We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Green Album

by Ari Lesser

/
1.
The Hippie 02:50
The Hippie When I was young my parents raised me right My dad sang me Beatles songs every night Mom cooked organic meals, with homemade desserts Everyday I went to school wearing tie-dyed shirts I was taught to love and taught not to hate I learned consumerism’s bad, and G-d is great I’m anti-war, and I’m all about peace For a welfare-system, can’t stand the police If you can’t dig it, you can get bent That’s how it is, I’m from hippie descent From a family of hippies, even uncles and aunts And at parties we all do the hippie dance First you close your eyes and sway to and fro Get your mind in the music and let yourself go Now move your arms like the waves of the ocean Keep it up don’t stop this motion Put a bend in your knee and a smile on your face And the last step of all is to spin in place Keep your arms gyrating and your body rotating And now you’re doing the Hippie Well, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree And being raised by hippies rubbed off on me I don’t think being a hippie’s a crime I been called a dirty hippie more than one time Call me a hippie I’ll take it as praise I’m going to be hippie till the end of my days Sickened by violence, disgusted by killing My heroes are Lennon, Marley, and Dylan I don’t discriminate against people in any way I think cigarettes are bad, but drugs are okay So take some magic mushrooms start getting trippy Take off your shoes and dance like a hippie First you close your eyes and sway to and fro Get your mind in the music and let yourself go Now move your arms like the waves of the ocean Keep it up don’t stop this motion Put a bend in your knee and a smile on your face And the last step of all is to spin in place Keep your arms gyrating and your body rotating And now you’re doing the Hippie Well, I’m a vegan so I don’t eat dairy or meat And I like to sing songs when I walk down the street If I see a bum I always leave some change He’s a human too although he looks kind of strange I don’t watch TV, I play hackey-sack And for about ten years I’ve had the same backpack I got peace and love in my bloodstream And I’d love to kick it if you’re on the same team What’s mine is yours if what’s yours is mine So come be my house and we’ll drink some wine But recycle your bottles, don’t throw them in the trash And we’ll all get together for a hippie bash First you close your eyes and sway to and fro Get your mind in the music and let yourself go Now move your arms like the waves of the ocean Keep it up don’t stop this motion Put a bend in your knee and a smile on your face And the last step of all is to spin in place Keep your arms gyrating and your body rotating And now you’re doing the Hippie
2.
The Oath 02:00
The Oath It was a beautiful day in the city of Eugene I was laying on the lawn just smoking some green The sky was blue and the air was breezy And me and my homies were just taken it easy It seems like that’s all we ever do these days Maybe we’ll grow out of it, maybe it’s a phase Sleep in every morning, smoke and drink day and night We’re killing lots of brain cells but it feels alright So I’m laying on the grass, just bathing in the sun Not doing much at all, having a little bit of fun Everything is good, but I feel like something’s lacking Life seems empty, I want to get something cracking I’m politically aware but I’m sitting on my ass I need to get involved, stop smoking so much grass The world’s fucked up and I won’t let it be So if you want to change things repeat after me I will stand up, stay left, speak truth, be proud Never shut up, I’m gonna shout out loud Be a critical thinker, not a sheep in the crowd Til death I will never break this oath that I vowed I will stand up, stay left, speak truth, be proud Never shut up, I’m gonna shout out loud Be a critical thinker, not a sheep in the crowd Til death I will never break this oath that I vowed Lets all get together and start a revolution The new generation needs a new constitution So question society, question the media Question the bullshit that politicians feed to you Break out of the system get your brain rewired Get empowered, educated, intrigued, and inspired Oil will be gone by the time of my retirement So lets create a world with a sustainable environment Gender and racial equality is a must I want to live on a planet that is socially just Free of hate, greed, and fear, and instilled with trust Full of so much love its about to bust This is the kind of world that I want to build The entire population being spiritually fulfilled Some want peace, some progression, I want them both And everyone whose with me just repeat the oath I will stand up, stay left, speak truth, be proud Never shut up, I’m gonna shout out loud Be a critical thinker, not a sheep in the crowd Til death I will never break this oath that I vowed I will stand up, stay left, speak truth, be proud Never shut up, I’m gonna shout out loud Be a critical thinker, not a sheep in the crowd Til death I will never break this oath that I vowed
3.
Don’t Be Dumb Next time you buy something don't be dumb Do you have any idea where it's from? Or when you’re done using it, where it will go? Figure it out if you don't already know When people buy things they focus only on the cost While some of the most important information is lost If you want to determine what a products really worth Then you need to understand is impact on the Earth Because the price of a product is much more than you paid When you look at the materials from which it was made Is it organic? Is it fair trade? Can it be recycled? Can it biodegrade? How far has it traveled, how many miles? Before it came to rest in your supermarket's aisles Was it manufactured here, or shipped from overseas? Was it made by Americans, or by the Chinese? Next time you buy something don't be dumb Do you have any idea where it's from? Or when you’re done using it, where it will go? Figure it out if you don't already know Before you decide to buy something it is key To determine its effects on sustainability Does it meet the needs of our nation's population Without infringing on the rights of future generations? If I watched what you buy, what kind of message would it send? Next time you go shopping at the store just pretend That you're voting with every single dollar you spend Cause in reality, that's what you're doing my friend Examine what you buy the implications can be grave How much money have you saved buying products mad by slaves? Do you support foreign nations and big corporations Or local businesses and family run operations? Next time you buy something don't be dumb Do you have any idea where it's from? Or when you’re done using it, where it will go Figure it out if you don't already know When you buy groceries the same rules should be applied Did the food on your plate grow naturally outside? Has it been genetically altered and modified? Was it sprayed with a bunch of chemicals and pesticide? I'm a vegetarian, but if you eat meat Do you ever think about what the animals eat? Are the injected with hormones, or something else strange? Are they certified organic, kosher, or free range? Cause if they aren't, I sure as hell would buy it I don't care if you grill it, or roast it, or fry it If I don't know what's in it, I don't want to try it You can never be too careful with the food in your diet Next time you buy something don't be dumb Do you have any idea where it's from? Or when you’re done using it, where it will go Figure it out if you don't already know
4.
