Video Clip
Lyrics
Yeah
– Yeah
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Interdum miror, ” quid faciam in generatione altera?”
In 1940, if I was enlisted to fight for the nation
– Anno 1940, se recessit a magistratu se recessit
Or in 1960, if I had to fight for the rights of my people
– 1960 – comunque quando si fa una richiesta ci dovrebbe essere un minimo di cortesia
And laid down my life on the line so my grandkids could live a life that’s peaceful
– Et posuit animam meam super lineam et grandkids posset vivere vita mea ut suus pacificis
Would I be on that? Would I be frontline?
– E ‘ questa? – Estne insula nova carteia?
That’s what I’m thinkin’
– Quod suus quid ego cogito’
If I was alive in the 1912 on the Titanic and it was sinkin’
– Anno 1912 In Bucarestae Mortuus est et anno 1912 mortuus est’
Who am I savin’? Am I fightin’ women and children, or am I waitin’?
– Quis ego sum savin? A: uidesne feminam, puer?
I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Ego miror, ” quid faciam in generatione altera?”
Battle of Karbala, if they captured me for the sake of my father
– La battaglia di Karbala, et si quis diminuerit, auferat deus patrem eius de libro vitae
Would I stand on my honour like Hussein did it, and tell them to make me martyr
– Utinam starem in Honorem meum sicut Hussein, et dicerem eis, ut me faciant martyrem
Would I really get smarter?
– Ego vere adepto smarter?
Forgive my oppressor or stick to the creed?
– Chiedo perdono per tutti i miei difetti
If I got locked inside like Nelson Mandela, but never was freed
– Si intra clausum obtinuit Sicut Nelson Mandela, sed numquam liberatus est
I see a white man dance to rumba, ain’t study Patrice Lumumba
– Videbo hominem album saltare rumba, non studere Patricii Lumumba
But get on the stage and sing like sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
– Sed ut in scaenam atque cantabo sicut sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
Fuck it, I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Et ille: o bona puella, intra lectam. “quid faciam in generatione altera?”
Would I fight for justice? Is it the reason my mum named me David?
– Giustizia verso giustizia? Dixitque David: “faciam misericordiam cum hanon filio naas, sicut Fecit Pater Eius mecum misericordiam”.
How can you be king? How can you be king? Don’t speak for the people
– Cum ego turpinus cum rege? Cum ego turpinus cum rege? Nolite loqui ad populum
Them man try draw me out and compare like me and these niggas are equal
– Et probate me extrahe et confer sicut me et haec niggas sunt aequalia
I’m a Black man and this bozo sayin’ my music socially conscious
– Homo Sum Niger et hic bozo sayin ‘ mea musica socialiter conscius
While the mandem troll the responses, this world’s gone totally bonkers
– Dum mandem troglodytarum respondeo, hoc mundo prorsus abiit bonkers
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Interdum miror, ” quid faciam in generatione altera?”
But I’m knowin’ the answer, ’cause what am I doin’ in this generation?
– Sed scio quia “responsum”, quid faciam ” in generatione ista?
Afraid to speak cah I don’t wanna risk it my occupation
– Timere loqui ca non volo periculum meum opus
We got kids under occupation, my parents, they wouldn’t get that
– Nos got haedos sub occupatione, parentibus meis, quod non adepto
The people that died for our freedom spoke on justice, couldn’t accept that
– La libertà è morta dell ‘ uomo per i suoi cristiani non possono assumere
I talk by the money on all my accounts, so why don’t I speak on the West Bank?
– Pecuniam in omnibus rationibus meis loquor, cur Non Ad Occidentem ripam loquor?
Remember growin’ up prejudice, the damage 7-7 did
– Memento growin ‘ sursum praeiudicium, damnum 7-7 fecit
Extremist and terrorist, I was afraid of the Taliban
– Extremist et terroristis, Ego autem timebat Taliban
Can’t speak out on illegal settlers, now I’m afraid of a shadow-ban
– Non potest loqui de illegal colonos, nunc vereor umbra-ban
What would I do in a next generation?
– Quid faciam in generatione altera?
Critiquin’ African leaders for sellin’ our country’s natural resources to the West for peanuts
– Critiquin, Africae principes enim sellin, patriae naturalis opibus ad Occidentem pro peanuts
If they don’t hear, they’ll feel us
– Qui si te non audierint, nos sentio
I question what I’m alive for
– Et interrogaverunt: qui sunt hi sermones
Now can you say you’re alive if you ain’t got somethin’ you’re willin’ to die for?
– Nunc potes dicere te vivere si aliquid non obtinuit ‘sis willin’ mori pro?
What am I willin’ to die for? What am I doin’ in this generation?
– De ce si cum murim? Quae est ista generatio?
