home
A man whose genius and freedoms and—
Ability to communicate and—
To talk, and to touch chords—
A man who has the ability and the audacity
And the unmitigated gall God to stand up, to stand up
I heard the sound of the trumpets, the voice on the throne
Seen the twenty-four elders and I knew I was home
I was told to write a song for the people
Take the original Hebrews on an Exodus of Black Excellence
Tell them to invest in us and make testaments about each other
On how we sisters and brothers
Cover the land and corners with poems and stone
Go hard with it, let 'em know you God with it
Even though I authored it, let no one margin it
And make it all about paper or first week's sales
Though this is from Heaven give 'em verses from Hell
Those that fell off the path, bring 'em back to the math
Your staff will be your microphone
Your name is Common, you was born to fight the norm
Take house niggas outta darkness 'til they lights is on
I'ma put a hyphen on your name: rapper-actor-activist
You the one that can reach into the black abyss
Stars that's asterisks, show 'em what a classic is
Freedom riders need passengers
In your lyrics use scriptures and passages
To make them rise like Lazarus and resurrect it again
They'll put disrespect on your name and respect it again
Every section you in, bless 'em and keep bussin'
If they don't like it, shake the dust and say "fuck em"
Until you get home, I'm the one you trust in
I'm happy to be in any place
Where God's name is remembered
Soon I will be gone with the trouble of this world
Trouble of this world, trouble of this world
Soon I will be gone with the trouble of this world
Going home to live, going home to live
Going home to live with God
Go into the wilderness like Musa on a pilgrimage
Streets are villages, speak with diligence and authority
The fake are the Pharisees and Sadducees
Give them that Garvey free from the Black Odyssey
Yo pardon me, you the God bodily
Functioning on earth as a part of me, that's why I gave you artistry
Go into the hoods with the shooters and the strippers
Forget the New World Order, New Jerusalem is with us
Tell sisters they earths and goddesses
If they got bottom, don't get caught in a bottomless
Pit, there's a lot of us fit for the kingdom is near
You can tell by the wars and how the seasons appear
You'll appear in the circles in Hollywood, I birth you
In Chicago, you know how to parlay good
You'll get Oscars, Emmys, and Grammys, give those to your family
Don't get caught up in the vanity or the world's insanity
Soon I will be gone with the trouble of this world
Trouble of this world, trouble of this world
Soon I will be gone with the trouble of this world
Going home to live, going home to live
Going home to live with God
To those of you who are unfamiliar with those words
They mean, in English, 'Peace, be unto you'