"Joy" lyrics

Woo, yeah
On top of the world
Yeah, that's how my seeds got me feelin' right now
On top of the world
Yeah, you ever felt like you could do anything? (Yeah)
On top of the world
Amani Fela, Diani Eshe, I'ma hold y'all down for real (Got you)

It was 1996, 4th of July, looking off in the sky
Dealing with thoughts inside, when something caught my eye
It was a silhouette of a beautiful woman, bright with life
Carrying my first seed, looking like she gone bear fruit tonight
We at the African street festival, and she walking around
Talking about the midwife, said that bring the baby down
I'm about to be a father, the sights and sounds seem brighter around me
And for starters, I know I'ma work harder, word
We got home at three in the morning, I was beat
Them contractions started coming as soon as I fell asleep
3:05, like every five minutes, then the water broke
We ought to go, yelling at the cabbie, 'cause he's sort of slow
You know them hospitals all trying to get paid, no questions
Here come the doctor's with they drugs, trying to do c-sections
But my baby stays strong, in labor for yay long
Eight-pound baby boy, to carry my name on, joy

Huh, yeah, I know how you feel
Kweli I know how you feel (That's the sound of joy)
See, my brother, I know how you feel
Kweli, I know how you feel (That's the sound of joy)
See, when you have a seed come in the world
Say, dog, that shit's real (That's the sound of joy, y'all)
Huh, Kweli, yo, I know how you feel
Kweli, yo, I know how you feel (My baby girl)

June 10th, 1999, I been on the grind
Since the birth of my son, it's been about way more than rhymes
Baby on the way, my lady glowing today
At least that's what the midwife said on the phone, anyway
The music got me going away like every day
But it's a blessing, so I gotta have patience (True)
And she got pregnant on a Jamaican vacation
So it's all good, this time we'll have the baby in the house
I went the hospital route, I know what they all about (Never again)
So I'm out on tour in Baltimore
Get the call around four when the water hit the floor (Damn)
I gotta rock my show, but I gotta go
Got second thoughts about her not going, to the hospital
I left the show early, Mos held me down, good looking (No doubt)
Call the car service like, "Take me straight to Brooklyn" (Uh-huh)
Got the news in the car, stayed sorta calm
But I cried tears of joy, when they put my daughter in my arms, how precious!

Uh, uh, said I know how you feel
Uh, said I know how you feel when— (My precious joy)
Uh, uh, uh, said I know how you feel
Uh, Kwel, I know how you feel (Uh, I know you do, uh, my precious joy, y'all)
Said I know how you feel (Yeah)
Said I know how you feel (My precious joy)
Let me know how you feel (Uh)
Said I know how you feel

I do it for the seeds y'all, in they formative years when they need y'all
We gotta believe in what we conceive, y'all, it's deep, y'all
I give them the truth, so they approach the situation with ammunition
I keep nothing away, they hear everything 'cause they know how to listen
Teach 'em the game so they know they position
So they can grow and make decisions that change the world and break old tradition
They put kids in jail for a life they ain't even get to start
That's murder too, and it's breaking my heart, it's breaking our nation apart
We gave the youth all the anger, it's just
We ain't taught them how to express it and so it's dangerous
You can't talk to 'em unless your language is relating to what they going through
So busy ignoring 'em, you can't see what they showing you
And you wonder why we called baby daddies and baby mamas
When we grow up, we can't act like adult mothers and fathers, yo
I'm so blessed to have a boy and a girl
Every day they bring joy to my world

Huh, yeah, I know how you feel
Kweli I know how you feel (It's the sound of joy)
My brother Kwel, I know how you feel
Brother Kwel, I know how you feel (Baby girl, my precious joy)
Kweli, I know how you feel
Said, Kwel, I know how you feel (Fela, you my joy, yo)
Huh, and if you know how it really feel
Let 'em know, they know how you— yo (Yo)

I do it for the seeds, y'all, uh, uh, yeah, hahaha
I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah, uh, yeah
I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah, uh, yeah
I do it for the seeds, y'all, yeah
Fela
Yeah