I get in my head sometimes, I feel like I’m in despair
– Ego adepto in caput interdum, ego sentio amo ego desperandum
That feelin’ of total powerlessness, I get that sinkin’ feelin’
– Quod sentiunt, ex summa impotentia, ego adepto quod sinkin ‘sentiin’
That good ain’t defeatin’ evil
– Quod bonum non defeatin ‘ malum
I put that pain on vinyl, but feel like that shit ain’t movin’ the needle
– Ego autem dico vobis, quia non puto hoc esse quod non movetur’ acus
Retweetin’ people, raisin’ awareness, in all fairness
– Retweetin ‘populus, passae’ conscientia, in omni iustitia
Ain’t gonna bring Chris back to his parents
– Chris amet ad parentes eius non adducere
But there’s no other option, it’s a process
– Sed illic ‘nulla alia optio, suus’ a processus
Gotta stand and protest cah they want man silenced
– Redditus est et protestatus est quis quis diam
Cah they want man dead or they want man hopeless
– Cah volunt hominem mortuum vel desperatum hominem volunt
In the next generation, I spoke with my ancestors in the night and I showed them
– Postero generatione locutus sum cum maioribus meis nocte et ostendi eis
They spoke with tears in their eyes for the brothers they lost and said it was progress
– Lacrimis locuti sunt in oculis suis fratres perdiderunt et dixerunt profectum esse
“How can it be progress?” I asked him, confused, disgusted
– “Quomodo progredi potest? “Ego interrogavit eum confusa, quae tetra
They said, “David, just so you can fight this, you know how much sufferin’ touched us?
– Dixerunt: “Neque Tu (salvaberis operibus tuis), o Apostole allah?”
And you got a chance, we come from a time and a place where you couldn’t get justice
– Et possedi casu, venimus a tempore et loco, ubi non adepto iustitia
Had to find peace in the fact that we all answer to the one what we trust in
– Pacem invenire debebamus in eo quod omnes ad unum respondemus quod in nobis confidimus
And in our generation, we did do peaceful protest, just like you
– Et in generatione nostra protestamur pacem, sicut tu
Burnt buildings, just like you, did boycotts, just like you
– Aedificia combusta, sicut tu, boycotts fecerunt, sicut tu
Sat in a hostel powerless, did feel powerless just like you
– Sedebat in deversorium impotens, impotens sentiebat sicut tu
And I know that it may sound strange, but we made some change and we’re just like you
– Et scio quod mirum sonet, sed mutationem aliquam fecimus et sicut tu sumus
I know that you question your character, I know that you suffer in silence
– Scio te interrogare mores tuos, scio te silentio pati
I know that it don’t feel right when you go to the club in Victoria Island
– Scio quod non sentire ius cum ad Clava Victoriae Insulae
‘Cause how can you dance in the club? There’s a hundred people beggin’ outside it
– ‘Causa quomodo in clava saltare potes? Ibi centum homines incipiunt ‘ extra eam
I know the sins of your father, I know that you’re desperate to fight them
– Scio peccata patris tui, scio te desperatum esse eos pugnare
So step in your purpose, speak for your people, share all your secrets
– Ingredere ergo in propositum tuum, loquere pro populo tuo, omnia secreta tua communica
Expose your emotions, you might not see, but there’s people that need it
– Patefacio affectus, ut non vident, sed illic ‘ populus postulo is
Never demand it, and if God can grant it, manifest it and receive it
– [26] non est Deus alius ut deus rectissimi, ascensor caeli, auxiliator tuus.
Your name is David, and that covenant sacred, you gotta promise you’ll keep it”
– Dixitque David:”faciam Misericordiam cum hanon filio naas, sicut fecit pater eius mecum misericordiam”.
Deep it, let man talk on the ting, but I bleed it
– Altum illud, loquatur homo in tin, sed cruentat
Man wanna speak on the scene, but I seen it
– Homo in scaena loqui vult, sed eam vidi
Tried in the fire by Ghetts, I’m anointed
– Atque in flamma consumpti sunt, ego autem unctus Sum
Kano passed me the torch, I received it
– Dona mihi facem transiit, eam accepi
God told me I’m the one, I believed it
– Deus dixit mihi ego sum unus, et crediderunt
Shout Hollowman ’cause he helped me achieve it
– Hollowman ‘ causam adiuvisti me consequi eam
I’m the youngest of my brothers, father eased the burden on our mothers
– Ego sum minimus fratrum meorum, pater matribus nostris onus levavit
Give these niggas money, see their colours
– Da illis niggas pecuniam, vide colorum
Don’t mix me with them, I’m not the one
– Et non discedimus a te, non a me
Grind and miss the summer, when it comes, I’m Abraham, I sacrifice the sun
– Tere et aestate deesset, cum venerit, ego Sum Abraham, solem immolo
Where I’m from they sacrifice their son
– Ubi sum de filio suo sacrificauit
Hold up, I ain’t finished, I ain’t dumb
– Si non, diceturloco: non sum stultus
My ancestors, my ancestors told me that my life is prophecy
– Patres mei, maiores mei dixerunt mihi quod vita mea prophetia est
And it’s not just me, it’s a whole generation of people gradually makin’ change
– Et suus ‘non iustus mihi, suus’ a tota generatione populi paulatim makin ‘ mutatio
There ain’t a greater task
– Non ut maiores laborum
Shift that, make a name, make a star
– Transmuto quod, nomen fac, stellam fac
They don’t know what they’re facin’ when they ask
– Nescio quid agerem-nada bottle’
With the will of David in my heart
– Et david pro confractione, et salomon pro eis qui in sanctificationem,
The story of the boy who played the harp
– La faina che sapeva ingannare i cithara
