Released: January 16, 2017
Songwriter: J. Cole
Producer: Cam O’bi Elite
[Intro]
This is called being high as shit, for hours
That's the name of this song, nigga
"High as Shit for Hours"
Here we go, yeah
[Verse 1]
American hypocrisy, oh, let me count the ways
They came here seekin' freedom then they end up ownin' slaves
Justified it usin' Christianity which saves
Religion don't mean shit, there's too much ego in the way
That's why ISIS is a crisis
But in reality, this country do the same shit
Take a life and call it righteous
Remember when Bin Laden got killed, supposedly?
In a hotel lobby after a show, was noticin'
These white ladies watchin' CNN, coverin' the action
They read the headline and then they all started clappin'
As if LeBron had just scored a basket at the buzzer
I stood there for a second, watched them high-five each other
For real? I thought this was "Thou shalt not kill"
But police still lettin' off on niggas in the Ville
Claimin' that he reached for a gun
They really think we dumb and got a death wish
Now somebody's son is layin' breathless
When I was a little boy my father lived in Texas
Pulled up in Toyota, drove that bitch like it was Lexus
Put my bag in his trunk and headed off for Dallas
Out there for the summer, feelin' just like I was Alice
Lost in the Wonderland where niggas still sufferin'
Just like they was back home, and that's wrong
So now it's fuck the government, they see my niggas strugglin'
And they don't give a fuck at all, and that's wrong, yeah
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
[Verse 2]
I had a convo with the President, I paid to go and see him
Thinkin' about the things I said I'd say when I would see him
Feelin' nervous, sittin' in a room full of white folks
Thinkin' about the black man plight, think I might choke
Nope, raised my hand and asked a man a question
Does he see the struggle of his brothers in oppression?
And if so, if you got all the power in the clout
As the President, what's keepin' you from helpin' niggas out?
Well, I didn't say "nigga," but you catch my drift
He looked me in my eyes and spoke and he was rather swift
He broke the issues down and showed me he was well-aware
I got the vibe he was sincere and that the brother cared
But dawg, you in the chair, what's the hold-up?
He said, "There's things that I wanna fix
But you know this shit, nigga: politics"
Don't stop fightin' and don't stop believin'
You can make the world better for your kids before you leave it
Change is slow, always has been, always will be
But fuck that, I'ma bust back 'til they kill me
Change is slow, always has been, always will be
But fuck that, I'ma bust back until they kill me—feel me?
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna (Aight, third verse)
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
[Verse 3]
Here's a thought for my revolutionary heart
Take a deeper look at history, it's there to pick apart
See the people at the top, they get to do just what they want
'Til after a while the people at the bottom finally get smart
Then they start to holla, "Revolution"
Tired of livin' here, destitution
Fuck that lootin', can you tell me what's the best solution?
I used to think it was to overthrow oppressors, see
If we destroy the system, that means we'll have less of greed
But see, it's not that simple
I got to thinkin' about the history of human nature
While this instrumental played, then I realized somethin' that made
Me wonder if revolution was really ever the way
Before you trip and throw a fit over these words I say
Think about this shit for a second, you heard the way
The children in abusive households grow up
Knockin' girlfriends out cold—that's called a cycle
Abused becomes the abuser and that's just how life go
So understand
You get the power, but you know what power does to man?
Corruption always leads us to the same shit again
So when you talk 'bout revolution, dawg, I hear just what you sayin'
What good is takin' over when we know what you gon' do?
The only real revolution happens right inside of you
I said what good is takin' over when we know what you gon' do?
The only real revolution happens right inside of you, nigga
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna (High for hours, nigga)
The type of shit that make you wanna let go (Volume one)
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
This is called being high as shit, for hours
That's the name of this song, nigga
"High as Shit for Hours"
Here we go, yeah
[Verse 1]
American hypocrisy, oh, let me count the ways
They came here seekin' freedom then they end up ownin' slaves
Justified it usin' Christianity which saves
Religion don't mean shit, there's too much ego in the way
That's why ISIS is a crisis
But in reality, this country do the same shit
Take a life and call it righteous
Remember when Bin Laden got killed, supposedly?
In a hotel lobby after a show, was noticin'
These white ladies watchin' CNN, coverin' the action
They read the headline and then they all started clappin'
As if LeBron had just scored a basket at the buzzer
I stood there for a second, watched them high-five each other
For real? I thought this was "Thou shalt not kill"
But police still lettin' off on niggas in the Ville
Claimin' that he reached for a gun
They really think we dumb and got a death wish
Now somebody's son is layin' breathless
When I was a little boy my father lived in Texas
Pulled up in Toyota, drove that bitch like it was Lexus
Put my bag in his trunk and headed off for Dallas
Out there for the summer, feelin' just like I was Alice
Lost in the Wonderland where niggas still sufferin'
Just like they was back home, and that's wrong
So now it's fuck the government, they see my niggas strugglin'
And they don't give a fuck at all, and that's wrong, yeah
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
[Verse 2]
I had a convo with the President, I paid to go and see him
Thinkin' about the things I said I'd say when I would see him
Feelin' nervous, sittin' in a room full of white folks
Thinkin' about the black man plight, think I might choke
Nope, raised my hand and asked a man a question
Does he see the struggle of his brothers in oppression?
And if so, if you got all the power in the clout
As the President, what's keepin' you from helpin' niggas out?
Well, I didn't say "nigga," but you catch my drift
He looked me in my eyes and spoke and he was rather swift
He broke the issues down and showed me he was well-aware
I got the vibe he was sincere and that the brother cared
But dawg, you in the chair, what's the hold-up?
He said, "There's things that I wanna fix
But you know this shit, nigga: politics"
Don't stop fightin' and don't stop believin'
You can make the world better for your kids before you leave it
Change is slow, always has been, always will be
But fuck that, I'ma bust back 'til they kill me
Change is slow, always has been, always will be
But fuck that, I'ma bust back until they kill me—feel me?
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna (Aight, third verse)
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go
[Verse 3]
Here's a thought for my revolutionary heart
Take a deeper look at history, it's there to pick apart
See the people at the top, they get to do just what they want
'Til after a while the people at the bottom finally get smart
Then they start to holla, "Revolution"
Tired of livin' here, destitution
Fuck that lootin', can you tell me what's the best solution?
I used to think it was to overthrow oppressors, see
If we destroy the system, that means we'll have less of greed
But see, it's not that simple
I got to thinkin' about the history of human nature
While this instrumental played, then I realized somethin' that made
Me wonder if revolution was really ever the way
Before you trip and throw a fit over these words I say
Think about this shit for a second, you heard the way
The children in abusive households grow up
Knockin' girlfriends out cold—that's called a cycle
Abused becomes the abuser and that's just how life go
So understand
You get the power, but you know what power does to man?
Corruption always leads us to the same shit again
So when you talk 'bout revolution, dawg, I hear just what you sayin'
What good is takin' over when we know what you gon' do?
The only real revolution happens right inside of you
I said what good is takin' over when we know what you gon' do?
The only real revolution happens right inside of you, nigga
[Chorus]
The type of shit that make you wanna (High for hours, nigga)
The type of shit that make you wanna let go (Volume one)
The type of shit that make you wanna
The type of shit that make you wanna let go