Released: December 10, 2002

Featuring: Lonnie “Pops” Lynn OmarLye-Fook Bilal CeeLo Green Erykah Badu Mary J. Blige Jill Scott

Songwriter: Common Lonnie “Pops” Lynn Erykah Badu Mary J. Blige Jill Scott CeeLo Green Bilal ?uestlove James Poyser Pino Palladino OmarLye-Fook

Producer: Pino Palladino James Poyser ?uestlove

[Intro: Common]
Phone rang
Screen said caller ID blocked
But for some reason, I decided to answer it
On the other end, was a French accent
He told me we needed to rap quick
Cause he had did some bad shit
And would be gone for years
But spending these last two days with his momma and his kid
When he spoke, I wasn't trying to hear it
Cause I knew he was a real good person
And this didn't seem like it was in his spirit
He couldn't believe as much as I couldn't, what he had done
He said now it's time for him to turn himself in
For no longer could he run, from life, from God
I started thinkin, "Why is doin' right is so hard?"
I thought back to when we was in London
Discussin' the New Testament, and how our lives related to it
And how we could make the best of it
My voice became desperate, so I asked him, "Why you gotta go?"
He said, "You know, turn to Matthew 24"
He said, "No one knows the hour, nor do they know the day
But the kingdom is near; don't let anything lead you astray
As long as God is with me, everything will be okay"
So right about then, we decided to pray

[Refrain: Omar Lye-Fook]
Just lying back, making the smoke disperse away
Deep into clouds (deep into clouds)
It's making things appear to me so clearly
Deep in the clouds (deep in the clouds)
Just lying back, making the smoke disperse away
Deep in the clouds (deep in the clouds)
It's making things appear to me so clearly
Deep into clouds (yeah)

[Verse 1: Cee-Lo Green]
Your time, is a terrible thing to waste!
For there's, not one of these possessions
That you can bring to space (yeah, it don't matter)
It's a challenge
But the chance of seeing it, is quite a dream to chase (yes it is)
I hope, I remind God of him
When he sees my face (yeah he will)
He gon' see it!

[Verse 2: Bilal]
Higher (keeps on)
This feeling just keeps on, hehe, lifting me higher (ever)
And it's ever flowing, it's ever flowing (keeps on)
When everything, puts a smile on my face
(Ever flowing, ever flowing)
And I recognize this strong goal
But I keeps on going
I keep on going (he keeps on going)
I keep on going on, ohh
(He keeps on going, he keeps on)
(He keeps on going)
(He keeps on going, he keeps on going)

[Verse 3: Jill Scott]
All mighty love, watching over me
A smile, brilliant
All over, constantly
Warm, comforting (comforting)
Perfect, like, no-thing
No haze, no confusion, no strain
Simply, peace
Simply, simply, simply, simply

[Verse 4: Mary J. Blige]
No fear! Heaven is to me
No fear of destruction, oh oh oh oh
Understanding who he is
His name is Christ, yeah (oh oh oh oh)
Heaven, Heaven is to me
Wisdom, understanding, knowledge
Oh (understanding)

[Verse 5: Erykah Badu]
Streets of gold and pearly gates
Halos wings all dressed in white
Hah (hah) hah (hah)
Angels sing and cymbols glare
No one's rich, no one's poor
Hah (hah) hah (hah)
People dreaming they live free
Making love while they in love
Hah (hah) hah (hah)
Wonderful dream
Wake me when you're home
Hah (hah) hah (hah)

[Outro: Lonnie 'Pops' Lynn]
Heaven? Heaven is being Pops
Heaven is spending a day with the grandchildren
Listening to they voices, and laughter and play
And then at the end of the day
We hug, we kiss, and slowly they walk away
And then suddenly, they turn and rush back to me
And hug me around the knees
Yeah, that's Heaven to me

Common

Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Jr. (born March 13, 1972), better known by his stage name Common (previously Common Sense), is a Grammy and Oscar-winning rapper and actor from Chicago, Illinois. Common’s inspired mix of poetic flow and hip-hop soul has helped him earn his status as one of the most respected rappers in the game.

After being a ball boy for his hometown Chicago Bulls as a teen and attending Florida A&M University for business administration, Common Sense kicked in and he left school to become a rapper. He gained national attention after being featured in the Unsigned Hype column of The Source magazine in 1991. He released his debut album Can I Borrow a Dollar? through Relativity Records in 1992, followed by his breakthrough second album Resurrection in 1994, which features his hip-hop classic single “I Used To Love H.E.R.”

As his career began to take off, he was sued by the music group Common Sense over the name, leading Common to drop the “Sense” and allude to the change in the title of his third album, One Day It’ll All Make Sense (1997). He has released several critically acclaimed albums, including Like Water For Chocolate (2000), which features his J Dilla-produced hit single “The Light”, and Be (2005), which was released under fellow Chicago musician Kanye West’s G.O.O.D. Music imprint. He also joined musicians Karriem Riggins and Robert Glasper to form the group August Greene, and the trio released their self-titled album in 2018.