Common - Respiration (Live at the North Sea Jazz Festival, 2005 ) lyrics

This what they told me to tell you

So much on my mind, I just can't recline
Blast holes in the night
'til she bled sunshine breathe in
Inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, green smoke retrace the skyline
Hold up
Bass ride out like an ancient mating call
I can't take it, y'all
I can feel the city breathing chest heaving
Against the flesh of the evening
This is how we ride

Yo, on The Amen
Corner I stood lookin' at my former hood
Felt the spirit in the wind
Knew my friend was gone for good
Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt
I couldn't mask it mixin' down emotions
Struggle I hadn't mastered what what
I choreograph seven steps to Heaven in Hell
Waiting to exhale and make the bread leaven
Veteran of a cold war it's Chica-Igo for
What I know or what's known
Some days I take the bus home
Just to touch home
From the crib I spend months gone
Sat by the window with a clutched dom
Listening to shorties cuss long
Young girls with weak minds
But they butt strong tried to call
Or at least beep the Lord
But didn't have a touch-tone
Dog-eat dog world, you gotta mush on
Some of this land I must own, outta the city
They want us gone
Tearing down the 'jects creating plush homes
My circumstance is between Den
Haag and Love Jones
Surrounded by hate, yet I love home
Asked my guy how he thought
Travelling the world sound
Found it hard to imagine
He hadn't been past downtown it's deep
I heard the city breathe in it's sleep
Of reality I touch
But for me it's hard to keep
Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep
Of reality I touch
But for me it's hard to keep

Come on, so much on my mind
I just can't recline
Blast holes in the night
'til she bled sunshine breathe in
Inhale vapors from bright stars that shine
Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline
I heard the bass ride out
Like an ancient mating call
I can't take it, y'all
I can feel the city breathing chest heaving
Against the flesh of the evening
We kiss the sky goodbye on
The last train leaving

Check it, everybody say 'Oh yeah'
Say 'Oh yeah' say 'Oh yeah'
Say 'Oh yeah' say 'Oh yeah'
Say 'Oh yeah' say 'Oh oh yeah'
Now scream