Give Thanks 02:29
Give Thanks Hi my name’s Ari I’m a child of the Earth Been around the sun 21 times since birth Feel at home everywhere cause the Earth is my mother So if you’re from this planet you can call me brother Primary concerns are having water to drink Food to eat, air to breath, and some time to think A notebook to write in, a pen to write And a pillow I can rest my head on each night I don’t worry too much when conditions are adverse No matter what happens things could always be worse I got to move forward can’t move in reverse And so I go with the flow of the universe I try to give thanks that my life is so blessed Every single morning when I wake from my rest Cause I love being me, my eyes still see My lungs still breath, and I still can pee In the bathroom, I give thanks for sacred Mayim Whether it's from a river, a lake, or a stream I'm so lucky clean water comes to my sink Allowing my to wash my hands and take a drink No matter where I am before I hit the road I give thanks for shelter as I leave my abode Mansion, apartment, house, tent, or shed How wonderful it is to have a roof overhead I'm grateful for clothes not for material reasons But because they protect me no matter the season Keep me warm in the winter, shade me from the sun Let me focus my mind on thoughts of the One I try to think of others and not only of myself Pursue happiness instead, of seeking wealth Speak the words of a lover not the words of a hater Remember that my life is just part of something greater It’s to the oneness of all things that I pray I do it everyday in my own special way Knowing there is something greater helps me realize I don't know much, and I’m not that wise I'm grateful and blessed just to be who I am Living in a free country and born a free man With hands that can work, and legs that can walk A mind that can think, and a mouth that can talk I can hear, I can touch, I can taste, smell, and see All five of my senses, they work properly Parents taught me the difference between right from wrong My mind, my body, and my spirit are strong Got water to drink, got food to eat Got clothes on my back, got shoes on my feet I can do arithmetic, I can write, I can read What more could I ask for I have all I need So look at your own life and if the same is true You should probably give thanks too Be grateful that your basic needs are met Cause when your living the good life it’s easy to forget
5.
Wild 02:18
Wild I’ve had a dream ever since I was a child That I could eat, run, sleep, breath and live in the wild You know everyday I’d wake up at the crack of dawn Rub my eyes, stretch my limbs, raise my head with a yawn Build myself a fire and begin to forage Like I do for every meal cause I don’t put shit in storage Free of possessions I don’t own any stuff I eat when I’m hungry, there’s always enough Moving from place to place, always on the roam I don’t own any land, the whole forest is my home When it rains I get wet, when its sunny I’m dry And I never get upset about what comes from the sky Living in the woods makes me strong and wise Improves my hearing and sharpens my eyes My life is simplistic, it’s animalistic Going with the flow and always staying optimistic I don’t wear no deodorant, I smell kind of funky But I run like wolf and I climb like a monkey Jump like a rabbit swim like a fish I don’t have a schedule so I do what I wish Skip stones across the river to pass away the time No need to worry about hate, greed, or crime There’s no violence, poverty, murder, or war And everyone is equal there’s no rich and no poor No painful politics, racist religion Ignorant radio, or dumb television Moronic magazines, no bigoted books No cutthroat, capitalistic, crack smoking, crooks No lying lawyers, or unjust judges Inflated prices, or unbalanced budgets Cell phones with flashy, fucking useless, features No red-neck, bible-thumping, prejudice, preachers Everything is peaceful and everyone’s in love I pay my respects to the sun up above As well as mother earth right below my feet Just grateful to be blessed with this life so sweet And when the time is right, I’ll find myself a mate Together we’ll see what kind of life we can create I want sons and daughters, I’ll father many a child And teach them all the secrets of surviving in the wild Keep your body, your mind, and your spirit strong Always do what is right, never do someone wrong It’s not about winning it’s about having fun And be kind to all creatures cause they’re part of the One And when I’ve passed to my children all the knowledge that I knew And I’m old, and tired, and my time here is through I’ll die and decompose and return to the earth Continuing the cycle of death and rebirth
6.
Rose 03:04
Rose A man and a woman who are in their mid-twenties Together 5 years and happy indeed They aren’t very rich no they don’t have plenty But they love each other and have what they need The two live a simple and peaceful life The husband is kind and he loves wife The wife is beautiful and cares for her man They haven’t had a fight since their marriage began The wife looks at her partner with a tender gaze She knows they’ll be together ‘til the end of their days Approaches him one day and asks him if maybe He would be ready to for them to have a baby He’s thrilled with the idea, he’d been wanting one too So he told her, “Honey of course I do Why wouldn’t I want a family member that’s new? Especially if they’ll be anything like you” So for weeks they go at it night and day The two to begin to wonder what’s the delay Then finally one morning the wife is relieved The test comes up positive, at last she’d conceived She told her man, and what a grin he smiled In just a few months they would have their first child The two were so happy, they told all their friends But happily is not how this story ends Several months go by and the woman’s belly grows It’s going to be a girl and they’re going to name her Rose The husband buys a crib, paints the extra room pink The whole nine months the wife doesn’t take a drink Instead she binges on ice cream and pickles Sometimes the baby kicks and it kind of tickles The husband goes to bed with his hand on her stomach Boy the nine-month mark sure did come quick Wife goes into labor the very next morning With back pains contractions and other signs of warning Her body aches, and she gets the shakes And a couple minutes later her water breaks The soon to be father helps his wife to the truck She’s in so much pain all she can say, “Fuck!” They make it to the hospital and lay her on table Husband at her side saying, “Push if you’re able” She pushes and pushes and with a final shout She is able to push her first baby out The beautiful girl was the perfect size She had her mommy’s nose and her daddy’s eyes But her eyes didn’t blink, and her mind didn’t think And she never got to sleep in the room painted pink Some roses are red, some roses have thorns This Rose was dead, it was a stillborn There was no chance of medical revival Because the couple’s baby was dead on arrival I never got to meet her and I’m sad that I missed her Cause the couple is my parents and Rose was sister
7.
Life 02:40
Life Focus on what’s there, not on what there wasn’t What happens, happens, and what doesn’t happen doesn’t Love your fellow woman and love your fellow man And remember, always live your life the best that you can When it’s raining, skies are gray and your feeling bad Think for a minute about what’s making you sad You might be short on money, what’s that really worth All the money in the world couldn’t buy you birth In a race of millions you’re the only sperm that scored You passed the hardest test already, life was your reward Stop feeling down and out and start having a ball Because being alive is the greatest gift of all You can sing and dance you can smoke and drink You can run, jump, eat, sleep, walk, talk, or think. So cheer up smile, laugh away your sorrow Today it might be raining but the sun will shine tomorrow And focus on what’s there, not on what there wasn’t What happens, happens, and what doesn’t happen doesn’t Love your fellow woman and love your fellow man And remember, always live your life the best that you can So you didn’t get the job, you didn’t make the grade Last night you got shut down and couldn’t get laid But there will be more jobs, and you’ll take more tests And you were tired anyways so you needed the rest You can’t change what happened, you can’t go back in time So start living life bcause you’re in your prime Life’s the peak of existence and that’s no lie So your prime is going to last until the day you die It started on your birthday when you left the womb It won’t end till the day that you reach your tomb Don’t worry about the future and don’t live in the past The present’s all there ever is so try to make it last And focus on what’s there, not on what there wasn’t What happens, happens, and what doesn’t happen doesn’t Love your fellow woman and love your fellow man And remember, always live your life the best that you can So your beat up car looks kind of lame And your girlfriend or boyfriend is not that hot I’m telling you man don’t be ashamed Just try and be grateful for all that you got Thank G-d you have food, cause some people don’t Thank G-d your getting educated, some people won’t Thank G-d you can see, some people are blind And thank G-d for all of the friends that you find Thank G-d for the weekend, to snap the daily grind Thank G-d you can sleep each night and rest your mind Thank G-d for the books of Moses, one through five But most of all, Thank G-d you’re alive And focus on what’s there, not on what there wasn’t What happens, happens, and what doesn’t happen doesn’t Love your fellow woman and love your fellow man And remember, always live your life the best that you can
8.
