather lose they life than lose freedom
Some people would rather die than be oppressed and lose their freedom


For real
This is the truth


Flash light, red light, proceed ahead right
We must keep moving forward, even when faced with obstacles


Straight into them headlights, you get your head right
Focus on where you're going and don't let anything distract you


Head right get a third strike, hit the turnpike
Making mistakes can have serious consequences, but we must keep moving forward


Life quicker than spliff that wouldn't burn right
Life is short and unpredictable, like a joint that doesn't burn properly


Make you wanna holla 'bout it
This can be frustrating and make you want to shout


It ain't no doubt about it
This is the truth


Every now and then you gotta stand up and shout about it
Sometimes you have to speak out against injustice


And I'll be shoutin' it to, as if a shout'll count
I will also speak out, even if it feels like it won't make a difference


Yo they got accounting to do, reamount the balance
Those in power have a responsibility to make things right


The shit more puzzling than a jigsaw
The situation is confusing and difficult to understand


Raw pitbulls hustlin' through the pitfalls
We are like strong, determined dogs, pushing through obstacles to succeed


Some of y'all toys let the laughter rip roar
Some people are too focused on trivial things and aren't taking the situation seriously


Heart felt truth in every lyric I spit forth
My lyrics are genuine and express my true feelings


Raise up time to lift off
It's time for us to rise up and make change happen


Written on a legal pad, poetry that sizzle the clip board
My words are powerful and impactful, even if they're just written on a notepad


My og, my homey who taught me deal
My mentor, the person who taught me how to navigate this world


Said in prayer that's the only time you should ever kneel
The only time you should bow down is when you're praying, not when you're being oppressed


And that's real, I'm a take it there
This is the truth and I will continue to speak out against injustice




Lyrics ยฉ Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: TARIK L. COLLINS, AHMIR K. THOMPSON, KARL B. JENKINS, ADAM W. BLACKSTONE, KEVIN HANSON, PEDRO MARTINEZ, WADUD AHMAD, JAMES D. ROBINSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@kingofsting75

this is the roots best album

@sandansaiyan5675

For me Undun but Game Theory is top 3

@MisterMind12

Still fire in 2023. Classic.

@manofknowledge101

one of my favorite tracks from the "Game Theory" album. underrated group :(

@PrickMoranis

black thought is top 5

@UndetectableBomber

such an amazing track

@Rycho29

Yes Is Best album The Roots .

@BRUNOAZIZ

so many things going on on this one! makes your head spin! true hip hop art

@KrimsonApoLLo

Yo, that verse gave me chills.

@ktotheb1974

Love this track and agree with the comment below about the Roots' darker stuff... another similarly dark tune is "Out There," the hidden track on Things Fall Apart... years from now savvy DJs will return to the Roots again and again to lift and loop these eerie-spooky moments that The Roots cooked up... and then the DJs will be called geniuses. Ha!

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