The Roots

Released: May 22, 2010

Featuring: Monsters of Folk

Songwriter: Jim James Richard Nichols Pedro Martinez ?uestlove Black Thought

Producer: Pedro Martinez Richard Nichols ?uestlove

[Hook: Jim James]
Dear God, I'm trying hard to reach you
Dear God, I see your face in all I do
Sometimes, it's so hard to believe in
But God, I know you have your reasons

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Uh-huh, they said he's busy, hold the line please
Call me crazy, I thought maybe he could mind read
Who does the blind lead? Show me a sign please
If everything is made in China, are we Chinese?
And why do haters separate us like we siamese?
Technology turning the planet into zombies
Everybody all in everybody's dirty laundry
Acid rain, earthquakes, hurricane, tsunamis
Terrorists, crime sprees, assaults and robberies
Cops yelling "Stop freeze," shoot him 'fore he try to leave
Air quality so foul, I gotta try to breathe
Endangered species and we running out of trees
If I could hold the world in the palm of these hands
I would probably do away with these anomalies
Everybody checking for the new award nominees
Wars and atrocities, look at all the poverty
Ignoring the prophecies, more beef than broccoli
Corporate monopoly, weak world economy
Stock market toppling, mad marijuana
OxyContin and Klonopin, everybody out of it

[Bridge: Jim James]
Well I've been thinking about
And I've been breaking it down
Without an answer
I know I'm thinking out loud
But if your love's still around
Why do we suffer? Why do we suffer?

[Verse 2: Black Thought]
Uh-huh, yeah, it's still me, one of your biggest fans
I get off work, right back to work again
I probably need to go ahead and have my head exam
Look how they got me on the Def Jam payment plan
Well, I'm in the world of entertainment and
Tryna keep a singing man sane for the paying fans
If I don't make it through the night, slight change of plans
Harp strings, angel wings and praying hands
Lord, forgive me for my shortcomings
For going on tour and ignoring the court summons
All I'm tryna do is live life to the fullest
They sent my daddy to you in a barrage of bullets
Why is the world ugly when you made it in your image?
And why is living life such a fight to the finish?
For this high percentage, when the sky's the limit
A second is a minute, every hour's infinite

[Hook: Jim James]
Dear God, I'm trying hard to reach you
Dear God, I see your face in all I do
Sometimes, it's so hard to believe in

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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