Songwriter: Akala
Producer: Anthony Marshall
Malcolm said it, martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 1: Akala]
If you ain't found something to die for you'll never live
We might feed and breathe but we never did
Except those with peace and equality
That don't see what we call authority
Live and speak truth and kill them for
We love them dead when they speak no more
But they will endure, ideas are bulletproof
Tooth of truth it's impossible to pull it loose
We smother any mouth, they utter it
Folly Fathers fear, we Mother it
We're lovin they're corrupt government
So we look the other way when in our name they're strugglin'
We idolize 'em and we despise 'em
Cos we're reminded we're the ones who are silent
So, give a moment for the times we were blinded
Scream at the top of your lungs like a siren
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 2: Akala]
Maybe the wise man has nothin' to prove
But the one who has nothing has nothing to lose
More things we don't need will make more thieves
More laws we don't heed it's all Siamese
Who leads? It don't matter, they can't make change
New driver but we got no brakes
Whatever the place, whatever the face
The master never ever frees his slave
They always knew it, so they pursue it
But we've been too divided to ever be guided through it
Gotta stop 'em because they're rotten from the days of picking cotton
To sell us a love song and we're so besotted
So confused, we believe their promise
But there are some that lead more honest
They are not forgotten, though they shot 'em
So scream to the top of your lungs right from the bottom!
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 3: Akala]
People don't rebel, the rebels are the tyrants
You are not God, so we are not defiant
No human nature, just our behavior
The oppressed wanting their oppressor as their saviour
Around the globe killin', made to be religion
But the book said they're sinnin' and that is just the beginnin'
Now spread democracy by dropping a bomb
On a terrorist with no shoes or socks
I reckon, history teaches us the lesson
The bigger terrorist is the one with the bigger weapons
They talked but we didn't listen
They spoke and then went missin'
We can't see all the things that imprison us
'Cause we don't appreciate the freedoms they have given us
I wouldn't bet it, that we ever get it
Run, tell your friends that Akala said it
[Hook]
Malcolm said it
Martin said it
Marley said it
Ali said it
Garvey said it
Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it
Martin said it
Marley said it
Ali said it
Garvey said it
Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 1: Akala]
If you ain't found something to die for you'll never live
We might feed and breathe but we never did
Except those with peace and equality
That don't see what we call authority
Live and speak truth and kill them for
We love them dead when they speak no more
But they will endure, ideas are bulletproof
Tooth of truth it's impossible to pull it loose
We smother any mouth, they utter it
Folly Fathers fear, we Mother it
We're lovin they're corrupt government
So we look the other way when in our name they're strugglin'
We idolize 'em and we despise 'em
Cos we're reminded we're the ones who are silent
So, give a moment for the times we were blinded
Scream at the top of your lungs like a siren
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 2: Akala]
Maybe the wise man has nothin' to prove
But the one who has nothing has nothing to lose
More things we don't need will make more thieves
More laws we don't heed it's all Siamese
Who leads? It don't matter, they can't make change
New driver but we got no brakes
Whatever the place, whatever the face
The master never ever frees his slave
They always knew it, so they pursue it
But we've been too divided to ever be guided through it
Gotta stop 'em because they're rotten from the days of picking cotton
To sell us a love song and we're so besotted
So confused, we believe their promise
But there are some that lead more honest
They are not forgotten, though they shot 'em
So scream to the top of your lungs right from the bottom!
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it, Martin said it
Marley said it, Ali said it
Garvey said it, Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
[Hook]
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for
If you ain't found something to die for, you'll never live
[Verse 3: Akala]
People don't rebel, the rebels are the tyrants
You are not God, so we are not defiant
No human nature, just our behavior
The oppressed wanting their oppressor as their saviour
Around the globe killin', made to be religion
But the book said they're sinnin' and that is just the beginnin'
Now spread democracy by dropping a bomb
On a terrorist with no shoes or socks
I reckon, history teaches us the lesson
The bigger terrorist is the one with the bigger weapons
They talked but we didn't listen
They spoke and then went missin'
We can't see all the things that imprison us
'Cause we don't appreciate the freedoms they have given us
I wouldn't bet it, that we ever get it
Run, tell your friends that Akala said it
[Hook]
Malcolm said it
Martin said it
Marley said it
Ali said it
Garvey said it
Toussaint said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
Malcolm said it
Martin said it
Marley said it
Ali said it
Garvey said it
Lumumba said it
I weren't there but I'm sure Dessalines said it
more tracks from the album
10 Years of Akala
- Comedy Tragedy History
- Old Soul
- Maangamizi
- Electro Livin’
- Murder Runs The Globe
- Sun Tzu
- Mr. Fire in the Booth
- Peace
- Fire in The Booth Part 4
- Giants
- The Thieves Banquet
- Malcolm Said It
- Absolute Power
- Shakespeare
- Fire in the Booth
- Find No Enemy
- Something Inside My Head
- Yours and My Children
- Roll Wid Us
- Carried Away
- Welcome to Dystopia
- Behind My Painted Smile
- 10 Years Grindin
From the albums
- The Thieves Banquet (2013)
- 10 Years of Akala (2016)
Akala popular songs
- Fire in the Booth
- Find No Enemy
- Shakespeare
- Fire in The Booth Part 4
- The Thieves Banquet
- Comedy Tragedy History
- Fire In The Booth Part 3
- Fire In The Booth Part 2
- Behind My Painted Smile
- Maangamizi
- Absolute Power
- Fire in the Booth (Part 1, 2 & 3)
- Carried Away
- Malcolm Said It
- Get Educated
- Murder Runs The Globe
- Another Reason
- Knowledge is Power
- Sun Tzu
- This is London
- Old Yellow Bricks Freestyle (Arctic Monkeys)
- Something Inside My Head
- What is Real?
- Fear