Released: September 19, 1989
Songwriter: Jimmy Jam Terry Lewis
Producer: Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis
[Intro]
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
One, two, three, four
[Verse 1]
Insight to what's going on
Information keeps us strong
What you don't know can hurt you bad
Take it from me you'll be walkin' around sad
Cryin' for a better day
Until you educate for a better way
So if you wanna be in control
Ya gotta get yourself in the know
[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want
[Verse 2]
Spreading vise don't believe the hype
You don't find the knowledge in a pipe
Too many lives go up in smoke
It's nice to laugh but don't be the joke
To get over get better
Try to be the possessor
Of the one thing we all need in life
To succeed, take my advice
[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want
[Breakdown]
One, two, three, four
Prejudice: no
Ignorance: no
Bigotry: no
Illiteracy: no
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
Knowledge
[Verse 3]
Listen; it's up to everyone
If we're gonna change the way the world is run
The way to start is to rid the children of
Prejudice and ignorance
We've gotta teach our kids to read and write
That's the only way to win this fight for life
Education is the goal so
If you wanna be in the know
[Chorus]
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
It's the one thing we all need in life
One, two, one, two
It's the knowledge
Knowledge
That you really want
You really need the knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
Knowledge
That you really want
One, two
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
One, two, three, four
[Verse 1]
Insight to what's going on
Information keeps us strong
What you don't know can hurt you bad
Take it from me you'll be walkin' around sad
Cryin' for a better day
Until you educate for a better way
So if you wanna be in control
Ya gotta get yourself in the know
[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want
[Verse 2]
Spreading vise don't believe the hype
You don't find the knowledge in a pipe
Too many lives go up in smoke
It's nice to laugh but don't be the joke
To get over get better
Try to be the possessor
Of the one thing we all need in life
To succeed, take my advice
[Chorus]
Get the knowledge
That you really want
The knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
The knowledge
That you really want
[Breakdown]
One, two, three, four
Prejudice: no
Ignorance: no
Bigotry: no
Illiteracy: no
Count
One, two, three, four
One, two, three, four
One, two, one, two
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
Knowledge
Knowledge
[Verse 3]
Listen; it's up to everyone
If we're gonna change the way the world is run
The way to start is to rid the children of
Prejudice and ignorance
We've gotta teach our kids to read and write
That's the only way to win this fight for life
Education is the goal so
If you wanna be in the know
[Chorus]
Knowledge
One, two, one, two
It's the one thing we all need in life
One, two, one, two
It's the knowledge
Knowledge
That you really want
You really need the knowledge
Do you really want?
It's the knowledge
What you really want
Knowledge
That you really want
One, two
Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation 1814
- Alright
- Come Back to Me
- Someday is Tonight
- Interlude: Hey Baby
- The Knowledge
- Black Cat
- Interlude: Pledge
- State of the World
- Escapade
- Lonely
- Interlude: Race
- Rhythm Nation
- Miss You Much
- Love Will Never Do (Without You)
- Interlude: T.V.
- Interlude: Let’s Dance
- Interlude: No Acid
- Interlude: Come Back
- Livin’ in a World (They Didn’t Make)
- Interlude: Livin’...In Complete Darkness
- No Sleeep
- If
- Nasty
- Would You Mind
- All for You
- Together Again
- BURNITUP!
- Got ’Til It’s Gone
- Any Time, Any Place
- That’s the Way Love Goes
- Dammn Baby
- I Get Lonely
- Doesn’t Really Matter
- Black Cat
- Control
- Again
- No Sleeep (Single Version)
- Unbreakable
- Rhythm Nation
- What About
- Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)
- Feedback
- Son of a Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You)
- Call on Me