Common

Released: July 10, 2005

Songwriter: Common J Dilla Bobby Caldwell Norman Harris Bruce Malament

Producer: J Dilla

[Intro]
Uh, uh, uh, uh, yo, get down
Go ladies, come on
Get down, go ladies
Let me hear you say "Ow"
Say "Ow"
Now, homeboys, make some noise
Where my guys? Homeboys, make some noise
Let me hear you say "Ho"
Say "Ho"

[Verse 1]
I never knew a luh, luh-luh, a love like this
Gotta be somethin' for me to write this
Queen, I ain't seen you in a minute
Wrote this letter, and finally decide to send it
Signed, sealed, delivered, for us to grow together
Love has no limit, let's spend it slow forever
Heart is weathered by what studs did to you
I ain't gon' salt 'em, I did it too
Because of you, feelings I handle with care
Brothas recognize the light, they can't handle the glare
Hey, I ain't the type to walk around with matchin' shirts
If relationship is effort I will match your work
I want to be the one to make you happiest
And hurt you the most
The end is near, it's important that we close (To the what?)
To the most high
Regardless of what happen, on Him let's rely

[Chorus]
There are times
(Sing it, y'all)
When you'll need someone
(I can't hear you)
I will be by your side
(Yeah, yeah, let 'em know about the light, y'all, come on)
There is a light that shines
(How it shine?)
Special for you and me
(Ah, ah, check it)

[Verse 2]
It's important we communicate
And tune the fate of this union to the right pitch
I never call you my bitch or even my boo
So much in a name and so much more in you
Few understand the union of woman and man
Sex and a tingle is where they assume that it land
Fly by night, for you in the sky I write
These cold Chi night's moon, you my light
If Heaven had a height, you would be that tall
Ghetto to coffee shop, through you I see that all
Let's stick to understandin' and we won't fall
Better or worse times, I hope to me you call
I pray every day more than anything
Friends we'll stay as we begin to lay
Foundation for a family, love ain't simple
Why can't it be anything worth havin' you work at annually?
We known each other for some time
It don't take a whole day to recognize sunshine

[Chorus]
There are times
(Uh, sing it, y'all)
When you'll need someone
(I can't hear you)
I will be by your side
(Yeah, yeah, let 'em know about the light, y'all, come on)
There is a light that shines
(How it shine?)
Special for you and me
(Ah, ah, check it)

[Verse 3]
It's kind of fresh you listen to more than hip-hop
Catch you in the mix from beauty to thrift shop
Shit pop when it's time to, thinkin' you fresh
Suggestin' beats I should rhyme to
When I'm lost I try to find you
You know to give me space when it's time to
My heart's dictionary defines you, it's love and happiness
Truthfully, it's hard tryin' to practice abstinence
The time we committed love, it was real good
Had to be for me to arrive, it still feel good
Sex ain't gon' keep you
But as my equal, it's how I must treat you
As my reflection in light I'ma lead you
And whatever's right I'ma feed you
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you

[Chorus]
There are times
(Ah, ah, sing it, y'all)
When you'll need someone
(I can't hear you)
I will be by your side
(Yeah, yeah, let 'em know about the light, Den Haag)
There is a light that shines
(How it shine?)
Special for you and me
(Yo, yo, break it down one time for 'em
Break it down, come on, yo)

There are times
(Sing it, y'all)
When you'll need someone
(I can't hear you)
I will be by your side
(Yeah, yeah, let 'em know about the light, y'all, come on)
There is a light that shines
(How it shine?)
Special for you and me
(Ay, ay, y'all sound good, sing it one more here)

There are times
(Ah, sing it, y'all)
When you'll need someone
(I can't hear you)
I will be by your side
(Yeah, let 'em know about the light, Den Haag)
There is a light that shines
Special for you and me
(Ah, ah, ah...)

[Outro]
A-get down, go ladies, come on
A-get down, go ladies, let me hear you say "Ow"
Say "Ow"
Now, homeboys, make some noise
All my guys, homeboys, make some noise, let me hear you say "Ho"
Say "Ho"
Digga-da, digga-da, digga-da, digga-digga-da-da
Yo, I tell you the rest when I see you; peace
("You need to look at the other side; you'll agree")

Thank you for partying with us, y'all
Mister Omar Edwards on keys
Karriem Riggins in the lab
DJ Dummy, your DJ for the night on the 1 and 2's
Thank y'all for supporting good music
Keep supporting beautiful music like Kanye West, D'Angelo, Erykah Badu, Slum Village, Lauryn Hill, Bilal
Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, John Coltrane, Rick James, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles
The Roots, KRS-ONE, Mary J. Blige, and of course, Common, y'all
God bless you, peace

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.

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