Released: August 25, 1998
Songwriter: Lauryn Hill
Producer: Lauryn Hill
[Intro: Shelly Thunder]
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us
Although them again we will never, never, never trust
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Them nuh know what them do
Dig out your eye, while I'm sticking like glue
Fling, skin, grin, while them plotting for you, true!
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Shelly Thunder]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Me a tell you, dem nuh know)
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Fi be real, them nuh have a clue!)
[Verse 1: Lauryn Hill]
Beware the false motives of others
Be careful of those who pretend to be brothers
And you never suppose it's those who are closest to you
To you
They say all the right things to gain their position
Then use your kindness as their ammunition
To shoot you down in the name of ambition, they do
Oh
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill]
Why every Indian wanna be the chief?
Feed a man till he full and he still want beef
Give me grief, try to tief off my piece
Why for you to increase, I must decrease?
If I treat you kindly, does it mean that I'm weak?
You hear me speak and think I won't take it to the streets
I know enough cats that don't turn the other cheek
But I try to keep it civilized, like Menelik
And other African czars, observing stars with war scars
Get yours in this capitalistic system
So many caught or got bought you can't list them
How you gon' idolize the missing? To survive is to stay alive in the face of opposition
Even when they coming, gunning I stand position
L's known the mission since conception
Let's free the people from deception
If you looking for the answers, then you gotta ask the questions
And when I let go, my voice echoes through the ghetto
Sick of men trying to pull strings like Geppetto
Why black people always be the ones to settle?
March through these streets like Soweto, uhh
[Bridge: Lauryn Hill]
Like Cain and Abel, Caesar and Brutus
Jesus and Judas, backstabbers do this
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
[Verse 3: Lauryn Hill]
It took me a little while to discover
Wolves in sheep coats who pretend to be lovers
Men who lack conscience will even lie to themselves, to themselves
A friend once said, and I found to be true
That everyday people, they lie to God too
So what makes you think, that they won't lie to you?
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Shelly Thunder]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Forgive them, forgive them)
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Forgive them, forgive them)
[Verse 4: Shelly Thunder & Lauryn Hill]
Gwan like dem love you, while dem rip you to shreds
Trample pon yuh heart, and leff you fi dead
Dem a yuh friend, who you depend pon, from way back when
( [?] to grace)
But if you, gi' dem yuh back, then you must meet yuh end
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Who's gonna be the one?)
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Gotta be the one to say)
Dem nuh know, dem nuh know, dem nuh know, dem nuh know
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Oh, yeah, oh)
[Outro: Lauryn Hill]
(Forgive them, Father, forgive them, Father...)
Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us
Although them again we will never, never, never trust
Hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Them nuh know what them do
Dig out your eye, while I'm sticking like glue
Fling, skin, grin, while them plotting for you, true!
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Shelly Thunder]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Me a tell you, dem nuh know)
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Fi be real, them nuh have a clue!)
[Verse 1: Lauryn Hill]
Beware the false motives of others
Be careful of those who pretend to be brothers
And you never suppose it's those who are closest to you
To you
They say all the right things to gain their position
Then use your kindness as their ammunition
To shoot you down in the name of ambition, they do
Oh
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
[Verse 2: Lauryn Hill]
Why every Indian wanna be the chief?
Feed a man till he full and he still want beef
Give me grief, try to tief off my piece
Why for you to increase, I must decrease?
If I treat you kindly, does it mean that I'm weak?
You hear me speak and think I won't take it to the streets
I know enough cats that don't turn the other cheek
But I try to keep it civilized, like Menelik
And other African czars, observing stars with war scars
Get yours in this capitalistic system
So many caught or got bought you can't list them
How you gon' idolize the missing? To survive is to stay alive in the face of opposition
Even when they coming, gunning I stand position
L's known the mission since conception
Let's free the people from deception
If you looking for the answers, then you gotta ask the questions
And when I let go, my voice echoes through the ghetto
Sick of men trying to pull strings like Geppetto
Why black people always be the ones to settle?
March through these streets like Soweto, uhh
[Bridge: Lauryn Hill]
Like Cain and Abel, Caesar and Brutus
Jesus and Judas, backstabbers do this
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do
[Verse 3: Lauryn Hill]
It took me a little while to discover
Wolves in sheep coats who pretend to be lovers
Men who lack conscience will even lie to themselves, to themselves
A friend once said, and I found to be true
That everyday people, they lie to God too
So what makes you think, that they won't lie to you?
[Chorus: Lauryn Hill & Shelly Thunder]
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Forgive them, forgive them)
Forgive them, Father, for
They know not what they do (Forgive them, forgive them)
[Verse 4: Shelly Thunder & Lauryn Hill]
Gwan like dem love you, while dem rip you to shreds
Trample pon yuh heart, and leff you fi dead
Dem a yuh friend, who you depend pon, from way back when
( [?] to grace)
But if you, gi' dem yuh back, then you must meet yuh end
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Who's gonna be the one?)
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Gotta be the one to say)
Dem nuh know, dem nuh know, dem nuh know, dem nuh know
Dem nuh know what dem do do
(Oh, yeah, oh)
[Outro: Lauryn Hill]
(Forgive them, Father, forgive them, Father...)
more tracks from the album
From the album
Lauryn Hill popular songs
- Doo Wop (That Thing)
- Ex-Factor
- To Zion
- Lost Ones
- Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You
- Tell Him
- Nothing Even Matters
- The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
- I Gotta Find Peace of Mind
- Everything is Everything
- The Mystery of Iniquity
- I Used to Love Him
- Forgive Them Father
- Final Hour
- When It Hurts so Bad
- Superstar
- I Get Out
- The Sweetest Thing
- Every Ghetto, Every City
- War in the Mind (Freedom Time)
- Motives and Thoughts
- Consumerism
- Mr. Intentional
- Neurotic Society (Compulsory Mix)