Videyo Clip
Lyrics
Yeah
– Wi
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Pafwa mwen mande, ” ki sa mwen ta fè nan yon jenerasyon kap vini an?”
In 1940, if I was enlisted to fight for the nation
– An 1940, si mwen te enskri pou goumen pou nasyon an
Or in 1960, if I had to fight for the rights of my people
– Oswa nan lane 1960, si mwen te gen pou goumen pou dwa pèp mwen an
And laid down my life on the line so my grandkids could live a life that’s peaceful
– Epi mete lavi m sou liy pou pitit pitit mwen yo te ka viv yon lavi ki lapè
Would I be on that? Would I be frontline?
– Èske m ta sou sa? Èske m ta dwe nan premye liy lan?
That’s what I’m thinkin’
– Se sa mwen panse
If I was alive in the 1912 on the Titanic and it was sinkin’
– Si mwen te vivan nan 1912 sou Titanic a epi li te sinkin’
Who am I savin’? Am I fightin’ women and children, or am I waitin’?
– Ki moun mwen ap sove? Èske m ap goumen ak fanm ak timoun, oubyen èske m ap tann?
I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Mwen mande, ” ki sa mwen ta fè nan yon jenerasyon kap vini an?”
Battle of Karbala, if they captured me for the sake of my father
– Batay Nan Karbala, si yo te kaptire m ‘pou dedomajman pou papa m’
Would I stand on my honour like Hussein did it, and tell them to make me martyr
– Èske mwen ta kanpe sou onè mwen tankou Hussein te fè li, epi di yo fè m ‘ mòtye
Would I really get smarter?
– Èske m ta vrèman vin pi entelijan?
Forgive my oppressor or stick to the creed?
– Padone opresè mwen an oswa rete sou kwayans lan?
If I got locked inside like Nelson Mandela, but never was freed
– Si mwen te fèmen andedan tankou Nelson Mandela, men pa janm te libere
I see a white man dance to rumba, ain’t study Patrice Lumumba
– Mwen wè yon nonm blan danse nan rumba, se pa etidye Patrice Lumumba
But get on the stage and sing like sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
– Men, monte sou sèn nan epi chante tankou sungba, lajaja-ja-ja, sungba
Fuck it, I wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Fuck li, mwen mande, “ki sa mwen ta fè nan yon jenerasyon kap vini an?”
Would I fight for justice? Is it the reason my mum named me David?
– Èske m ta goumen pou jistis? Èske se rezon manman m te rele M David?
How can you be king? How can you be king? Don’t speak for the people
– Ki jan ou kapab wa? Ki jan ou kapab wa? Pa pale pou pèp la
Them man try draw me out and compare like me and these niggas are equal
– Moun sa yo eseye rale m soti ak konpare tankou m ak nèg sa yo egal
I’m a Black man and this bozo sayin’ my music socially conscious
– Mwen se Yon Nèg Nwa ak sa a bozo di ‘ mizik mwen sosyalman konsyan
While the mandem troll the responses, this world’s gone totally bonkers
– Pandan ke mandem la troll repons yo, mond sa a te ale totalman fou
I sometimes wonder, “What would I do in a next generation?”
– Pafwa mwen mande, ” ki sa mwen ta fè nan yon jenerasyon kap vini an?”
But I’m knowin’ the answer, ’cause what am I doin’ in this generation?
– Men, mwen konnen repons lan, paske sa mwen ap fè nan jenerasyon sa a?
Afraid to speak cah I don’t wanna risk it my occupation
– Pè pale cah mwen pa vle riske li okipasyon mwen
We got kids under occupation, my parents, they wouldn’t get that
– Nou gen timoun anba okipasyon, paran mwen, yo pa ta jwenn sa
The people that died for our freedom spoke on justice, couldn’t accept that
– Moun ki te mouri pou libète nou te pale sou jistis, pa t ‘ kapab aksepte sa
I talk by the money on all my accounts, so why don’t I speak on the West Bank?
