Released: June 16, 2020
Songwriter: S1 WU10 J. Cole
Producer: WU10 J. Cole
[Verse]
Niggas be thinkin' I'm deep, intelligent, fooled by my college degree
My IQ is average, there's a young lady out there, she way smarter than me
I scrolled through her timeline in these wild times, and I started to read
She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police
She mad at my niggas, she mad at our ignorance, she wear her heart on her sleeve
She mad at the celebrities, lowkey I be thinkin' she talkin' 'bout me
Now I ain't no dummy to think I'm above criticism
So when I see something that's valid, I listen
But shit, it's something about the queen tone that's botherin' me
She strike me as somebody blessed enough to grow up in conscious environment
With parents that know 'bout the struggle for liberation and in turn they provide her with
A perspective and awareness of the system and unfairness that afflicts 'em
And the clearest understandin' of what we gotta do to get free
And the frustration that fills her words seems to come from the fact that most people don't see
Just 'cause you woke and I'm not, that shit ain't no reason to talk like you better than me
How you gon' lead, when you attackin' the very same niggas that really do need the shit that you sayin'?
Instead of conveyin' you holier, come help us get up to speed
Shit, it's a reason it took like two hundred years for our ancestors just to get freed
These shackles be lockin' the mental way more than the physical
I look at freedom like trees, can't grow a forest like overnight
Hit the ghetto and slowly start plantin' your seeds
Fuck is the point of you preaching your message to those that already believe what you believe?
I'm on some "Fuck a retweet," most people is sheep
You got all the answers but how you gon' reach?
If I could make one more suggestion respectfully
I would say it's more effective to treat people like children
Understandin' the time and love and patience that's needed to grow
This change is inevitable, but ain't none of us seen this before
Therefore, we just gotta learn everything as we go
I struggle with thoughts on the daily
Feel like a slave that somehow done saved enough coins to buy his way up outta slavery
Thinkin' just maybe, in my pursuit to make life so much better for me and my babies
I done betrayed the very same people that look at me like I'm some kind of a hero
Because of the zeros that's next to the commas
But look here, I promise I'm not who you think
Ran into this nigga outside of the store yesterday
He said something that had me like, "Wait"
He was like, "Cole, 'preciate what you been doin', my nigga, that's real"
But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on tha Bluff?
Well, maybe 'cause deep down I know I ain't doin' enough
[Bridge]
The sun is shinin' today
The sun is shinin' today
The sun is shinin' today
[Outro]
Can you walk with me?
I hope we'll find the reason why we often sob, go on, cry
Painful memories fuck up the vibe
Though I be tryin' to let the time heal my mind
I was once a child, I've gotten older
Still, I know I'm just a boy in God's eyes
Fill me up with wisdom and some courage
Plus endurance to survive, help mine thrive
Niggas be thinkin' I'm deep, intelligent, fooled by my college degree
My IQ is average, there's a young lady out there, she way smarter than me
I scrolled through her timeline in these wild times, and I started to read
She mad at these crackers, she mad at these capitalists, mad at these murder police
She mad at my niggas, she mad at our ignorance, she wear her heart on her sleeve
She mad at the celebrities, lowkey I be thinkin' she talkin' 'bout me
Now I ain't no dummy to think I'm above criticism
So when I see something that's valid, I listen
But shit, it's something about the queen tone that's botherin' me
She strike me as somebody blessed enough to grow up in conscious environment
With parents that know 'bout the struggle for liberation and in turn they provide her with
A perspective and awareness of the system and unfairness that afflicts 'em
And the clearest understandin' of what we gotta do to get free
And the frustration that fills her words seems to come from the fact that most people don't see
Just 'cause you woke and I'm not, that shit ain't no reason to talk like you better than me
How you gon' lead, when you attackin' the very same niggas that really do need the shit that you sayin'?
Instead of conveyin' you holier, come help us get up to speed
Shit, it's a reason it took like two hundred years for our ancestors just to get freed
These shackles be lockin' the mental way more than the physical
I look at freedom like trees, can't grow a forest like overnight
Hit the ghetto and slowly start plantin' your seeds
Fuck is the point of you preaching your message to those that already believe what you believe?
I'm on some "Fuck a retweet," most people is sheep
You got all the answers but how you gon' reach?
If I could make one more suggestion respectfully
I would say it's more effective to treat people like children
Understandin' the time and love and patience that's needed to grow
This change is inevitable, but ain't none of us seen this before
Therefore, we just gotta learn everything as we go
I struggle with thoughts on the daily
Feel like a slave that somehow done saved enough coins to buy his way up outta slavery
Thinkin' just maybe, in my pursuit to make life so much better for me and my babies
I done betrayed the very same people that look at me like I'm some kind of a hero
Because of the zeros that's next to the commas
But look here, I promise I'm not who you think
Ran into this nigga outside of the store yesterday
He said something that had me like, "Wait"
He was like, "Cole, 'preciate what you been doin', my nigga, that's real"
But damn, why I feel faker than Snow on tha Bluff?
Well, maybe 'cause deep down I know I ain't doin' enough
[Bridge]
The sun is shinin' today
The sun is shinin' today
The sun is shinin' today
[Outro]
Can you walk with me?
I hope we'll find the reason why we often sob, go on, cry
Painful memories fuck up the vibe
Though I be tryin' to let the time heal my mind
I was once a child, I've gotten older
Still, I know I'm just a boy in God's eyes
Fill me up with wisdom and some courage
Plus endurance to survive, help mine thrive