Today 02:41
Today Don’t forget to remember, that it’s always today No matter what you do and no matter what you say It’s always today, cause today always lasts There’s no such thing as the future or the past Listen up people, I can assure you No one else is going to live you life for you You’re strong and powerful, not timid and weak And your life is going on today as we speak If you want something done, you’d better do it now You don’t know how to do it? well figure out how Heed the words of Yoda, a master Jedi “Do, or do not, there is no try” You can do anything that you want anywhere So if you aren’t doing it you don’t really care You can’t do it tomorrow, I don’t care what you say Tomorrow don’t exist, there is only today Don’t forget to remember, it’s always today No matter what you do and no matter what you say It’s always today, cause today always lasts There’s no such thing as the future or the past Earlier today you weren’t even around And later today, you’ll be buried in the ground Live your life to the fullest and don’t reminisce Cause today is the only day that exists If you don’t like today, well the outlook is bleak Forecast says it will be today all week Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday All are part of today, which is the only one day Often when it’s dark and there’s very little light I accidentally call today, tonight But then I go to bed and when I awaken It’s still today so I was happily mistaken Don’t forget to remember, that it’s always today Not matter what you do and no matter what you say It’s always today, cause today always lasts No such thing as the future or the past Today is the day that we stop always competing Today is the day we don’t obsess about wealth Today is the day that we stop overeating Today is the day that we care about our health Today is the day that we stop binge drinking Today is the day that we turn off the TV Today is the day we start critically thinking Today is the day that we set our minds free Today is the day that we stop procrastinating Today is the day that we make a contribution Today is the day that we quit masturbating Today is the day we start a revolution Don’t forget to remember, it’s always today Not matter what you do and no matter what you say It’s always today, cause today always lasts No such thing as the future or the past
9.
H2O Flow 03:48
H2O Flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Water makes up more than half of me So my identity is split like the red sea Polish as the ice caps melting real slow And Russian like river with a rapid flow, so You get to pick how you want your drink I can flow hot and cold like the kitchen sink As soon as I hear the beat drop like rain Make the crowd get down like water in the drain You know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow I’m mostly water if you get scientific With lyrics deeper than the floor of the Pacific Making tidal waves with the rhymes I spray Moving back and forth like the sea level sways Cause music is to me as the moon to the ocean Pulling on my body and keeping me in motion North to the south move like the Mississippi Flowing everywhere go and dancing like a hippie You know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know that we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Can’t always Manage the flow man When I make plans I’m Flaky snowman Though my fate has taken me here I’ll evaporate and disappear So I can have fun and play today Then like a river run off on my way Loving and Living my life having fun Til I return, to the ocean of the one Cause everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow Everyone know we H2O So move like water and go with the flow
10.
Sunshine 02:50
Sunshine When skies are blue and the whole world’s sunny I can laugh at stuff that aren’t even funny I feel so pleasant I don’t want to be rude Cause sunshine puts me in a happy mood Wake up in the morning with the sun in my eyes A little hung over from the previous night The warm daylight is a welcome surprise I rush out the door to get into light The sun is so great nothing can beat it I open up my arms in an attempt to greet it When the sun comes out I forget my strife And remember that it gave me gift of life I’m not doing much but it’s lots of fun Everything is better in the glow of the sun And you get a friendly greeting from who ever you meet If you’re walking on the sunny side of the street When skies are blue and the whole world’s sunny I can laugh at stuff that aren’t even funny I feel so pleasant I don’t want to be rude Cause sunshine puts me in a happy mood All I can see is sunshine for miles The people outside are wearing happy smiles I’m going to find a spot at the edge of a brook Where I can skip some stones or just read a book Take a dip in the water if it gets to hot Smoke a joint with my friends if they bring some pot I might whistle a tune, or sing a little song Everything is perfect and nothing can go wrong I don’t have a car I walk everywhere I go It gets me where I’m going even though it’s kind of slow A car might be nice if the skies were gray But who needs to move fast on such a beautiful day When skies are blue and the whole world’s sunny I can laugh at stuff that aren’t even funny I feel so pleasant I don’t want to be rude Cause sunshine puts me in a happy mood The sun is shining there’s no chance of showers And I’m feeling great like I got solar powers I could be on a mountain, I could be on the coast Sunny is the weather that I love the most I love the sun when its hot, love the sun when it snows Love the sun when it rains, and it makes rainbows I love the sun, summer, fall, winter, spring I love the sun and all the life that it brings I love the sun’s heat, I love the sun’s light I love the sun all day and I miss it at night One thing in our solar system can’t be outdone And everybody knows that thing is the sun When skies are blue and the whole world’s sunny I can laugh at stuff that aren’t even funny I feel so pleasant I don’t want to be rude Cause sunshine puts me in a happy mood
11.