– Mwen pale pa lajan an sou tout kont mwen, se konsa, poukisa mwen pa pale sou West Bank la?
Remember growin’ up prejudice, the damage 7-7 did
– Sonje grandi prejije, domaj 7-7 te fè
Extremist and terrorist, I was afraid of the Taliban
– Ekstremis ak teworis, mwen te pè Taliban yo
Can’t speak out on illegal settlers, now I’m afraid of a shadow-ban
– Mwen pa ka pale sou kolon ilegal, kounye a mwen pè yon entèdiksyon lonbraj
What would I do in a next generation?
– Kisa mwen ta fè nan yon pwochen jenerasyon?
Critiquin’ African leaders for sellin’ our country’s natural resources to the West for peanuts
– Kritike lidè Afriken yo pou vann resous natirèl peyi nou an nan lwès pou piman
If they don’t hear, they’ll feel us
– Si yo pa tande, yo pral santi nou
I question what I’m alive for
– Mwen kesyon sa mwen vivan pou
Now can you say you’re alive if you ain’t got somethin’ you’re willin’ to die for?
– Kounye a ou ka di ou vivan si ou pa gen yon bagay ou vle mouri pou?
What am I willin’ to die for? What am I doin’ in this generation?
– Ki sa mwen vle mouri pou? Ki sa m ap fè nan jenerasyon sa a?
I get in my head sometimes, I feel like I’m in despair
– Mwen jwenn nan tèt mwen pafwa, mwen santi tankou mwen nan dezespwa
That feelin’ of total powerlessness, I get that sinkin’ feelin’
– Sa santiman nan total enpwisans, mwen jwenn ke santiman sinkin’
That good ain’t defeatin’ evil
– Sa bon pa bat mal
I put that pain on vinyl, but feel like that shit ain’t movin’ the needle
– Mwen mete doulè sa a sou vinil, men santi tankou ke bagay sa yo pa deplase zegwi a
Retweetin’ people, raisin’ awareness, in all fairness
– Retweetin ‘moun, ogmante’ konsyans, nan tout jistis
Ain’t gonna bring Chris back to his parents
– Pa pral pote Chris tounen bay paran Li
But there’s no other option, it’s a process
– Men, pa gen okenn lòt opsyon, li nan yon pwosesis
Gotta stand and protest cah they want man silenced
– Dwe kanpe ak pwoteste cah yo vle nonm silans
Cah they want man dead or they want man hopeless
– Cah yo vle moun mouri oswa yo vle moun san espwa
In the next generation, I spoke with my ancestors in the night and I showed them
– Nan jenerasyon kap vini an, mwen te pale ak zansèt mwen yo nan mitan lannwit e mwen te montre yo
They spoke with tears in their eyes for the brothers they lost and said it was progress
– Yo te pale ak dlo nan je yo pou frè yo yo te pèdi e yo te di se te pwogrè
“How can it be progress?” I asked him, confused, disgusted
– “Ki jan li kapab pwogrè? “Mwen te mande l, konfonn, degoutan
They said, “David, just so you can fight this, you know how much sufferin’ touched us?
– Yo di, “David, jis pou ou ka goumen sa a, ou konnen ki jan anpil soufrans’ touche nou?
