Still I Rise

New wave, yeah, I'm on a new wave

My family was stolen, this ain't my last name

Chris Columbus started them cat games

How you lie to a whole race in they face?

You told me that I could, Lord knows that I can't

Y'all sell crooked ass dreams knowin' *****s ain't straight

They had my granny in the field picking cotton

So it's only right I'm in the field with my partners

From splitting syrup sandwichs to syrup from the doctors

Pokémon to my dawgs so my *****s know I got 'em

Even though I'm extra hard on my lil' white partner

Know his grandparents hate me, I still don't let it change me

I am not black if I really ain't me

And I never tried to be anything I can't be

The lupus won the war, damn? I miss my auntie

I told the blind man, "*****, you lucky you can't see"

This world ******

They don't wanna show no love for me

Throw the cuffs on me? then they throw the judge on me, yeah

Wanna hold me down, no lie

But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise

Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side

I'ma rise, ooh, woah

Know I rise every time

Death to all crackers who hate *****s

I don't rock Timbs, they wore them boots to hang *****s

My ancestors would love me for the **** that I'm doin'

I'm involved in my community, I talk through this music

I shed light on all the bad **** the devil be doin'

I tried to find it in the Bible but the message was ruined

I'm not self-centered, I'm far from it

If blacks keep killing us blacks, the law love it

Open your eyes, the president is just a puppet

We at war with ourself and we ain't thinkin' nothin' of it

Due to the fact I'm statin' facts, I gotta watch my back

One month for our history, I'm not cool with that

If Jesus was alive, I bet he'd be a black

He would recognize the struggle we see in the trap

Times up, open them Heaven gates

Just to put another white smile on my black face

They don't wanna show no love for me

Throw the cuffs on me, then they throw the judge on me, yeah

Wanna hold me down, no lie

But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise

Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side

I'ma rise, ooh, woah

Know I rise every time

Young *****, still don't know what I'm after

Treat me like a young *****, throw me in shackles, uh

Seen him in the Benz, won't talk to the pastor

Got me thinkin' 'bout the days I was flippin' the fast one

Skin tone dark, still I see the light

Swear my mama told me the future is bright

As long as I pay attention then I'll be alright

So I always listen, big black *****, yeah

Ducking all the bull****, defying the odds

I would only find myself when I went looking for God

400 years of these memories, we never forgot

We carry it like some luggage, know it's weighing a lot, hey

Mind filling up, we still feeling up, ayy

Wonder why we active and we don't give a ****, they

Say we out of line but they just out of touch, uh

Doin' hella **** but it's never givin' up on light

They don't wanna show no love for me

Throw the cuffs on me, then they throw the judge on me, yeah

Wanna hold me down, no lie

But look me in my eyes and know I still rise, rise

Ain't no looking back when you seen the other side

I'ma rise, ooh, woah

Know I rise every time

Know I still rise, I still

Know I still rise, I still

Know I still rise, I still

Know I still rise, I still