Money/Consumerism It ain’t about the money man, its about the sound If you about the money man don’t even hang around It ain’t about the money man, its about the flow If you about the money man I think you better go I was offered a deal, but had to change my sound I’d tell those fuckers, I’d rather stay underground Cause I’m not about the money and I’m not about the fame I’d much rather have a message than I celebrated name I won’t make shitty music just make a few bucks I’d rather make no money than a record that sucks To me it doesn’t matter how much money you shell-out There’s no amount of cash that could cause me to sell-out I love saying what I feel, and I’m never going to risk it You want sign a sell-out go talk to Limp Bizkit I’m not someone’s bitch, I don’t take any orders Rather rap on the and street make a pocket full of quarters Cause it ain’t about the money man, its about the sound If you about the money man don’t even hang around It ain’t about the money man, its about the flow If you about the money man I think you better go I try to keep things simplistic my writing’s realistic The music on the radio’s materialistic I’m sick of all these rappers talking about greed You don’t need to make money in order to succeed You think you a star cause you wearing new timbs And you drive a new car with some 20” rims I don’t want to hear a song about your mouth full of gold Cause it doesn’t take long for that shit to get old I don’t care about your bling, I don’t care about your stuff I don’t care about your things, I got more than enough You think that your wealth is what makes you impressive Stop talking about yourself and say something progressive Cause it ain’t about the money man, its about the sound If you about the money man don’t even hang around It ain’t about the money man, its about the flow If you about the money man I think you better go Fuck Wal-Mart, Budweiser, T-Mobile, and the Gap I’m sick of all these advertisements selling useless crap Using special effects along with corny humor To turn every one of us into a consumer Featuring airbrushed models that make us feel insecure To make us buy some product, which everyday seems more obscure Like an SUV that you can use to mow your lawn There’s only ninety million left, you’d better get one fore they’re gone You don’t really need love from your family and friends You’ll get everything you need from a new Mercedes Benz So buy some new clothes, jewelry and some other shit that’s crappy Cause in our material world it doesn’t matter if you’re happy Actually it does, if your sad you must be sick But pop a couple Zolofts, that should do the trick Nobody will see through your drug-induced smile So if you’re feeling sad call us today for a free trial We’re getting everyone hooked on pharmaceutical medication If you aren’t happy all the time, and want erectile stimulation If you’re fat, ugly, stupid, depressed, or hyperactive Take our miracle drug and you’ll be instantly attractive Side effects may include back pains, and bad breath Nausea, vomiting, impotence, and death So if you hate yourself and want to be someone new Call your doctor now and ask if this drugs right for you Fuck Pfizer and their fellow pharmaceutical thugs Making millions and millions of dollars dealing drugs Curing your diseases that before were never there Then you saw their ad and you were suddenly aware Oh shit I’m not perfect like those people on the tube Cause I’m not ripped like G. I. Joe and I don’t have massive boobs My hair’s not blonde and my eyes aren’t blue And I don’t have a car at all let alone one that’s new So I decided that I’d buy one, and wow, it’s really cool Spent more money than I had on it so I can’t afford school Plus I got breast implants, then I got a breast reduction Bought colored contacts, dyed my hair, and then got some liposuction That wasn’t enough so I’m also anorexic and bulimic People often ask if I’m okay or think that I’m anemic But I know that I’m beautiful just like people on TV And everyone who talks behind my back just wants to be me I’m in debt up to my eyeballs but I need a few more things Some gold chains and diamond earrings, my essential bling Plus I need a case of Miller Light if I want to have some fun And I’d better get some Nike Shocks if you want to run I’ll wear Axe body spray so girls chase me down the street Then since I’m broke I’ll go to Burger King to eat some cheap-ass meat I’ll shove down my throat a bunch of food greasy and fried Cause I don’t care what goes in me its about what’s on the outside It doesn’t really matter if I’m happy or healthy As long as maintain the appearance of being wealthy Which, by the way, is completely untrue I have about as much debt as one person can accrue But I have a great plan to get all my money back I’ll have more cash than Scarface after I start slanging crack On second thought drug dealing might be kind of spotty I’d be able to make more money if I just sell my body Since my body was free all my revenue is profit So I can carelessly spend all the cash that I make off it It don’t really matter if I get another STD I love money too much cause I’m so fucking greedy If I had a million dollars, then I’d want a million more Cause there’s really nothing in the world worse than being poor I noticed some of you laughing and that’s okay But before I let y’all go I just have to say Consumerism and greed are horrible habits The only carrots that you need are the kind you feed to rabbits Love is all that matters, not diamond rings So try not to obsess about material things Cause it ain’t about the money man, its about the sound If you about the money man don’t even hang around It ain’t about the money man, its about the flow If you about the money man I think you better go...
12.
Pablo Escobar My name’s Escobar but my friends call me Pablo Y espanol es la idioma yo hablo Born to a poor family in the slums of Medellin The most powerful criminal that this world’s ever seen Was an outlaw ever since I left my mamma’s womb At a young age I started smuggling stones from peoples tombs Not long afterwards I became a car-jacking thug Before I found my calling in the business of drugs In the 70’s I entered the cocaine trade with a mission I was poor, and ruthless, and filled with ambition Got my start in the drug business running coca paste And I knew I wanted more after I had that little taste Saw Kilo’s of cocaine went for 35 grand I could make big money if I came up with a plan Saved up cash for a plane so I could move weight by air Within a few flights I was a multi-millionaire Everyday I was pulling in like 500 grand Had no shortage of cash so I invested in land My Hacienda had 20 square kilometers out back With a private airport, and private race track Had so much cash, I didn’t know what to do So I bought a helicopter and a private zoo Had a bunch automobiles shipped in from afar From Chicago I even imported Al Capone’s car I was the biggest drug lord around, but there were others My fiercest competition were the three Ochoa Brothers Instead of fighting we chose to cooperatively sell And formed a group known as the Medellin Cartel We ran five flights a week to and from the USA I was personally earning a million dollars a day Used some of my vast wealth to promote social good Becoming known by poor people as a modern Robin Hood Built soccer fields, homes, schools to teach the kids Helped way more than the Columbian Government ever did So when I entered my name in a Congressional race The barrios of Medellin became my power base I was elected to the Congress in 1982 Paid off tons of politician, and told them what to do I was a cold-blooded businessman, brutal and violent Using money and bullets to keep the opposition silent They choose Plata o Plomo, Silver or Lead They took my bribes or they wound up dead And whenever an official tried to stop my operations I’d quickly make an order for a mass assassination Kill whole families right down to grandmothers Nieces, nephews, parents, kids, wives, sister and brothers My friends lived in luxury, my enemies in fear My cartel was pulling in 300 billion a year So I gladly took lives of anyone who interfered If I ever got indicted, always managed to get cleared Killed like 200 judges and 1,000 cops Cause it always seemed to help me get my charges dropped I was treated like a prince everywhere that I went Cause I paid off like half a dozen different governments Everything was going fine until somebody squealed A smuggler turned informant by the name of Barry Seal Took a photo of me loading up a shipment of cocaine With a CIA camera he hid on his plane Before this I had tried to keep my work subliminal But this photo made me an international criminal The first thing on my agenda was an act of restitution Immediately ordered Barry Seal’s execution Once he was dead I began the next phase of my mission Get the Columbian government to ban extradition That’s what the US wanted but I wouldn’t take that fate Better a grave in Columbia then a cell in the States So I killed presidential candidates everyone respected To make sure my man Ceaser Gaviria got elected He did what I wanted, changed the constitution Banned extradition, I avoided prosecution But I was in the spotlight I couldn’t get no peace Getting bombed my rivals and shot at by the police I saw one way out of my difficult position I decided to turned myself in on one condition That being I got to choose the place I was confined Built on land that I owned to my own designs Known as the cathedral, called it Club Medellin It might be the nicest prison that this worlds ever seen Built for maximum comfort, not security Didn’t keep me in but kept enemies out assuredly Even when I was in prison I lived like a rock star My suite had a Jacuzzi, a discotheque and a bar And I was still getting paid every time a crack fiend sparked it Controlling 80% of the world’s cocaine market Forbes magazine called me the world’s seventh richest man My empire was still running according to plan Until four of my lieutenants tried to steal some of my money I brought them in to tell them that I didn’t find it funny Had them tortured and murdered while still behind bars Columbian Government said I finally went to far “You’re going in the normal prison system” they said I told them, “No thanks, I think I’d rather wind up dead” Soldiers surrounded the cathedral made my gang look measly But I had paid so many off, that we walked out easily For 17 months they searched for me around the clock 11,000 warrants, 4,000 roadblocks Had the best technology donated by foreign nations If I was on the phone three minutes they could pinpoint my location One day I got careless, talked to my son for too long The cops were there in minutes and the gunfight was on Chased me to the roof where my bodyguard went down They were shooting from behind they were shooting from the ground Took bullets in my leg, back, and head as I was fleeing And died in the crossfire on that roof in Medellin So just one day after I had turned 44 December 2, ’93, I was alive no more When Medellin’s masses found out they mourned my loss They had lovingly called me El Patron, The Boss I had done many bad things but also lots of good And they would always remember me as their Robin Hood So whether you think my legacy’s a blessing or a scar There will never be another man like Pablo Escobar
13.
