The Roots

Released: August 29, 2006

Featuring: Jack Davey (J*Davey)

Songwriter: Jonny Greenwood Ed O’Brien Philip Selway Black Thought Dice Raw James Poyser Thom Yorke Colin Greenwood

Producer: The Roots Randy Watson Experience

[Hook: Jack Davey]
As I wait for atonement
Trapped in the heat of the moment
Feelin like I can't control it
As I wait for atonement
Trapped in the heat of the moment

[Verse: Black Thought]
Uh-huh, feelin the steam from the cauldron
With tension runnin deep as the ocean
Many are called, but so few are chosen
As I go through the motions, of medication uppin my dosage
Bangin Earth, Wind & Fire "Devotion" as I admire the focus
Takin the city with a grain of salt
Where they tastin foul, chase it down, with the latest malt - liquor
Roll and hit it, knife did it, hope you got some smarts wit'chu
Hope you got some heart it ain't no stoppin when it start - nigga
Feel somethin bigger got a hold on me
And I ain't trippin not a Bobby Brown, lippin with my nose runnin
Basically I had two, options I just chose one
And then got ghost, like my picture was on a most wanted
Coast to coast, from L.A. to Chicago
Now I'm faced, with the weight of survival, plus the taste
From the way I been lied to while the preacherman spittin his gospel
I can win if I try to

[Hook: Jack Davey]
As I wait for atonement
Trapped in the heat of the moment
Feelin like I can't control it
As I wait for atonement
Trapped in the heat of the moment

The world’s premiere hip-hop band, The Roots were formed in Philadelphia in 1987 by MC Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and drummer and bandleader Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. Since those early days, the band has weathered changes in personnel and record labels while performing hundreds of shows a year and releasing a string of well-regarded (if not always top-selling) albums.

While the musicianship of Thompson and the other band members, as well as their seemingly limitless repertoire, gets most of the attention, real hip-hop fans know that the rapping skills of Black Thought (along with former group member Malik B.) are the group’s hidden weapon. Thought, one of the few MCs brave enough to go toe to toe with Big Pun, handles any groove the band throws at him with aplomb, style, and flash.

Today, The Roots are seen by millions every night as the house band on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, a move that has given the group the chance to indulge its not-insignificant comic side.

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