Nas & Damian Marley — Africa Must Wake Up

[Hook: Damian Marley] Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? yeah, now [Verse 1: Nas, Damian Marley] The black oasis, Ancient Africa the sacred Awaking, the sleeping giant, science, art is your creation I dreamed that we could visit old Kemet Your history is too complex and rigid for some Western critics They want the whole subject diminished But Africa's the origin of all the world's religions We praise bridges that carried us over The battle fronts of Sudanic soldiers The task put before us, do you hear me now? [Hook: Damian Marley] Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? yeah, now Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? [Verse 2: Nas] Who are we today? The slums, diseases, AIDS We need that all to fade, we cannot be afraid So who are we today? We are the morning after, the makeshift youth The slave ship captured, our diaspora is the final chapter The ancestral lineage built pyramids America's first immigrants The kings, sons and daughters from Nile waters The first architect, the first philosophers Astronomers, the first prophets and the doctors were us, us [Bridge: Damian Marley] Now can we all pray? Each in his own way Teaching and learning, we can work it out We'll have a warm bed, we'll have some warm bread Shelter from the storm dread and we can work it out Mother nature feeds all in famine and drought Tell those selfish in ways, not to share us out What's a tree without root? Lion without tooth? A lie without truth? You hear me out! [Hook: Damian Marley] Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? yeah, Lord Africa must wake up the sleeping sons of Jacob What tomorrow may bring. may some more love come Yesterday we were kings, I tell ya young bloods The world is yours today... [Bridge: K'naan] Dadyahow daali waayey, nabada diideen Oo ninkii doortay dinta, waadinka dillee Oo dal markii ladhiso, waadinka dunshee Oo daacad ninkii damcay, waadinka dooxee Dadyahow daali waayey, nabada diideen Oo ninkii doortay dinta, waadinka dillee Oo dal markii ladhiso, waadinka dunshee Oo daacad ninkii damcay, waadinka dooxee [Guitar/Instrumental Break] [Break: Nas] We want to thank y'all, everybody out there This is Nas, Damian Marley Distant Relatives We're all distant relatives No matter where you from, where you live How near or far Africa, China, Japan, Afghanistan, Israel We're all fam, we're all distant relatives So that's why we came together One of the reasons why myself and Damian came together 'Cause we all come from one place, and that's Africa That's right, you too And you The whole world! We're all family, we're just spread out all over the place So to all my distant relatives, let's take it back home! [Hook: Damian Marley] I say! Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? yeah, now Africa must wake up, the sleeping sons of Jacob For what tomorrow may bring, may a better day come Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones Who are we today? Who are we today? [Outro: Damian Marley] Morning to ya! Morning to ya man! Morning to ya love!