Lauryn Hill — Forgive Them Father

[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...)