Thieves in the Night

Not strong, only aggressive 'cause the power ain't directed
Your firearms are too short to box with God
Full of short attention spans, short tempers and short skirts
Without faith, all of that is illusionary
Be a lot goin' on beneath the empty smile
(They ain't lookin' around)
But stop hidin' yo' face
Be brave, be true, keep shinin'
Raise my son, no vindication of manhood necessary
Lookin' gassed with them imported designer shades on
Most cats in my area be lovin' the hysteria
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
While R&B singers hit bad notes, we rock the boat of thought

Not compassionate, only polite
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Say, say there ain't no hidin' place

Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained
Can't just accept the appearance
What? What? Come on

Creating crime rates to fill the new prisons they build
Our morals are out of place and got our lives full of sorrow
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Say, say there ain't no hidin' place
That they been runnin' across stars through all the time with
Or is it the mind state that's ill?
Say, there ain't no hidin' place

Yo, I'm sure that everybody out listenin' agree

Most of the things that we think, do or say
Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin' glass
Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you
Chasin' after death, so we can call ourselves brave?
That everything you see ain't really how it be
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
That my man Louis' statements just provoked
Be brave, be true and keep shinin'
Stop hidin', stop hidin', stop hidin' yo' face
Say, there ain't no hidin' place
Same song, just remixed, different arrangement
Suppose it's just another clever Jedi mind trick
Lot of people don't understand

Not strong, only aggressive
Brought up through endangered species status on the planet Earth
I find it's distressin', there's never no in-between
Caught up in conversations of our personal worth

I asked him why we follow the law of the bluest eye
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Not good but well behaved 'cause the camera survey
Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception

Not free, we only licensed
Over money and religion there's more blood to spill
We chasin' after death just to call ourselves brave
More than usually
This life is temporary but the soul is eternal
Like that y'all

Stars shine bright, but the light rarely stays on
Not strong, only aggressive
Stop hidin' yo' face
Say, there ain't no hidin' place
Survival tactics means bustin' gats to prove you hard
Have to get the true essence

The wounds of slaves in cotton fields that never heal, what's the deal?

The deadly ritual seems immersed in the perverse
Still livin' like mental slaves
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
Not free, we only licensed, not live, we just excitin'
Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slave ship
'Cause the captors, own the masters to what we writin'
Not compassionate, only polite

I agreed, know what he mean because we live the truest lie
You know what I mean?
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
Pesos, Francs, Yens, cowrie shells, Dollar bills
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice
The question was rhetorical, the answer was horrible
Now who the nicest? Not good but well behaved

Chasin' after death, so we can call ourselves brave?
Long barrel automatics released in short bursts
America, land of opportunity, mirages and camoflauges
Walkin' the street, wonderin' who they be lookin' past
Stop hidin', stop hidin' 'cause ain't no hidin' place
A lot of jokers out runnin' in place, chasin' the style

The true criterion of things
While we findin' beauty in the hideous
A lot of cats who buy records are straight broke
Illusions of oasis makin' you look twice

Speakin' loudly, sayin' nothin', you confusin' me, you losin' me
Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly
Screamin' brand new when they just sanitized the old shit
Now who the nicest? Not good but well behaved
That's why we are subjected to the will of the oppressive

I'm tryin' to live life in the sight of God's memory
Don't livin' like mental slaves
I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy
Not free, we only licensed
Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game

"Give me the fortune, keep the fame," said my man Louis

Strangeness, you don't control this, you barely hold this
But my language universal, they be recitin' my quotes
Synthesized surface conceals the interior

We either niggaz or kings, we either bitches or queens
Your game is twisted, want me enlisted in your usary
Stop hidin', stop hidin', stop hidin' yo' face
Get yours first, them other niggaz secondary
Stop hidin', stop hidin' 'cause ain't no hidin' place
They say money's the root of all evil but I can't tell

That type of illin' that be fillin' up the cemetery
He looked at me, he thought about it, was like, "I'm clueless, why?"
And so tomorrow comin' later than usual, waitin' on someone to pity us
Hidin' like thieves in the night from life
The length of black life is treated with short worth
You stop hidin', stop hidin'
But everyday, next man meet with the grave