Released: September 21, 2010
Featuring: C.L. Smooth
Songwriter: Corey Penn Leon Moore
Producer: John Legend The Roots
[John Legend]
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Take caution from our elders, don't make the same mistake (let's straighten it out)
Let's fill the world with love, and get rid of all the hate
Our elders taught us one thing but, practice another
Just look what happened to the Indian and the brother
(Straighten it out!) {*3X*}
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Our leaders make us fight, and we don't know what for (let's straighten it out)
If they want people killed, let them fight the war!
It's gotta end somewhere, this killing's got to cease
If no one were to fight, we'd all live in peace
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us (let's straighten it out)
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must
And straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Gotta straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Yeahhh we gon' straighten it out, yeahh!
[CL Smooth]
As long as there's a you, there's a better me
It's why we're together and stronger than they ever thought it could be
A world motherless - can health care cover this?
A love for all people no matter what the culture is
Our generation, is makin huge strides
A self-empowering movement that's on the rise
The more the door is open, the more the youth can see
A fair chance means a greater opportunity
To have a brighter future, deeper insight
Work hard to be anything you want in life
It's what it's all about, the longevity
Educated enough to know what's ahead of me
Need to straighten it out, seek and you'll find
They can cage your body, but not your mind
We lay it all on the line in the struggle
We grew, but together here's what we gotta do
[John Legend]
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us (let's straighten it out)
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must, and straighten it out!
[JL with background singers]
Our generation - straighten it out!
Let's straighten it out - and straighten it out!
Heyyyyyyyyy we can straighten it out, YEAHHH!
C'mon yeah! Our generation - let's straighten it out
Hey hey, we'll straighten it out
We'll straighten it out - straighten it out
New York City, better straighten it out
Atlanta, better straighten it out
In Los Angeles, you better straighten it out
We can straighten it out, we can straighten it out
{*fades out*}
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Take caution from our elders, don't make the same mistake (let's straighten it out)
Let's fill the world with love, and get rid of all the hate
Our elders taught us one thing but, practice another
Just look what happened to the Indian and the brother
(Straighten it out!) {*3X*}
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Our leaders make us fight, and we don't know what for (let's straighten it out)
If they want people killed, let them fight the war!
It's gotta end somewhere, this killing's got to cease
If no one were to fight, we'd all live in peace
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us (let's straighten it out)
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must
And straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Gotta straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Yeahhh we gon' straighten it out, yeahh!
[CL Smooth]
As long as there's a you, there's a better me
It's why we're together and stronger than they ever thought it could be
A world motherless - can health care cover this?
A love for all people no matter what the culture is
Our generation, is makin huge strides
A self-empowering movement that's on the rise
The more the door is open, the more the youth can see
A fair chance means a greater opportunity
To have a brighter future, deeper insight
Work hard to be anything you want in life
It's what it's all about, the longevity
Educated enough to know what's ahead of me
Need to straighten it out, seek and you'll find
They can cage your body, but not your mind
We lay it all on the line in the struggle
We grew, but together here's what we gotta do
[John Legend]
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us (let's straighten it out)
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must, and straighten it out!
[JL with background singers]
Our generation - straighten it out!
Let's straighten it out - and straighten it out!
Heyyyyyyyyy we can straighten it out, YEAHHH!
C'mon yeah! Our generation - let's straighten it out
Hey hey, we'll straighten it out
We'll straighten it out - straighten it out
New York City, better straighten it out
Atlanta, better straighten it out
In Los Angeles, you better straighten it out
We can straighten it out, we can straighten it out
{*fades out*}