Black Star - Thieves in the Night lyrics

Yo D, what? Come on, yeah
What? What? Come on, yeah

"Give me the fortune, keep the
Fame" said my man Louis, i
Agreed, know what he mean because
We live the truest lie
I asked him why we follow the
Law of the bluest eye
He looked at me, he thought about
It, was like, "I'm clueless, why?"
The question was rhetorical
The answer is horrible
Our morals are out of place and
Got our lives full of sorrow
And so, tomorrow comin' later than usual
Waitin' on someone to pity us
While we find the beauty in the hideous
They say money's the root of all evil
But I can't tell
You know what I mean? Pesos, francs, yens
Cowrie shells dollar bills
Or is it the mind-state that's ill?
Creatin' crime rates to fill the
New prisons they build
Over money and religion
There's more blood to spill
The wounds of slaves in cotton
Fields that never heal what's the deal?
A lot of cats who buy
Records are straight broke
But my language universal
They be recitin' my quotes
While R&B singers hit bad notes
We rock the boat of thought
That my man Louis' statements just provoked
Caught up in conversations of
Our personal worth
Brought up through endangered species status
On the planet Earth
Survival tactics means bustin' gats
To prove you hard
Your firearms are too short to box with God
Without faith, all of that is illusionary
Raise my son no vindication
Of manhood necessary

Not strong, only aggressive
Not free, we only licensed
Not compassionate, only polite
Now, who the nicest?
Not good, but well behaved
Chasin' after death so we
Can call ourselves brave?
Still livin' like mental slaves
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice

Yo, I'm sure that everybody
Out listenin' agree
That everythin' you see ain't
Really how it be
A lot of jokers out runnin' in place
Chasin' the style
Be a lot goin' on beneath the empty smile
Most cats in my area be lovin' the hysteria
Synthesized surface conceals the interior
America land of opportunity
Mirages and camouflages more than usually
Speakin' loudly, sayin' nothin'
You confusin' me, you losin' me
Your game is twisted
Want me enlisted in your usury
Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly
Buffoonishly accept the deception
Believe the perception
Reflection rarely seen across the surface
Of the looking glass walkin' the street
Wonderin' who they be lookin' past
Lookin' gassed with them imported
Designer shades on stars shine bright
But the light rarely stays on
Same song just remixed, different arrangement
Put you on a yacht
But they won't call it the slave ship
Strangeness, you don't control us
You barely hold this screamin' "Brand new!"
When they just sanitized the old shit
Suppose it's just another clever
Jedi mind trick
That they been runnin' across stars
Through all the time with
I find it's distressin'
There's never no in between
We either niggas or Kings
We either bitches or Queens
The deadly ritual seems immersed
In the perverse
Full of short attention spans
Short tempers and short skirts
Long barrel automatics released
In short bursts the length of black life is
Treated with short worth
Get yours first, them other niggas secondary
That type of illin' that be
Fillin' up the cemetery
This life is temporary
But the soul is eternal
Separate the real from the lie
Let me learn you not strong
Only aggressive 'cause the
Power ain't directed
That's why we are subjected to
The will of the oppressive
Not free we only licensed
Not live we just excitin'
'Cause the captors own the masters
To what we writin' not compassionate
Only polite we well trained
Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage
It's just a game not good, but well behaved
'cause the cameras survey
Most of the things that we think, do or say
We chasin' after death just
To call ourselves brave
But everyday, next man meet with the grave
I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy
I'm tryin' to live life in
The sight of God's memory like that, y'all

A lot of people don't understand
The true criterion of things
Can't just accept the appearance
Have to get the true essence
They ain't lookin' around

Not strong, only aggressive
Not free, we only licensed
Not compassionate, only polite
Now, who the nicest?
Not good, but well behaved
Chasin' after death so we
Can call ourselves brave
Still livin' like mental slaves
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice

Stop hidin', stop hidin'
Stop hidin' yo' face (Yes, c'mon)
Stop hidin', stop hidin' (Celebratin' death)
'Cause ain't no hidin' place
Stop hidin', stop hidin'
Stop hidin' yo' face stop hidin'
Stop hidin' 'cause ain't no hidin' place
Not strong not free
Not compassionate we well trained
Black Star (Ad libs to fade)
Black Star keep shinin'
We take the Black Star line right on home