Temptation

I come here today to talk about how I feel
And I feel like that we are treated differently than other people
And I don’t like how we’re treated
Just because of our color doesn’t mean anything to me

This just the way I feel
Minds been racing so long
It’s just no way to deal
With these problems alone

And I really can’t take it no more
I be fighting temptations, my Lord
I’m making them restless (And I really can’t help it)
I never felt selfish before
I’ve been living so reckless, I know
Tell me Lord can you help me?
(I said Lord can you help me?)

Now everybody got problems, yeah
But ain’t no way to solve em
I really came up from the bottom
Strugglin’, my momma on her last dollar
Hustling man I’ve been putting in these hours
The government been trying to take away what’s ours
It’s really all about the money and the power
I just wanna see my people in power
Uh, uh, tell me how we gon’ shape this vision
Complainin’ all day, but in the same conditions
If you wanna make change, it’s gonna take commitment
Some people enslaved by they religion
Can’t emancipate the fundamental prisons
When I see through optics, transform the wisdom
Watch me use my powers, get em all to listen
I’ve been on a mission, ah!

And I really can’t take it no more
I be fighting temptations, my Lord
I’m making them restless (And I really can’t help it)
I never felt selfish before
I’ve been living so reckless, I know
Tell me Lord can you help me?
(I said Lord can you help me?)

Now everybody got vice, yeah
But wouldn’t know what good advice was
Until they leave him lifeless
Another momma crying, it’s another crisis
Lord knows we just trying to live righteous
Are you willing just to make the sacrifices?
I know we can’t continue living like this
And I never sell my soul because that’s priceless, uh, uh
Tell me how we gon’ make a living
Hustle on the block who gon’ save the children?
Menace on the block and I’m just revealing
The media just trying to make a villain
I just take the pain and a paint a picture
Voices in my head, I hear the whispers
When I feel this way inhale the swisher
Or I sip the liquor, ah!

And I really can’t take it no more
I be fighting temptations, my Lord
I’m making them restless (And I really can’t help it)
I never felt selfish before
I’ve been living so reckless I know
Tell me Lord can you help me?
(I said Lord can you help me?)

This just the way I feel
Mind’s been racing so long
It’s just no way to deal
With these problems alone

And I really can’t take it no more
I be fighting temptations, my Lord
I’m making them restless (I said Lord, can you help me?)
I never felt selfish before
I’ve been living so reckless, I know
Tell me Lord can you help me?
(I said Lord can you help me?)

Do not stop
We are black people and we shouldn’t have to feel like this
We shouldn’t have to protest because you are treating us wrong
We do this because we need to and we have rights