Survival of the Fittest A tiger is a quarter-ton killing machine Anywhere from eight feet long to thirteen Four muscular legs give it great power Allowing it to reach speeds of forty miles an hour Or leap thirty feet taking prey by surprise Bringing down buffalo six times it’s size With retractable five inch claws on it’s paws And razor sharp teeth in it’s flesh tearing jaws So if you had to bet on a competition Between a grown man in peak physical condition And a Bengal tiger brought straight from the wild The choice would be simple, even to a simple child A UFC master of mixed martial arts Would be done for, minutes after the match starts An unarmed man would not just be beaten He’d be really disarmed when his arms were eaten The boldest of men would be quick to admit The big cat is far more physically fit But if Darwin was right and the fittest survives Why are tigers endangered, while the human race thrives Tigers are stronger, so one would think It should be us humans going extinct While the fierce felines atop the food chain Maintain their reign over earth’s domain Obviously, that’s not going on But that doesn’t mean that Darwin was wrong Instead, I would like to submit That strength alone does not make one fit You see humans are social, quite contrary To tigers who tend to be very solitary They don’t live together or form coalitions They even kill their own cubs to avoid competition And because of that the tiger will die Though it is stronger than you and I It is not as fit as us all together So as a community, humans are better From this one could draw the conclusion That individuality is an illusion The idea of going it alone is a lie Without community, we would all die It doesn’t matter if you’re rich or poor You’re more dependent on society than ever before You might not like it but you can’t ignore That we all get food from the grocery store Our produce was grown in foreign soil Transported here using foreign oil We didn’t plant the wheat or pave the street But we each end up with some food to eat In a way we were all naturally selected To run the earth by being interconnected A human can’t make it just by being strong We can only survive by getting along It’s not about strength when push comes to shove To be fit as a human is all about love Love has literally kept us alive Building communities that let us survive To go it alone is unrealistic You can’t survive being individualistic So before you do something selfish, just think About the all those tigers going extinct
14.
CCIA 04:12
CCIA Somewhere deep inside the forest is our command center A secret place which few people have entered New agents who visit can see we’re not your average spies We don’t wear the shiny shoes, black suits and neck ties We rock blue jeans, tie-dyes, and Birkenstock sandals And keep our headquarters smelling fresh with scented candles And unlike some other countries’ liberation fronts We spend our free time rolling up and smoking fat blunts But usual we’re busy in a state of upheaval Fighting against the forces of corruption and evil Working hard for the people trying to change the status quo We’re the good secret agents in case you didn’t know When the corrupt hear about me they be getting kind of nervous I’m a double 0 agent for the hippie secret service Counter Culture Intelligence, the CCIA If you plot against the people, better watch what you say You’ll never see us coming we can spy like spiders We’re hackey sack assassins, Frisbee flinging freedom fighters Sharp as sharks’ teeth and hard as granite Protecting this earth like captain planet We’re the type of people that a corporation hates Stopping illegal practices in all 50 states We’re peaceful people don’t want to cause any harm But we got a full arsenal of non-lethal arms Sound guns, smoke grenades, tear gas, and mace Commit a crime against the earth and your sure to get a taste So corporation watch out if you be polluting Or else we’ll storm your headquarters with tranquilizers shooting Round up the executives of your company And take you to a public park for everyone to see Tie you up naked, arms wrapped around a tree Then you’ll be a tree-hugger, just like me When corporations hear about me they be getting kind of nervous I’m a double 0 agent for the hippie secret service Counter Culture Intelligence, the CCIA If you plot against the people, better watch what you say You’ll never see us coming we can spy like spiders We’re hackey sack assassins, Frisbee flinging freedom fighters Sharp as sharks’ teeth and hard as granite Protecting this earth like captain planet Our countries politicians got some kind of nerve Liberals don’t liberate, conservatives don’t conserve That’s why the CCIA has taken on the mission Of hunting down and taking out these crooked politicians It seems like illegal activities the norm Politicians taking bribes in so many different forms Our country’s screwed cause you people are so greedy Representing the rich, instead of helping out the needy Sick of this shit, we’re going to settle the score Steal all your money and give it to the poor So think twice before you do some corporations bidding Take a bribe and test us if you think that I’m kidding When politicians hear about me they be getting kind of nervous I’m a double 0 agent for the hippie secret service Counter Culture Intelligence, the CCIA If you’re plotting against the people, better watch what you say You’ll never see us coming we can spy like spiders We’re hackey sack assassins, Frisbee flinging freedom fighters Sharp as sharks teeth and hard as granite Protecting this earth like captain planet
15.
