Common

Released: July 10, 2005

Songwriter: Common Kanye West John Legend

Producer: Kanye West

[Intro]
But I could give a damn what they say
I could give a damn about the things that they say
I could give a damn about the things that they say
I could give a...you know why? 'Cause...

[Chorus: John Legend]
They say "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts and if, they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say... but they don't know!
(Come on)
They say, They say...
They don't know
(Y'all know what they say, right? You know what they say)

[Verse 1: Common]
Yo, they say a nigga lost his mind
But in the scheme of things I never lost a rhyme
The thin line between love and hatred
I'm the black pill in the Matrix, the saturated life
They say life is what you make it
So I wait quick on a spaceship so I can take it
As high as the stakes get when paper get low
I be tellin' Derek, "Tell Cara get us a show"
Little Com, I make righteous bitches get low
Richest man ain't necessarily the nigga with dough
They say "You ripped" "Wow..." Yeah, that's what they say
My niggas couldn't tell it was me, like Jamie in Ray
Paintin' a day, wit' focused crime, broads, and good wine
They say "Dope is sour so it's homework and hood crimes"
I stood mine, for forever and a day so goodbye
They never could say - tell 'em, J

[Chorus]
They say "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts and if, they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say... but they don't know!
(Come on)
They say, They say...
They don't know

[Verse 2: Common]
They say "Dude think he righteous"
I write just to free minds, from Stony to Rikers
Amongst the lifeless, in a world crazy as Mike is
On my paper, whether its weed or Isis
They say "life is a game," so I play hard
Writin' for my life 'cause I'm scared of a day job
They say "Sef kept the hood together"
I tell the young, "We can't play the hood forever"
Play my cards right, they say I went too left
They showed me strange love, like I was Mr. F
Played chess in this game of, pawns and knights
Now I claim "King" like Don, or Frank White
They say my life is comparable to Christ's
The way I sacrificed, and resurrected, twice
They say "The crochet pants and the sweater was wack"
Seen "The Corner", now they say "That nigga's back"

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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