Released: July 31, 2007

Songwriter: Devo Springsteen Common Sol Marcus Gloria Caldwell Bennie Benjamin

Producer: Devo Springsteen

[Intro: Nina Simone]
Baby, you understand me now
If sometimes you see that I'm mad
No one can always be an angel
When everything goes wrong you see some bad
Well I'm just a soul whose intentions are good
Oh Lord, please don't let me be misunderstood

[Common]
Yeah, uh (Misunderstood)
We do this, for the people that walk that path
Tryna get to their dream, yeah, uh (oh)

He stood on the corner with the rest of them
Though he knew that this corner wasn't the best of him
Hard streets and a life that crested him
Dirt police domestic beefs that's festerin
He knew the President wadn't addressin him
Though dead presidents was undressin him
Two kids from hot sex no protection and
People don't see how AIDS is affectin 'em
It get hard to get the get the God question in
Can't find a job so you robbin and hustlin
He killed marks and sold dope for cousin 'em
Can't believe they would be the ones bucking him
He on the ground he could feel God touching him
He heard the sound of his moms sayin trust in him
At heaven's gate, saying Lord please let me in
Or send me back to tell my people to be better men

[Hook: Nina Simone]
Misunderstood
Cause we are - Misunderstood
Misunderstood, Don't let me be misunderstood
I'm just human, oh

[Common]
Uh, yeah
She dancin she dance she dance for them
Her body move but her mind was manic'n
Thinkin I don't know where they hands have been
Relationships with men have been so damagin
She thought back to when she was at Howard and
Dreams of doing scenes with Terrence Howard and
Broadway plays and dancin with Alv and them
The ones that make it always ain't the talented
Some dreams get lost never to be found again
At first strippin seemed so empowerin
Most every girl wanna do it now and then
But bein meat every day is devourin
Cats puttin paper where she put powder and
Life would break her, now she powderin
She was high when she fell down and then
Crowd surrounding and, heart was poundin and
She fell into a deep sleep the siren sounded and
Seen bright lights in the midst of clouds and then
Talked to God, feeling like his child again
Said Lord let me live so I can make you proud again

[Hook]

[Vamp: Bilal]
The life we lead, will always lead us
And we pray that he, will never leave us
It's the price we pay, I guess that's the reason
Why my grandma sang, we all need Jesus [2x]

Misunderstood, don't let me be, misunderstood
Misunderstood, don't let me be, misunderstood
I'm just human

Common

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is a Grammy and Oscar-winning rapper and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Common’s inspired mix of poetic flow and hip-hop soul has helped him earn his status as one of the most respected rappers in the game.

After being a ball boy for his hometown Chicago Bulls as a teen and attending Florida A&M University for business administration, Common Sense kicked in and he left school to become a rapper. He gained national attention after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source magazine in 1991. He released his debut album Can I Borrow a Dollar? through Relativity Records in 1992, followed by his breakthrough second album Resurrection in 1994, which features his hip-hop classic single “I Used To Love H.E.R.”

As his career began to take off, he was sued by the music group Common Sense over the name, leading Common to drop the “Sense” and allude to the change in the title of his third album, One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997). He has released several critically acclaimed albums, including Like Water For Chocolate (2000), which features his J Dilla-produced hit single “The Light”, and Be (2005), which was released under fellow Chicago musician Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint. He also joined musicians Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper to form the group August Greene, and the trio released their self-titled album in 2018.