Che 05:45
Che You know I rocked a full beard and a beret with a star You know I smoked the occasional Cuban cigar You’re all wearing my t–shirt, but what’s that really good for You all know my face now let me tell you what I stood for Born in 1928, Rosario Argentina My daddy was an Irishman, my mom was a Latina Being diagnosed with asthma didn’t stop me from success Strong as I was smart, I played rugby and chess I was blessed with both mental and physical powers My friends called me pig, cause I rarely took showers I liked to write poetry, I liked to read philosophy In my teens I developed a keen interest in photography Then in ‘48, cause I thought medicine was cool I attended the Buenos Aires Medical School In ‘51 my friend suggested that we take a trip So we bought a motorcycle and decided we should dip Packed up our supplies, gear, clothes, and food Said goodbye to our families and headed for Peru You may have heard of these adventures in my motorcycle diary I saw horrible things that got me passionate and fiery There was disenfranchisement, poverty, and oppression Armed Marxist revolution became my obsession All these people shared the same Mestizo culture Slowly being killed by a capitalistic vulture It was time for society to begin its evolution So I devoted my life to Marxist revolution I met Fidel Castro in 1955 And discovered that we shared the revolutionary drive I joined his 26th of July Movement His target was Cuba, which needed much improvement The US installed government would be overthrown The dictator Batista would be kicked off his throne Our ship set out from Mexico the very next year And so began my revolutionary career As soon as we landed Batista’s army attacked We fled to the mountains with just half our men intact As we fled we were forced to drop many supplies I carried my medicine, but some ammo caught my eyes There was ammo or medicine I could only carry one So I left behind the medicine got ammo for the guns This was the final act in my transition I became a combatant no longer a physician We regrouped in the mountains, started working as a team And fought guerrilla war against Batista’s regime I showed my military prowess again and again And soon I became the unofficial leader of the men I led the successful attack on Santa Clara Havana fell next bringing the end to an era Generals made peace with rebels to Batista’s dismay And with no support at all he was forced to run away Though I was not a Cuban, I had proved my worth And I was proclaimed a Cuban citizen by birth After Fidel Castro I was second in command But I couldn’t stay put I had much greater things planned In ‘64 I went to Ireland, New York, and Paris Peoples Republic of China, Ghana, and Guinea Tanzania, Mali, Prague, Egypt, And this is the message that I spread throughout my trip We must not tacitly comply with exploitation from the west Cause, “There are no frontiers in this struggle to the death.” Every victory is ours, as well as each defeat Until all people are free the revolution’s incomplete So I’m a revolutionary at home and overseas It’s “Better to die standing, than to live on your knees.” We cannot let imperialists, bully us with bombs We all must take up arms and “create many Vietnams” And words are unimportant if they don’t match deeds So the fight must continue ‘til revolution succeeds “I don't care if I fall, if someone else picks up my gun And keeps on shooting.” until the battle’s won “I‘m not a liberator. Liberators don’t exist. The people liberate themselves”, all I do is assist In ‘65 it was the Congo that needed my assistance Where the Marxist Simba movement was fighting for existence I taught the men guerrilla warfare in hopes they would succeed But incompetence and infighting made this heard indeed Plus our enemy was backed by the CIA So the struggle became harder and harder everyday I left after seven months of frustration I was ill with dysentery in the African nation My body was weak, and my energy depleted My efforts had failed, and the rebels were defeated But after just a brief rest I continued my fight Bolivia was the next country in my sights I went deep into the jungle with fifty of my supporters There we trained the rebels and set up our headquarters In both equipment and manpower we severely lacked And once again our enemy was CIA backed We had to move around the jungle never staying dormant But eventually they found us with the help of an informant Our encampment was surrounded, but a courageously defended My legs were shot and my rifle was destroyed ‘fore I surrendered They all wanted to kill me, I knew I was a goner The soldier who drew the short straw received the honor "I know you are here to kill me.” I began “Shoot, coward, you are only going to kill a man." So I was murdered on October 9 1967 My Spirit left my body and ascended to the heavens I’m Ernesto “Che” Guevara I embodied revolution Both during my life and after my brutal execution My message creeps round corners under doors and through the hallways Revolution will go on “Until victory always”
16.
Futbol 02:22
Futbol When I look at a futbol I’m reminded of the Earth A tiny sphere orbiting on a green sea of turf By calling it small I don’t mean to sell it short It’s the center of attention in the single greatest sport Many men and women have been kicking her around Skin colors in every shade, beige to dark brown People who came from so many different nations North and South Americans, Africans, Austrailians Asians; Japanese, Chinese, Koreans Middle Eastern Arabs, and countless Europeans Each individual wants to be better than them all But alone not one of them can control the ball Now no one likes losing in this zero sum game So they divide into separate teams that go by many names Each and every one of them is fixed with an obsession Simultaneously fighting to retain possession And isolated as they are onto different teams So also is the ball separated at its seems Each hexagonal patch is an independent nation Defending it borders and refusing integration Divided by color, the black and white contrast Each piece stretched taut but trying to hold fast In a constant state of tension because every little section Is threatened by foreigners in six directions But take a step back, the differences are none The separate hexagons are gone and the ball is one Any previous distinctions are quickly erased It’s just a small grayish orb flying quickly through space And just like a futbol, the Earth sometimes seems torn Depending on our class or in what nation we were born Divided sharply by race, gender, religion And other social constructs that increase our division Some of us work as nations, others work alone Fencing off land hording precious stones We compete for the Earth, everyone wanting more It drives us to violence, murder, and war Where whole nations attack nations, leaving millions dead It seems like people will do anything, just to get ahead They use different methods but their aim is the same To be victorious in life, the worlds ultimate game From a distance a futbol is one whole, we understand it But it’s much harder to look from a distance at our planet If we did we would see nations don’t exist Only continents and ocean, shrouded in a cloudy mist We are all one people, far less different than the same Maybe that is why we have a common favorite game But if we don’t realize that soon, we could be torn apart by hate Just as a futbol ripped at the seem will easily deflate
17.
America 02:26
America Ari Lesser 11/26/06 Oregon, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arizona Connecticut, Kansas, Colorado, California Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Dakota Michigan, Montana, Mississippi, Minnesota Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana Kentucky, Arkansas, Utah, Louisiana West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, Georgia Wisconsin, Carolina, Alabama, Florida Tennessee, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska Vermont, Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska I been all over Europe and Asia too They’re nice places to visit that might be true But my only home and the place I want to be Is the land of the brave and the home of the free I’m an American, baby, born and raised Ohio is where I’ve spent most of my days But I’ve been from southeast to the northwest Of America the country that I like the best When it comes to diversity, we got a lot Everybody knows we’re the world’s melting pot We got many different cultures from many different lands Puerto Rican, Mexican, and African Americans Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Koreans Irishmen, Italians, and other Europeans British, Polish, Swedish, Russian, French, Dutch, and German Some people so mixed that’s it’s hard to determine Oregon, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arizona Connecticut, Kansas, Colorado, California Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Dakota Michigan, Montana, Mississippi, Minnesota Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana Kentucky, Arkansas, Utah, Louisiana West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, Georgia Wisconsin, Carolina, Alabama, Florida Tennessee, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska Vermont, Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska I got to throw it up to the real Americans to The Cherokee, Chippewa, Choctaw, and Sioux Cheyenne, Chickasaw, Creek, Crow Lumbee, Shoshone, Mohawk, Navajo Iroquois, Blackfoot, Seminole, Hopi Pueblo, Apache, and Pottawatomie There’s many more tribes if you want to get specific Who used to run this country from Atlantic to Pacific Europeans stole their land to make this great nation Massacred the natives and put them on some reservations Destroyed homes and families, crushed cultures and dreams Even stole their names and gave them to our sports teams Atrocities were committed that no words can correct But I still want to try and give you people some respect I think your land is beautiful, and though you didn’t chose it I wanted to say thank you for allowing me to use it Oregon, Ohio, Oklahoma, Arizona Connecticut, Kansas, Colorado, California Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Dakota Michigan, Montana, Mississippi, Minnesota Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Missouri New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey Idaho, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana Kentucky, Arkansas, Utah, Louisiana West Virginia, Washington, Wyoming, Georgia Wisconsin, Carolina, Alabama, Florida Tennessee, Texas, Nevada, Nebraska Vermont, Virginia, Hawaii, and Alaska
18.
