Who Tells Your Story - The Roots, Common, Ingrid Michaelson

Will they tell your story?

This is the story of a

Who lives who dies who tells your story

(Da-da-da-dum da-da-da-dum da-da-da-dum)

This is the story of a

Who lives who dies who tells your story

My mind flashes, I see the ashes of the masters

Who touch the masses, I ask if I’ll ever be one

When I die, will heaven be done?

What will my legend become?

I will forever be young

Through old tales of breakdancing down at Odell’s

Streets named after me is where my soul dwells

Desires of a church choir, Trinity United

I think of good memories that Hennessy provided

Memories divided by perception

Will it be Water for Chocolate or Resurrection?

The path to perfection is rarely achieved

I head in that direction, I dream and believe

An underground dude that overachieve

From the windy city I was blowing they eaves

Somewhere along the way I aired out MCs

(Who lives who dies who tells your story)

But to stand out some days you may freeze

Degrees

Who lives

And who dies

Who holds on to all our lives?

Time and time and time again

Will they tell your story in the end

(Who lives who dies who tells your story?)

Yo, the anticipation arose as time froze

The black men in the morgue were John Does

Lynched for whistling at blonde does

I said a prayer with my eyes closed

As I loaded the Roscoe’s at the sink, yo

I been a bullet on the brink

But being a young king

Probably different than you think, though

The quills that I dip into the ink go to document

And you’ll remember me when I’m extinct

Yo, sing the carol of a young pharaoh

Who slew Leviathan with one arrow

As I revolve through the gun barrel just to watch it unravel

I tell them have heart, must travel

Keep my legacy alive even if I don’t survive 'til the curtain call

First of all, realize what we working towards

Fuck around, find what we searching for

(Who lives who dies who tells your story?)

The earth, my name written in cursive form

Who lives

And who dies

Who holds on to all our lives?

Time and time and time again

Will they tell your story in the end

(Who lives who dies who tells your story?)

Who lives

And who dies

Who holds on to our lives?

Time and time and time again

Will they tell your story in the end?

(Who lives who dies who tells your story?)

Frozen in time, I can’t let it go

Nat Cole, Unforgettable

The pedestal I’m on, I’mma end up on the Federal

Reserve note your money with a hip hop quote

I might change legislation with some shit that I wrote

From boats that we came on to lights with our name on

Through hard times, we spark minds to keep the flame on

I write hard rhymes like I’m running out of time

Truthfully, my stopwatch​ is one with the divine

Centuries from now, they’ll play my freestyle

And say, this is the brilliance of a Black American child

Endowed by the streets, and the Chi proud

Known to move in silence, but can be loud

The noise of beat girls and boys

Building to destroy the perception of urban aggression

My life is a progression of chords, wrote the oppressors

A chorus, my story is the glory of the lord

Who lives (who lives)

And who dies (who dies)

Who holds on to all our lives?

Time and time and time again

Will they tell your story in the end?

(Who lives who dies who tells your story?)