Common — A Riot in My Mind

[Verse 1: Common] Wa-da-da, wa-da-da-da-da Cassius Clay and The Potter Shape my mind, the shape of things, the trap, the grind Escape the dream, shooting star, my aim supreme Pops said, "If you gon' aim for king, claim the king My brainstorm reign supreme Black superhero with a cape and wings Still I'm a G like a Mason ring Build with gods and gangstas whose scars and faces Traces of racist snakes that debased us Tried to freebase us, mark of the beast, erase us But we raised up from East Asia Children of Mother Nature The minority report said that we major and we made ya I seek grеater 'til the fire nеxt time It's burning down, there's a riot in my mind [Chorus: Lenny Kravitz] It's a war outside When it's quiet, it's a riot in my mind It's a war outside Won't be quiet, it's a riot in my mind Gotta get ready, saddle up If you really 'bout it, we gon' see, oh yeah Gotta get ready, time is up If you been 'bout it, we gon' see, oh yeah It's a war outside Can't be quiet, it's a riot in my mind [Verse 2: Common] Paraphernalia I wear like songs by Mahalia Soldier, Buffalo, Griselda Held the scroll that told us seven bowls and seven plagues Babylon, dread the days when the dead are raised Escapades of the everlasting Where the ghetto praise for compassion, no longer masking Where Black men and Black women have been Art, culture, fashion, the science and mad bling Kemetic attraction, we live for action Moral arc backbend, our spirits attacking To the, to the, tick-tick-tick top You can lick shots, strange fruit get cropped Get land, get stores, kick doors, ensure Your fam' is good, plus the people next door Some are tired about the times, some inspired about the times It's where power is refined, it's a riot in my mind [Chorus: Lenny Kravitz] It's a war outside When it's quiet, it's a riot in my mind It's a war outside Won't be quiet, it's a riot in my mind Gotta get ready, saddle up If you really 'bout it, we gon' see, oh yeah Gotta get ready, time is up If you been 'bout it, we gon' see, oh yeah It's a war outside Can't be quiet, it's a riot in my mind [Outro: Common & Lenny Kravitz] Nation against nation Simulation, indication (It's a war) Uh, yo (It's a war) Nation against nation Simulation, innovation (It's a war, ow!) Generation, vindication Vindication, vindication, ahh!