Bridge The Gap Let’s keep Cleveland on the right track Take a step forward not a step back Now is our chance if we answer the call To build a bridge that connects us all Let’s make a mark on the national scene Show that the state of Ohio is green Look to the future and lead the nation With green alternative transportation Now is the time to make a transition From the tradition of carbon emissions Start reducing our auto pollution Stead of the problem be the solution Make our streets and bridges complete Not just for cars, but for bikes and feet The people have spoken make no mistake They want a green city on a blue lake Let’s keep Cleveland on the right track Take a step forward not a step back Now is our chance if we answer the call To build a bridge that connects us all It might be hard for some folks to see But driving a car is a luxury It’s not that cheap to be behind the wheel Costs a lot to have an automobile Each year the price of gas keeps rising Less people driving isn’t surprising Cause when the price of crude oil spikes So do the number of people on bikes And those who don’t have a car still do Pay public infrastructure taxes too So why can’t those who don’t have a car Use the bridge in their own backyard? Let’s keep Cleveland on the right track Take a step forward not a step back Now is our chance if we answer the call To build a bridge that connects us all For Cleveland to thrive we must engineer A bridge that will bring some new people here And make our city much more attractive To the young, educated, and active We’ll have a healthier population Once we embrace healthy transportation And give bicycles a direct connection Not long routes through busy intersections All kinds of traffic should be delivered Up over the Cuyahoga River If they drive or bike or just walk around Give everyone a way to get downtown Let’s keep Cleveland on the right track Take a step forward not a step back Now is our chance if we answer the call To build a bridge that connects us all
19.
Malcolm X 07:21
Malcolm X I was born in 1925, Nebraska, Omaha From a very young age I knew the system was flawed My dad Earl was a civil rights activist Supporter of Marcus Garvey a Black Nationalist White supremacist didn’t like what he had to say We had to move twice before my fourth birthday Tried to elude them but they tracked us down 1929 they burnt our home to the ground Two years later my dad went out and never came back His body was found lying across the trolley tracks Police ruled it an accident, the case was dropped But we all knew white supremacists murdered my pop My mom had a breakdown without my dad She was committed to a mental institution it was bad Me and my seven sibling, couldn’t go anywhere We were split up, sent to orphanages and foster care Life was difficult after my family collapsed Still I graduated middle school top of my class Told my teacher I wanted to be a lawyer, go figure He said, that’s “no realistic goal for a nigger” So instead I dropped out of school and got lost in The 1942 underworld of Boston Bounced from Boston, to Detroit, by 1943 Had a job at a nightclub in NYC Like many young men I was examined for the draft To ensure that I wouldn’t have to go I just laughed “Can’t wait to kill us some crackers” to make them nervous So I was classified mentally disqualified for service By 1946 I lived the life of a thug Gambling, robbing, pimping prostitutes, dealing drugs I was wound to get in trouble with that kind of career And I wound up in prison for eight to ten years But I kept busy during my incarceration I utilized the time to further my education During that period I sharpened my mind Reading almost every decent book I could find My brother Reginald came to visit me in prison Told me bout his coversion the Muslim religion The Nation of Islam (NOI) for short Was the organization that had his support Studied the groups teachings and became a avid reader Of Elijah Muhammad the NOI’s leader He taught something I was already believing White society actively kept blacks from achieving He called for a black state separate from whites After studying his teachings I decided he was right So when I was finally paroled in 1952 I found him and asked him what he wanted me to do I became a devoted follower of the Nation Quickly rising through the ranks of the organization I preached their mixed message of freedom and hate As well as their demand for a separate black state Saw America like coffee in a coffee pot When you have black coffee it’s strong and hot But if you put in too much cream it gets cool and weak Used to wake you up, now it puts you to sleep My slave name Little made me feel ashamed So I changed it to X to signify my lost name Married my wife Betty X in 1968 My hard work was paying off, everything was great Appointed minister, articulate, intelligent, and witty Started mosques in Detroit, and New York City I Had conviction and charisma like nobody else Building up the NOI almost by myself When I first joined the group membership was few Only 500 people in 1952 But I attracted new members and thanks to me It was up to 30,000 by 1963 I was born to be a leader, didn’t even have to try Became national spokesmen for the NOI Using news radio and TV to communicate The groups message all across the United States Said, “I have a need for freedom, I cannot ignore it Take freedom out your vocab if you won’t die for it You want someone to give you freedom, no one can If freedom’s what you want, take it, if you’re a man I can’t separate being peaceful and being free Cause if I don’t have my freedom, peace can never be Non-violence is fine if it changes the institution But I’m for violence when non-violence postpones the solution I want human rights by any means necessary Someone puts his hand on me, send him to the cemetery Don’t even call it violence when it’s self-defense No I believe, my friends, that is called intelligence Sure, I believe in the brotherhood of all men But brotherhood’s a two-way street my friend Won’t waste my brotherhood, as I’m sure you’ll agree On anyone who doesn’t want to practice it with me” Even more than Elijah Muhammad I became An influential leader and a household name I was a media magnet, but as my fame grew The government started paying more attention too Because our membership rates were so high The group was infiltrated by the FBI They wiretapped and monitored the NOI Even turned out my own bodyguard was a spy And while dealing with the government spying on me At the height of civil rights in 1963 I also found out my mentor was a hypocrite Outside of marriage, he taught one should be celibate But Elijah Muhammad was having secret relations With six different women in the organization Some of these relationships resulted in kids And Muhammad asked me to cover up what he did Before I believed he was a prophet of God Now I realized that he was nothing but a fraud I refused to cover up his affairs and lie And in 1964 I left the NOI Went on a pilgrimage to Mecca later that year The trip altered my life, made everything clear I’d only preached to African Americans before But in Saudi Arabia, I saw so much more I visited many other countries in the area Travelling to Egypt, Ethiopia, Algeria Ghana, Guinea, Tanzania, Liberia Sudan, Senegal, Morocco, Nigeria I’d focused on my race, ignoring all others Now I met blonde, blue-eyed men I could call brothers Had a new message when I returned to the states Integration and hope, not segregation and hate I wanted truth, I didn’t care who told it anymore And I wanted justice, no matter who it was for I saw human rights as something we all have at birth Rights that should be recognized all over earth But the head of my former organization Elijah Muhammad marked me for assassination He even joked that he would cut off my head His people told my wife I was as good as dead When I returned to America they repeatedly tried Couldn’t leave home without bodyguards at my side I was stressed, but not the type of man to run Instead I peered out my window with my hand on my gun They firebombed my home in 1965 Luckily my family and I escaped alive But I knew that I couldn’t hold them off forever A week later they succeeded in their ruthless endeavor While speaking in Manhattan’s Audubon Ballroom In front of a four hundred supporters I met my doom When three men with guns rushed up to the stage And shot me sixteen times at close range Hospital said I was dead before I arrived On Februrary 21, 1965 My name is Malcolm X, freedom is my dream So in defense of liberty, I had to be extreme I admit that my views were not always correct But by being sincere I gained people’s respect Six days after my life had ended My funeral was held and fifteen hundred attended Afterwards my friends sent the gravediggers away And buried me themselves on that mournful day But my message lives on, though my body is buried Human rights for all by any means necessary
20.
