"Do The Right Thang" lyrics
(feat. Common, Spike Lee)
[Spike Lee:]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hip hop nation, this is Spiz-ike Lee
Been sleepin for too long, wake up
Wake up, wake up!
[Ludacris:]
Wake up!
I see the sunshine gazing through the window pane (yeah)
Blazin like indo flame; it's to wake up! Come to yo' sense manye
Snow is all around you, but you don't play in the winter games!
Cartridges surround you, but you ain't playin Nintendo games!
Load 'em up and fill 'em up, to the top before you cock and aim
Tryna get from the bottom to the top like the stock exchange
Shower, shit and shave and hit the corner for a block exchange
Amazing what my people'll do for some pocket change
But maybe this ain't the life that you chose (chose)
This is the life where you stay strapped and pack a knife or end up with a blooded nose
Street survivor or survivor of the streets! (streets!)
And only the strong survive, there's no survival for the weak! (weak!)
Catch a sneak peak of death if you ain't on ya Ps and Qs
They carry banana clips and niggas'll peel you for ya shoes
It's the blues, but not on Hill Street - you could call it "kill or be killed" street
"Lost a pint of blood, let it spill" street
Stop and wake up!
Wake up!
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
You say the only family that you got is in a gang
And the only way to make it is by sellin cocaine, but I'm sayin
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
[Common:]
I've been in his ear since we were drinkin beers
Years we've spent together, used to break up get-togethers
With a fight every night getting cheddar, movin white
Our thang, so we had to "Do it Right" like Spike
Holdin 40s, gettin green on acres, these broads were our mules
That's when we used to serve in front of Com'wealth School
Fuel for cars and jewels, chains and tools
It was organized crime but we remained confused
Mom in the pews, singin, "Lord, protect 'em"
You might not agree with our views, but you had to respect 'em
Diamonds in the rough, but were we reflectin
A system that's abrupt, the streets in oppression
One morning in the mirror, I seen my reflection
A young man with good spirits but needed direction
I guess my man's death was my resurrection
'Cause now I hear him sayin from heaven, "Wake up!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
[Ludacris (Common):]
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
You say the only family that you got is in a gang
And the only way to make it is by sellin cocaine, but I'm sayin
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
[Ludacris:]
I woke up this morning and got a call
My partner said he had news about a girl named "Baby Doll"
She got four baby daddies; four kids by four different men
And she just found out she's pregnant, I said, "No, not again!"
Man, when she gonna learn she don't wanna spend her life in court?
Lookin for back payments and fightin for that child supports
Chasin checks, chasin her ounce of respect, chasin paper
Chasin entertainers or rappers and ballplayers
Not carin about a condom, I say, "Help her Lord, please"
'Fore she stuck with more babies or ends up fightin some disease
You know that you a mamma, and mommas. We can't lose ya (no!)
Treat yourself better; you carry seeds to the future (who!)
And the future looks dim if we don't get ourselves together
We gotta sacrifice, some do whatever for the cheddar
So make the right decisions 'til you ready to give birth
And know that you the most precious gift we have on this earth
Babies, stop and wake up!
Wake up!
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
You say you want a family but it's hard without a man
And the only way to make it is to get him fo' his change, but I'm sayin
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
[Spike Lee:]
Wake up, wake up
It's a new day! C'mon brothers, wake up
C'mon sisters, wake up
ATL, wake up, wake up, baby
Chi-Town, wake up wake up
Brooklyn's in the house!
Wake up, Brooklyn!
Ludacris! Common Sense and me, Spike Lee!
[Ludacris:]
Always do the right thing
I got it, I'm gone
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Hip hop nation, this is Spiz-ike Lee
Been sleepin for too long, wake up
Wake up, wake up!
[Ludacris:]
Wake up!
I see the sunshine gazing through the window pane (yeah)
Blazin like indo flame; it's to wake up! Come to yo' sense manye
Snow is all around you, but you don't play in the winter games!
Cartridges surround you, but you ain't playin Nintendo games!
Load 'em up and fill 'em up, to the top before you cock and aim
Tryna get from the bottom to the top like the stock exchange
Shower, shit and shave and hit the corner for a block exchange
Amazing what my people'll do for some pocket change
But maybe this ain't the life that you chose (chose)
This is the life where you stay strapped and pack a knife or end up with a blooded nose
Street survivor or survivor of the streets! (streets!)
And only the strong survive, there's no survival for the weak! (weak!)
Catch a sneak peak of death if you ain't on ya Ps and Qs
They carry banana clips and niggas'll peel you for ya shoes
It's the blues, but not on Hill Street - you could call it "kill or be killed" street
"Lost a pint of blood, let it spill" street
Stop and wake up!
Wake up!
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
You say the only family that you got is in a gang
And the only way to make it is by sellin cocaine, but I'm sayin
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
[Common:]
I've been in his ear since we were drinkin beers
Years we've spent together, used to break up get-togethers
With a fight every night getting cheddar, movin white
Our thang, so we had to "Do it Right" like Spike
Holdin 40s, gettin green on acres, these broads were our mules
That's when we used to serve in front of Com'wealth School
Fuel for cars and jewels, chains and tools
It was organized crime but we remained confused
Mom in the pews, singin, "Lord, protect 'em"
You might not agree with our views, but you had to respect 'em
Diamonds in the rough, but were we reflectin
A system that's abrupt, the streets in oppression
One morning in the mirror, I seen my reflection
A young man with good spirits but needed direction
I guess my man's death was my resurrection
'Cause now I hear him sayin from heaven, "Wake up!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!
Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"
[Ludacris (Common):]
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
You say the only family that you got is in a gang
And the only way to make it is by sellin cocaine, but I'm sayin
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
(Use your brain homie, do the right thang!) Lemme talk to 'em
[Ludacris:]
I woke up this morning and got a call
My partner said he had news about a girl named "Baby Doll"
She got four baby daddies; four kids by four different men
And she just found out she's pregnant, I said, "No, not again!"
Man, when she gonna learn she don't wanna spend her life in court?
Lookin for back payments and fightin for that child supports
Chasin checks, chasin her ounce of respect, chasin paper
Chasin entertainers or rappers and ballplayers
Not carin about a condom, I say, "Help her Lord, please"
'Fore she stuck with more babies or ends up fightin some disease
You know that you a mamma, and mommas. We can't lose ya (no!)
Treat yourself better; you carry seeds to the future (who!)
And the future looks dim if we don't get ourselves together
We gotta sacrifice, some do whatever for the cheddar
So make the right decisions 'til you ready to give birth
And know that you the most precious gift we have on this earth
Babies, stop and wake up!
Wake up!
They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame
And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
You say you want a family but it's hard without a man
And the only way to make it is to get him fo' his change, but I'm sayin
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)
[Spike Lee:]
Wake up, wake up
It's a new day! C'mon brothers, wake up
C'mon sisters, wake up
ATL, wake up, wake up, baby
Chi-Town, wake up wake up
Brooklyn's in the house!
Wake up, Brooklyn!
Ludacris! Common Sense and me, Spike Lee!
[Ludacris:]
Always do the right thing
I got it, I'm gone
Writer(s): Lonnie Rashid Lynn, Christopher Brian Bridges, Patrick Douthit, Arthur Verocai
