K’naan - Take A Minute lyrics

And any man who knows a thing
Knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all
And every time I felt the hurting
I felt the giving getting me up off the wall
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze

How did Mandela get the will
To surpass the everyday
When injustice had him caged and
Trapped in every way?
How did Gandhi ever withstand the
Hunger strikes and all?
Didn't do it to gain power
Or money if I recall
It's to give, I guess I'll pass it on
Mother thinks it'll lift the
Stress of Babylon
My mother knows my mother, she suffered blows
I don't know how we
Survived such violent episodes
I was so worried, it hurt to see you bleed
But as soon as you came out
The hospital, you gave me sweets, yeah
They tried to take you from me but you
Still only gave 'em some
Prayers and sympathy
Dear Mama, you helped me write this
By showing me to give is priceless

And any man who knows a thing
Knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all
And every time I felt the hurting
I felt the giving getting me up off the wall
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze

All I can say is the worst is over now
We can serve the hard times, divorce
It's over now they try to keep us out but
The doors is open now
My nigga Akon is getting
Awards and covers now
This is K'naan, and still repping the S
Coming out of Mogadishu and still
Draped in the mess
And no matter how we strong homie
It ain't easy coming out of where we from
Homie and it's the reason why I
Can never play for me
"Tell 'em the truth" is what my
Dead homies told me, ooh, yeah
I take inspiration from the
Most heinous of situations
Creating medication out my own tribulations
Dear Africa, you helped me write this
By showing me to give is priceless

And any man who knows a thing
Knows he knows not a damn, damn thing at all
And every time I felt the hurting
I felt the giving getting me up off the wall
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze
I'm just gonna take a minute and let it ride
I'm just gonna take a minute
And let it breeze

Nothing is perfect, man
That's what the world is all I know is
I'm enjoying today, you know
'Cause it ain't every day that
You get to give