Marlon Craft - Do The Work lyrics

When we're talking about, overall, like
Social justice and awareness
And people want-

You can tell people want to be involved and
You can tell people want to be informed

But now it gets to the point of doing the
Actual work that comes with
Being informed and
Doing the self-work that comes
With being informed -
That's what people don't like to do
Is the internal work that comes
With learning and unlearning

I don't want to do the work
I could turn off my cable stop the fables
But I ain't tryna do the work

I could give away my clothes


And pick five shirts
But that would change the way I view my worth
And I don't wanna do the work
I want to make a change

To move all my money into a bank
That don't invest it into oil
Into weapons, into tanks
But I might have to walk further
To the ATM for change

And, yo, I ain't tryna do the work
Homie, I could keep it vegan
But fuck free range
I need free range feasting on anything
Eat my dollar fries and I won't apologize
I'm tryna economize and I ain't
Tryna do the work
I could go to community college
Stay my ass out of debt
Be hellbent on pursuing knowledge
Do me some fellowships and find a
Route that don't cost so much
But I need the best four years now
Even if all four suck

Ayo, it's complicated
I could learn about your
Peoples' history and about
All the rights that were confiscated from you
I could understand my privilege
Consider it daily but, see, I won't
Because that would so require me
To face these insecurities

And I don't want to man, it's work to me
I'm tryna chill what is this? Surgery?
Homie, pass the blunt

See, I could smoke less
But then I'd think more and I ain't hopeless
I just think you're

A little immature if you think
I could make a change
I'm just tryna make some change, homie
I ain't tryna do the work
I'll make a Facebook status when
I want to be heard
I ain't do the research to back it up
Ain't no goofy nerd here
I could be kind to folks, I could volunteer
I could block out time each week
To contribute to all the neighborhoods
That I live near
But I ain't tryna do the work
I'm just tryna party, dab, milly rock
And do the jerk

I could move to a city, contribute to culture
But I ain't tryna do the work
Ain't tryna get to know you
Rather vulture what I want and
Drive the prices up thank God they put these
High-rises up because
I ain't tryna do the work

And police brutality's wack
But I don't got time for a protest
Sons of Anarchy's back
And I'm tryna watch it
To stand up to my white friends on topics
And try to reframe their optics but I
Don't want to do the work

It's hard it's taxing
Searching for the facts and
Retracting the past
And accept that I'm walking on the backs of
Mad people who laid the tracks for me

I'd rather have a brew
And do all the things that I want to do
Who the fuck are you to tell me otherwise?
I'm not a bad man
Don't make me feel this way
I ain't ask for this
I don't want to do the work
But don't call me passive, shit
I could fight but my ambition a pacifist

I could respect women
I could assess her soul first
And that ass second ask questions
I ain't tryna do the work though
I could appreciate her strength
Instead of letting
It make me feel weak and inhumane

I ain't tryna do the work
Homie, I got pain too
I was raised a certain way
Too, I'm ashamed too
I know deep down that I was gave too much
But if I admit it
Then I don't know how to face you

So I don't want to do the work
I protect my own feelings and
I watch you get hurt
Because there's nothing I could do
There's nothing I could do, that I could have
But there's just so much I could lose, lose