Released: August 22, 2000

Featuring: Earth, Wind & Fire The Product G&B

Songwriter: Maurice White Wyclef Jean

Producer: Jerry Duplessis Wyclef Jean

[Intro: Wyclef Jean]
To my people doing time
To my people, rest in peace (Y'all ready for the Refugee Camp?)
Come on
Introducing...
Earth, Wind & Fire
Yeah, yeah, yeah
Come on, come on, come on, come on

[Verse 1: Wyclef Jean, Wyclef Jean w/ The Product G&B]
No money in my pocket, gotta get a no-limit
So I became America's most wanted
All I ever wanted was a fancy car
A crib for my mom and a MasterCard
Baby, you know it's in Hollywood
New cop flicks with Clint Eastwood
Went from a teen to a young adult
No excuses, ain't my fault

[Pre-Chorus: Wyclef Jean]
Runaway
We living like runaways
(Wake up) Stretching, morning yawning
Tryna make it through the day
Brush my teeth, hit the streets
Where there's heat, we avoid the beef
Hoping one day
We don't have to run away (Gotta escape)

[Chorus: Wyclef Jean]
I didn't want to run away
But I had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
We didn't want to run away
But we had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to leave, straight
But sometimes, I gotta get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to go away
But I had to get, get away, yo(Yo G&B where you at?)

[Verse 2: The Product G&B & Wyclef Jean]
Mama came home from a hard day's work
At daytime, a maid; at nightime, a nurse (Ugh)
Worked so hard to make sure we survived
Living a ghetto paradise
But sometimes, I wake up screaming in the middle of the night
Hoping that darkness brings me light
Praying for that better day
When we won't have to run away

[Pre-Chorus: The Product G&B]
Runaway
We living like runaways
(Wake up) Stretching, morning yawning
Tryna make it through the day
Brush my teeth, hit the streets
Where there's heat, avoid the beef
Hoping one day
We don't have to run away

[Chorus: Wyclef Jean]
I didn't want to run away
But I had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
We didn't want to run away
But we had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to leave, straight
But sometimes, I gotta get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to go away
But I had to get, get away, yo
(Ladies and gentlemen, Earth, Wind & Fire)

[Bridge: Earth, Wind & Fire, Wyclef Jean]
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
Da-ba-da-ba-d-da-ba-dow
Feel the belly, y'all
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
More peace, y'all
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
Bow (Bow), bow (Bow)
Ba-ba-da-ba-bow!

[Pre-Chorus: Earth, Wind & Fire]
Runaway
We living like runaways
Wake up (Stretching, morning yawning)
Tryna make it through the day
Brush my teeth, hit the streets
Where there's heat, we avoid the beef
Hoping one day
We don't have to run away

[Chorus: Wyclef Jean, Earth Wind & Fire]
I didn't want to run away
But I had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
We didn't want to run away
But we had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to leave straight
I didn't want to leave, straight
But sometimes, you got to run away
But sometimes, I gotta get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to go away
But I had to get, get away, yo
I didn't want to run away
But I had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
We didn't want to run away
But we had to get, get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to leave, straight
But sometimes, I gotta get away, yo (Gotta get away)
I didn't want to go away
But I had to get, get away, yo
(Yo, y'all gon' make me do it, I don't want to do it, but here we go)

[Breakdown: Earth, Wind & Fire, Wyclef Jean]
Ba-y-ya, ba-y-ya
Ba-y-ya-y-ya-y-ya
Y-ya-y-ya
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba (Ain't no samples, this original, baby)
Ba-y-ya, ba-y-ya
Ba-y-ya-y-ya-y-ya
Y-ya-y-ya (Put 'em up, y'all—ugh, ugh)
Ba-da-ba-ba-ba (Refugees)
Ba-da, ba-da, ba-ba, ba
Ba-da, ba-ba, ba-ba, ba-da
Ba-da, ba-ba, ba-ba, ba
Y-ya-y-ya, y-ya-y-ya (I wan' see everybody hands in the air right now)
Y-ya-y-ya, y-ya-y-ya (Recognize the legends up in here)
Y-ya-y-ya, y-ya (Ugh)

[Outro: Guitar solo]

Wyclef Jean

Wyclef ‘Clef’ Jean is a Haiti-born, Brooklyn-raised Grammy-winning artist and rapper. He used to be part of a rap group called Fugees with comrades Lauryn Hill and Pras.