Common

Released: July 10, 2005

Songwriter: Common Kanye West General Johnson Gregory Perry Angelo Bond

Producer: Kanye West

[Verse 1]
She walk into the court her knees buckle
Saying for a man to survive he needn't hustle
Seen and been through struggle her whole life
Made a transition from being his ho to his wife
Stifling, the night upend the ATF bust in
Her daddy was a hustla, so she love them
Looked at the jury, how can they judge him, she screamed

[Chorus]
(Before you lock my love away) Put your hands in the air
(Before you lock my love away) Yeah, you say
(Before you lock my love away) Yeah, it go
(Before you lock my love away)
(Please let me testify)

[Verse 2]
Fear in her chest her face in tears
Had her man's back he was facing years
In her name, though the place was his
They tryna take everything except the kids
For years she been through stumbling fights
He tryna hustle that white
Up all night wondering if he's alive
Seeing him tried, she bubbled inside and screamed

[Chorus]
(Before you lock my love away) Put your hands up
(Before you lock my love away) Keep your hands up
(Before you lock my love away) And the people say
(Before you lock my love away)
(Please let me testify)

[Verse 3]
The judge yelled for order
Court reporter making her words shorter
His lawyer sat next to him
She could see how the trial was affecting him
It hurt for her eyes to connect with him
Using her lies for protecting him
They arrested him for murder and gun possession
As they read back her confessions, she screamed

[Chorus]
(Before you lock my love away) Everybody say
(Before you lock my love away) Put your hands up
(Before you lock my love away) Sing it with us y'all
(Before you lock my love away)
(Please let me testify)

[Verse 4]
The court awaited as the foreman got the verdict from the bailiff
Emotional outbursts, tears and smeared makeup
He stated, he was guilty on all charges
She's shaking looking like she took it the hardest
A spin artist, she brought her face up laughing
That's when the prosecutor realized what happened
All that speaking her mind, testifying and crying
When this bitch did the crime, the queenpin

[Chorus]
(Before you lock my love away) Everybody say
(Before you lock my love away) Put your hands up
(Before you lock my love away) All the ladies say
(Before you lock my love away)

Guilty...next case

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.

more tracks from the album

Live at the Jazz Room

From the album

Live at the Jazz Room (2017)

Common popular songs

Testify (Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 2005)Common

Common

Live at the Jazz Room