Released: December 24, 2016
Featuring: Tunde Adebimpe
Songwriter: Killer Mike El-P
Producer: El-P
[Intro]
"You walk into this room at your own risk, because it leads to the future, not a future that will be but one that might be. This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one."
[Verse 1: Killer Mike]
(Conversing with a ghost, conversing with a ghost)
He just leaving and he screamin' Jesus
(He had the highest hopes, he had the highest hopes)
People yellin', screamin' at polices
(Riots tonight, riots tonight)
Burning, looting, shooting, taking, thieving
(Fire and light, fire and light)
Fill the air and most don't know the reason
(Never knew his name, never knew his name)
But they know his problems and feel his pain
(Shit's still the same, shit's still the same)
We just prey off in they deadly game
(It'll never change, it'll never change)
Too much profit in it and it stay the same
(The facts still remain, the facts still remain)
You can burn the system and start again
[Verse 2: El-P]
(Spoke with a ghost)
Late night, same night, "God, let me sleep, please, I'm begging you"
(Said, "Don't be afraid")
Daylight might never break right again once they get at you
(Said, "You'll never be alone again")
This house is haunted by pain transposed into revenue
("The murdered all stay")
That thing when your mind says "run" but your heart isn't letting you
(Said, "We got an army now")
You strike 'em down, they still live inside hearts, hearts carry them
(The weapon is our memory)
Some get to count sheep, some gotta count kids that they burying
(I don't wanna scare nobody)
Fear's been law for so long that rage feels like therapy
(But I'm gonna make 'em remember me)
Nobody gets no more sleep till we teach them remembering
[Hook]
Thieves!
Thieves!
[Verse 3: El-P]
Coming live at five, we got new news breaking
You heard it here first if you don't die waiting
Hard to review the scene I just seen
I'ma try to convey, but it defies explaining
Started with folks just crying
Nothing but broken hearts, sobs, and the shriek of the sirens
Right at the spot where the blood's still drying
(My God) I saw it, the dead began rising
I don't know much about science
But I seen an army of armed men stop and get quiet
Mist hung low like a prayer from a tyrant
Sky became black like the stars aren't aligning
So many years of this violence
Now we're surrounded by the souls of the dead and defiant
Saying, "Look what you've done, you designed it"
When the bough breaks, hear the wraith scream, "Riot!"
[Verse 4: Killer Mike]
No more moms and dads crying
No more arms in the air
We put firearms in the air
Molotov cocktails thrown in the air
CNN got dummy Don on the air
Talking 'bout he smell that ganj' in the air
Dummy don't know and dummy don't care
Get that punk motherfucker out of here
Aye, ghosts are walking, ghosts are talking
Everything gon' be different, man
Shh, karma's coming, ain't no running
Death gon' deal with the guilty, man
The universe curses the killers, man
Can't keep killing God's children, man
A pound of flesh is what you owe
Your debt is due, give up your ghost
[Hook]
Thieves!
Thieves!
Thieves!
[Bridge: Tunde Adebimpe]
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What are you making us do?
Thieves!
It's on you
It's on you
Thieves!
It's on you
It's on you
It's on you
Thieves!
[Outro]
I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard
Thieves!
"You walk into this room at your own risk, because it leads to the future, not a future that will be but one that might be. This is not a new world, it is simply an extension of what began in the old one."
[Verse 1: Killer Mike]
(Conversing with a ghost, conversing with a ghost)
He just leaving and he screamin' Jesus
(He had the highest hopes, he had the highest hopes)
People yellin', screamin' at polices
(Riots tonight, riots tonight)
Burning, looting, shooting, taking, thieving
(Fire and light, fire and light)
Fill the air and most don't know the reason
(Never knew his name, never knew his name)
But they know his problems and feel his pain
(Shit's still the same, shit's still the same)
We just prey off in they deadly game
(It'll never change, it'll never change)
Too much profit in it and it stay the same
(The facts still remain, the facts still remain)
You can burn the system and start again
[Verse 2: El-P]
(Spoke with a ghost)
Late night, same night, "God, let me sleep, please, I'm begging you"
(Said, "Don't be afraid")
Daylight might never break right again once they get at you
(Said, "You'll never be alone again")
This house is haunted by pain transposed into revenue
("The murdered all stay")
That thing when your mind says "run" but your heart isn't letting you
(Said, "We got an army now")
You strike 'em down, they still live inside hearts, hearts carry them
(The weapon is our memory)
Some get to count sheep, some gotta count kids that they burying
(I don't wanna scare nobody)
Fear's been law for so long that rage feels like therapy
(But I'm gonna make 'em remember me)
Nobody gets no more sleep till we teach them remembering
[Hook]
Thieves!
Thieves!
[Verse 3: El-P]
Coming live at five, we got new news breaking
You heard it here first if you don't die waiting
Hard to review the scene I just seen
I'ma try to convey, but it defies explaining
Started with folks just crying
Nothing but broken hearts, sobs, and the shriek of the sirens
Right at the spot where the blood's still drying
(My God) I saw it, the dead began rising
I don't know much about science
But I seen an army of armed men stop and get quiet
Mist hung low like a prayer from a tyrant
Sky became black like the stars aren't aligning
So many years of this violence
Now we're surrounded by the souls of the dead and defiant
Saying, "Look what you've done, you designed it"
When the bough breaks, hear the wraith scream, "Riot!"
[Verse 4: Killer Mike]
No more moms and dads crying
No more arms in the air
We put firearms in the air
Molotov cocktails thrown in the air
CNN got dummy Don on the air
Talking 'bout he smell that ganj' in the air
Dummy don't know and dummy don't care
Get that punk motherfucker out of here
Aye, ghosts are walking, ghosts are talking
Everything gon' be different, man
Shh, karma's coming, ain't no running
Death gon' deal with the guilty, man
The universe curses the killers, man
Can't keep killing God's children, man
A pound of flesh is what you owe
Your debt is due, give up your ghost
[Hook]
Thieves!
Thieves!
Thieves!
[Bridge: Tunde Adebimpe]
What have you done?
What have you done?
What have you done?
What are you making us do?
Thieves!
It's on you
It's on you
Thieves!
It's on you
It's on you
It's on you
Thieves!
[Outro]
I think America must see that riots do not develop out of thin air. Certain conditions continue to exist in our society which must be condemned as vigorously as we condemn riots. But in the final analysis, a riot is the language of the unheard
Thieves!
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Run the Jewels 3 (2016)
Run The Jewels popular songs
- Legend Has It
- Close Your Eyes (And Count to Fuck)
- Run the Jewels
- Oh My Darling Don’t Cry
- Blockbuster Night, Pt. 1
- walking in the snow
- Lie, Cheat, Steal
- A Christmas Fucking Miracle
- JU$T
- Talk to Me
- Call Ticketron
- ooh la la
- A Report to the Shareholders / Kill Your Masters
- Jeopardy
- Love Again (Akinyele Back)
- Banana Clipper
- 2100
- Sea Legs
- Down
- Early
- Hey Kids (Bumaye)
- DDFH
- Panther Like a Panther (Miracle Mix)
- Angel Duster