Released: May 17, 2010
Songwriter: Hi-Tek Talib Kweli
Producer: Hi-Tek
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
This is the ballad of the black gold
They call it Texas tea
But it's bigger than a cowboy with a lasso
It's deeper than a black hole
Create monopolies
Except they collect your fee when you pass Go
Crisis international
The government de facto
We got no control of this fiasco
Darker than the back roads
Bubble hotter than Tabasco
More than what you bargained for or asked for
[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
You never see happy, hungry people - that ain't rational
They blasting through the gates and they attack you at the capital
Run up in your palace, find the heads of the state and crack a few
Get a taste of power, then they become fascists too
The fiscal conservatives, don't know what they purpose is
Spend money on the war, then they cut your goods and services
Murderous, corporate monsters is breaking records
Exxon is at 40 billion a year, they raking in record profits. Stop it!
How they banking while the auto industry is tanking?
Leadership is sinking; oil pollution in the water stanking
Loyalty to petroleum royalties spoil the economy
We won't get it poppin' till we oil-free
If you're oil-rich then we invadin'
They call it "occupation," but we losing jobs across the nation
Drill, baby, drill, while they make our soldiers kill, baby still
The desert where the blood and oil spill
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
Nigeria is celebrating 50 years of independence
They still feel the colonial effects of Great Britain's presence
Dictators quick to imitate the West
Got in bed with oil companies and now the place is a mess
Take a guess, which ones came and violated
They oiled up the soil, the Ogoni people was almost annihilated
But still they never stayed silent
They was activists and poets using non-violent tactics
That was catalyst for soldiers to break into they crib
Take 'em from the kids and try to break 'em like a twig
And make examples of the leaders; executed Saro-Wiwa
Threw Fela's mom out the window right after they beat her
In an effort to defeat hope. Now the people's feet soaked in oil
So the youth is doing drive-bys in speed boats
They kidnap the workers, they blowing up the pipelines
You see the fires glowing in the nighttime
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
History: a slippery creature
It's full of plot twists and surprise endings like a mystery feature
This oil shit is slicker than preachers
It make the problems in the region amplified like victory speeches
Poison the water, lead the boys to the slaughter
Go in somebody' country, rearrange the order and destroy the borders
You see 'em dancing through the fields of fire
World domination their real desire
The devil is still a liar
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
This is the ballad of the black gold
They call it Texas tea
But it's bigger than a cowboy with a lasso
It's deeper than a black hole
Create monopolies
Except they collect your fee when you pass Go
Crisis international
The government de facto
We got no control of this fiasco
Darker than the back roads
Bubble hotter than Tabasco
More than what you bargained for or asked for
[Verse 1: Talib Kweli]
You never see happy, hungry people - that ain't rational
They blasting through the gates and they attack you at the capital
Run up in your palace, find the heads of the state and crack a few
Get a taste of power, then they become fascists too
The fiscal conservatives, don't know what they purpose is
Spend money on the war, then they cut your goods and services
Murderous, corporate monsters is breaking records
Exxon is at 40 billion a year, they raking in record profits. Stop it!
How they banking while the auto industry is tanking?
Leadership is sinking; oil pollution in the water stanking
Loyalty to petroleum royalties spoil the economy
We won't get it poppin' till we oil-free
If you're oil-rich then we invadin'
They call it "occupation," but we losing jobs across the nation
Drill, baby, drill, while they make our soldiers kill, baby still
The desert where the blood and oil spill
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Verse 2: Talib Kweli]
Nigeria is celebrating 50 years of independence
They still feel the colonial effects of Great Britain's presence
Dictators quick to imitate the West
Got in bed with oil companies and now the place is a mess
Take a guess, which ones came and violated
They oiled up the soil, the Ogoni people was almost annihilated
But still they never stayed silent
They was activists and poets using non-violent tactics
That was catalyst for soldiers to break into they crib
Take 'em from the kids and try to break 'em like a twig
And make examples of the leaders; executed Saro-Wiwa
Threw Fela's mom out the window right after they beat her
In an effort to defeat hope. Now the people's feet soaked in oil
So the youth is doing drive-bys in speed boats
They kidnap the workers, they blowing up the pipelines
You see the fires glowing in the nighttime
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Verse 3: Talib Kweli]
History: a slippery creature
It's full of plot twists and surprise endings like a mystery feature
This oil shit is slicker than preachers
It make the problems in the region amplified like victory speeches
Poison the water, lead the boys to the slaughter
Go in somebody' country, rearrange the order and destroy the borders
You see 'em dancing through the fields of fire
World domination their real desire
The devil is still a liar
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
[Hook: Talib Kweli]
more tracks from the album
From the album
- Revolutions per Minute (2010)
Reflection Eternal popular songs
- Just Begun
- K.O.S. (Determination)
- The Blast
- Four Women
- Love Language
- Memories Live
- 2000 Seasons
- Africa Dream
- Good Mourning
- Expansion Outro
- Fortified Live
- Ballad of the Black Gold
- Too Late
- This Means You
- The Manifesto
- Chaos
- The Blast (Remix)
- Bridge to Bama (Hi-Tek Remix)
- On Mission
- Back Again
- Lifting Off
- Midnight Hour
- My Life (Outro)
- Long Hot Summer