Lauryn Hill

Released: May 7, 2002

Songwriter: Lauryn Hill

Producer: Lauryn Hill

[Intro]
Oh Jerusalem
Oh Jerusalem
Oh Jerusalem
Oh Jerusalem

[Verse 1]
Realizing that there's no place else to go
And there's nobody I know who can help me
Textbook solutions are so improbable
Cause everybody else is just as empty

Naked as the day that I was born, I tried to hide
Behind education and philosophy
Hopeless explanation to describe a situation
I can't see because the world's on top of me

[Verse 2]
Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
From the body of this death?
Freeing me from dust, and the superficial trust
Of an enemy that seeks to take my breath

Failing to connect cause I'm morally defect
By reason of the God inside my head
Causing me to see only what pertains to me
Believing I'm alive when I'm still dead

[Verse 3]
Limited to earth, unable to find out my worth
Cause I can't see past my own vanity
If I'm not included, then I just have to remove it
From my mind because it has to be insanity

Oh wretched man that I am, who will deliver me
From the body of this death?

[Verse 4]
Can I even factor, that I've only been an actor
In this staged interpretation of this day
Focused on the shadow, with my back turned to the light
Too intelligent to see it's me in the way

What a paradox, having God trapped in a box
All this time professing to be spiritual
Naturally pretending, that I'm actually defending
God through my facade, don't need material

[Hook]
Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou mayest be saved from thy deception
How long shall thy faith lodge lies within thee?
Oh Jerusalem, keeping thee from perfection

[Verse 5]
Submit to truth, leave the deception of thy youth
So we could walk in the council of authority
Forget the proof, our generation so aloof
Only follow in the steps of the majority

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart
And lay not to thine, oh an understanding in all thy ways
Acknowledge Him, and He shall direct our paths
Be not wise in thine own eyes and you can follow him

We judge and condemn, just as ignorant as them
Who religion tells us that we should ignore
Perpetrating we're in covenant with Him
Exposed by the very things that we adore

[Verse 6]
We grin and shake hands, then lay ambush for the man
Who has a different point of view then us
Infuriated cause he doesn't understand
Bringing up those things we don't want to discuss

Why still do evil, we don't know how to do good
Walking on in darkness running from the light
Led to believe, because we live in neighborhoods
Telling us what's going on will be alright

Oh so repressed, so convinced that I was blessed
When I played with my game of Monopoly
Oh to suggest, that my life is still a mess
Who reveal the pride I'm hiding is what's stopping me

[Hook]
Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou mayest be saved from thy deception
How long shall thy faith lodge lies within thee?
Oh Jerusalem, keeping thee from perfection

[Verse 7]
Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear
Fruit of itself except in the vine
I am the vine, ye are the branches, he that lives in me
And I in him, the same bring forth much fruit

Without me, you can do nothing
Oh Jerusalem, you're traditions have deceived you
I've chosen you, you haven't chosen me
Do whatsoever, you asking my name he may give to you

But in vain they call my name
Teaching doctrines just the same
Justified among themselves
But God know with the heart, what man esteemed as smart
Is an abomination to Emmanuel

[Verse 8]
Just repent, turn from selfish motivation
So iniquity will not cause your demise
Make you a new heart and a new spirit
For why would he die? Oh Jerusalem, please tell me why

I have no pleasure in the death of him to die
Says the Lord God where forth turn yourselves and live
It's not the talkers, but the walkers and His Word
Are the only ones the Father will forgive

[Hook]
Oh Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness
That thou mayest be saved from thy deception
How long shall thy faith lodge lies within thee?
Oh Jerusalem, keeping thee from perfection

[Outro]
Oh Jerusalem

As one of the founding members of Fugees, Lauryn Hill has spit her truthful lyrics unlike any female rap artist in history. Being as informative as she is inspiring, Lauryn has received monumental success with her solo albums going multi-platinum.

Her classic, critically acclaimed debut album Miseducation of Lauryn Hill went outside of the box for female rappers of her kind, making listeners think about greater causes in their community and how to be a powerful female without selling yourself short. The album also proved to be a huge landmark in rap, as it combined rap, r&b and neo-soul into a unique and beautiful mixture, full of different religious stories and concepts.

Although she retired after the success of her debut, mostly due to her child, Lauryn continued to make appearances at different shows (including at a concert with Drake in 2014). Shortly after announcing her official retirement, Lauryn returned to the scene to release MTV Unplugged 2.0, a live album where she explored with folk, departing from her rap/neo-soul style. Hill is also set to perform tracks from Miseducation in 2018 on its 20th Anniversary.

more tracks from the album

MTV Unplugged No. 2.0

From the album

MTV Unplugged No. 2.0 (2002)

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MTV Unplugged No. 2.0