Somalia - K'NAAN

La la la la la

La la la la la

La la la la la

La la la la la

(Ugh)

La la la la la

(Yeah)

La la la la la

La la la la la

(Somalia)

La la la la la

(Yeah)

I spit it for my block—it's an ode, I admit it

Here, the city code is «lock and load,»

any minute is rock-and-roll

And you rock and roll and feel your soul leaving

It’s just the wrong dance that’ll leave you not breathing

I’m not particularly proud of this predicament, but

I’m born and bred in this tenement;

I’m sentimental—what!

Plus, it’s only right to represent my hood and whatnot

So I’m about to do it in the music;

in the movies—Cut!

To the chase, pan across to the face, I’m right there

Freeze frame on the street name—oops, wait a minute

This is where the streets have no name and the drain of sewage

You can see it in this boy how the hate is brewing

'Cause when his tummy tucks in, fuck, the pain is fluid

So what difference does it make entertaining through it?

Some get high, mixing coke and gunpowder, sniffing

She got a gun but could have been a model or physician

So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?

To never know a singe day without a big commotion?

It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion

And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?

To never know a single day without a big commotion?

It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion

And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

Yeah!

Yeah!

We used to take barbed wire

Mold them around discarded bike tires

Roll 'em down the hill on foot, blazing

Now, that was our version of mountain bike racing

(«Damn!»)

Do you see why it’s amazing?

When someone comes out of such a dire situation

And learns the English language just to share his observation?

Probably get a Grammy without a grammar education

So fuck you, school, and fuck you, immigration!

And all of you who thought I wouldn’t amount to constipation

And now, I’m here without the slightest fear and reservation

They love me in the slums and the Native reservations

The world is a ghetto, administering deprivation

But mommy didn’t raise no fool—did she, Hoyo?

I promised I would get it and remain strictly loyal

'Cause when they get it—then, they let it all switch and spoil

But I just illuminated it like kitchen foil

A lot of mainstream niggas is yapping about yapping

A lot of underground niggas is rapping about rapping

I just wanna tell you what’s really crack-a-lackin'

Before the tears came down, this is what happened

So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?

To never know a singe day without a big commotion?

It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion

And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?

To never know a single day without a big commotion?

It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion

And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

[Outro:

Children’s choir

& K’naan]

La la la la la

La la la la la

La la la la la

(Ugh)

La la la la la

(Yeah)

La la la la la

(Somalia)

La la la la la

La la la la la

La la la la la