And you got a chance, we come from a time and a place where you couldn’t get justice
– Epi ou gen yon chans, nou soti nan yon tan ak yon kote kote ou pa t ‘ kapab jwenn jistis
Had to find peace in the fact that we all answer to the one what we trust in
– Te gen pou jwenn lapè nan lefèt ke nou tout reponn a yon sèl la sa nou fè konfyans nan
And in our generation, we did do peaceful protest, just like you
– Ak nan jenerasyon nou an, nou te fè pwotestasyon lapè, jis tankou ou
Burnt buildings, just like you, did boycotts, just like you
– Bilding boule, jis tankou ou, te fè boykot, jis tankou ou
Sat in a hostel powerless, did feel powerless just like you
– Te chita nan yon hostel san pouvwa, te santi san pouvwa jis tankou ou
And I know that it may sound strange, but we made some change and we’re just like you
– E mwen konnen ke li ka son etranj, men nou te fè kèk chanjman e nou jis tankou ou
I know that you question your character, I know that you suffer in silence
– Mwen konnen ke ou kesyon karaktè ou, mwen konnen ke ou soufri nan silans
I know that it don’t feel right when you go to the club in Victoria Island
– Mwen konnen ke li pa santi dwat lè ou ale nan klib La nan Victoria Island
‘Cause how can you dance in the club? There’s a hundred people beggin’ outside it
– Paske ki jan ou ka danse nan klib la? Gen yon santèn moun ki ap mande deyò li
I know the sins of your father, I know that you’re desperate to fight them
– Mwen konnen peche papa ou, mwen konnen ke ou se dezespere pou goumen yo
So step in your purpose, speak for your people, share all your secrets
– Se konsa, antre nan objektif ou, pale pou pèp ou, pataje tout sekrè ou
Expose your emotions, you might not see, but there’s people that need it
– Ekspoze emosyon ou, ou ka pa wè, men gen moun ki bezwen li
Never demand it, and if God can grant it, manifest it and receive it
– Pa janm mande l, e Si Bondye ka bay Li, manifeste li epi resevwa li
Your name is David, and that covenant sacred, you gotta promise you’ll keep it”
– Non Ou Se David, e ke kontra sakre, ou gen pou pwomèt ou pral kenbe li”
Deep it, let man talk on the ting, but I bleed it
– Fon li, kite moun pale sou ting la, men mwen san li
Man wanna speak on the scene, but I seen it
– Man vle pale sou sèn nan, men mwen te wè li
Tried in the fire by Ghetts, I’m anointed
– Teste nan dife Pa Ghetts, mwen te chwazi
Kano passed me the torch, I received it
– Kano pase m ‘ flanbo a, mwen te resevwa li
God told me I’m the one, I believed it
– Bondye te di m ‘ mwen se youn nan, mwen te kwè li
Shout Hollowman ’cause he helped me achieve it
– Rele Hollowman paske li te ede m ‘ reyalize li
I’m the youngest of my brothers, father eased the burden on our mothers
– Mwen se pi piti nan frè m’, papa l ‘ desann chay la sou manman nou
Give these niggas money, see their colours
– Bay nèg sa yo lajan, wè koulè yo
Don’t mix me with them, I’m not the one
– Pa melanje m ‘ ak yo, mwen pa yon sèl la
Grind and miss the summer, when it comes, I’m Abraham, I sacrifice the sun
– Moulen yo epi manke sezon lete an, lè li rive, mwen Abraram, mwen sakrifis solèy la
Where I’m from they sacrifice their son
– Kote m soti yo sakrifye pitit gason yo
Hold up, I ain’t finished, I ain’t dumb
– Kenbe moute a, mwen pa fini, m m ‘ pat pran bèbè
My ancestors, my ancestors told me that my life is prophecy
– Zansèt mwen yo, zansèt mwen yo te di m ‘ ke lavi mwen, se pwofesi
And it’s not just me, it’s a whole generation of people gradually makin’ change
– Epi li pa jis m’, li nan yon jenerasyon antye nan moun ki piti piti makin’ chanje
There ain’t a greater task
– Pa gen yon pi gwo travay
Shift that, make a name, make a star
– Chanjman sa, fè yon non, fè yon etwal
They don’t know what they’re facin’ when they ask
– Yo pa konnen ki sa yo ap facin’ yo lè yo mande
With the will of David in my heart
– Avèk volonte David nan kè m
The story of the boy who played the harp
– Istwa ti gason ki te jwe arp la