I Have A Dream This event will go down as the greatest demonstration For freedom in the history of our entire nation Long ago Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation And yet we still face segregation and discrimination We have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check Promised to us in the words of our republic’s architects It was a promise that all men, black men as well as white Would be guaranteed certain unalienable rights Life, liberty, and happiness are the ideals that were exalted But it is obvious today that America has defaulted Instead of honoring this obligation as it should have done We got a bad check that came back marked insufficient funds The bank of justice is not bankrupt, I refuse to believe it We’ll demand a check that gives us the riches of freedom until we achieve it So when you return to the racist south, or the ghettos of the north Know that somehow a better future will come forth Let us not wallow in the valley of sorrow Though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow I still have a dream, to you my friends I say Deeply rooted in America, I have a dream today I have a dream that the truth will no longer be debated It will be evident that equal is how all men are created I have a dream that former enemies will not see themselves as others And sons of slaves and slave-owners will sit together as brothers I have a dream that Mississippi, sweltering in the heat of injustice Will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice I have a dream that in this nation my four little children Will be judged by their character, not the color of their skin I have a dream that in Alabama, that vicious racist land Little black and white children will come together and join hands I have a dream for every valley and mountain beneath the sun That all the people of this earth will see the Lord as One And I know that some day if I keep on dreaming God’s children will be able to sing with new meaning ‘My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my father's died, land of the Pilgrim's pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring!’ If America’s to be a great nation, this is required Let freedom ring from Pennsylvania, New York, and New Hampshire Let freedom ring from the slopes of Colorado and California Let freedom ring from the mountains of Tennessee and Georgia Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi Let freedom ring from every hamlet, village, state, and city Let freedom ring from Jewish Synagogues and Catholic Mass And then we’ll sing, ‘Thank God Almighty, we are free at last’
21.
Hypocrisy 03:19
Hypocrisy I look in the news and I’m shocked to see That the US is fighting for democracy Take a look at the war in Iraq, you’ll agree It’s all just a bunch of hypocrisy They say 9/11 was a terrorist attack And we couldn’t let it go we just had to react That makes some sense but they left out the fact That 9/11 had nothing to do with Iraq Even Bush said the culprit was Osama Bin Laden But our entire country seems to have forgotten And after five years of Iraqi abuse The leader of Al Queda is still on the loose They say Saddam had to go cause he tortured and gassed Which seems pretty bad until you contrast A US installment Abu Ghraib Prison Where undisputed acts torture have arisen So the Bush Administration fights insurgencies Using their advanced military expertise Committing many murders in the first degrees Just to help save Iraq from the Iraqis I look in the news and I’m shocked to see That the US is fighting for democracy Take a look at the war in Iraq, you’ll agree It’s all just a bunch of hypocrisy The Iraqis had it bad being ruled by Saddam So we gave them freedom in the form of some bombs Killing children, old people, fathers, and moms I thought the US learned its lesson after Vietnam Oh wait that’s right our president didn’t go He was to busy doing lines of blow Maybe he’d make choices that we’re less naïve If he went to war, not away without leave Our military’s in the hands of a deserter Who is currently committing an act of mass murder And thousands are dead both foe friend In this worthless war which seems to have no end We’re in the Middle East, dropping bombs for peace Saving people from Saddam by leaving them deceased And over a million people to date Have been killed by the US attack on their state I look in the news and I’m shocked to see That the US is fighting for democracy Take a look at the war in Iraq, you’ll agree It’s all just a bunch of hypocrisy So listen up Mr. Bush cause I’m taking a stand I completely disagree with this war that you’ve planned I don’t trust the judgment of those few in command And I think that this conflict’s now entirely out of hand I say bring our troops home from this war in a foreign land For over five years they’ve been stranded in the sand Pre-emptive wars of oppression should forever be banned I’m not making a request, I’m making a demand How can you spread democracy when we don’t have it here You want to overthrow a dictator look in the mirror You cheated to be president that fact is clear Then attempted to control us with fraudulent fear I support our troops, I say bring them back here They’re dying from your lying before they can drink a beer You need to be impeached from your current career That’s all I have to say thanks for lending me your ear
22.
Natalie 03:01
Natalie There’s a lot more to this story but this is where I’m going to enter Downtown Portland, Oregon, in front of the Justice Center The block is lined with policemen, all wearing riot suits Black helmets, black vests, black pants, black clubs, black boots Across the street, the cops stare at us, a mob of angry youth Equipped with just our voices, a bullhorn, and the truth They had arrested some of our own earlier that day And somewhere in the Justice Center they were locked away At the top of our lungs we all shouted, “Let them go!” But we got no response from the cops, not even a simple “No” They kept repeating that the road was for cars, not our feet But a few brave individuals stepped into the street Then the riot cops came charging like some horrible parade Us young people were beaten with batons and pepper-sprayed More cops came from behind us, riding in on horses Showing us the full power of Portland’s police forces We yelled, “The world is watching,” and they started pulling back We shouted, “shame, shame, it is shameful how you act We have committed no crimes; we’ve broken only silence We ask you to free our friends, and you respond with violence” I was filled with an anger like I’d never felt before I was angry at the cops, I was angry at the war I was angry at the government and the Media too I was angry at the world, but then I saw you I knew that you were special, right from the very start You wore four peace pins just above your heart Sexy white boots that looked somewhat out of place In that sea of anarchy all I could see was your face You introduced yourself to me, and we started talking Decided to sit down cause we were tired of walking We sat beneath a tree, your leg leaning on to me We discussed the international political economy I graciously accepted when you offered me some bread We talked of the Iraq war and the thousands it left dead Every time you opened your mouth to speak, I truly wanted to hear it You aroused not just my body, but my mind and my spirit For all eternity I could have sat beneath that tree Until everybody else went home and left just you and me I didn’t want to rap no more, just wrap my arms around you I forgot about the protest, I was just so glad I found you The most beautiful woman I’d ever seen, both inside and out I finally learned what love at first sight is all about But then my friend was leaving cause it was getting late It was my only way to Eugene that night, I had a final at eight I almost chose to stay and fail my class because of you And if I could have that night back, that’s exactly what I’d do Cause on that long ride home there was just one thing on my mind I’ll have many tests throughout my life, but you’re one of a kind
23.
Lion & Gazelle There was a lion without pride Young and innocent inside Who heard the older lions say How much they loved consuming prey They loudly roared about the meat That they would pursue and eat Each of the lions tried to boast He alone had caught the most The young one envied them inside Because they seemed so satisfied Making flesh sound so great That he began to imitate He could not escape their words Soon he prowled around the herds Hunting just like the rest But he did not have success His days ended with disaster Older cats were much faster They would always steal the meat Right out from beneath his feet But then one night when it was late Either by accident or fate He finally caught his first prey Or did it catch him that day? Then he was just like the rest After he tasted that flesh It was always on his mind He left his innocence behind Now there was no turning back His world melted into black Left the light and prowled all night To feed his endless appetite His cravings never seemed to cease Even asleep he found no peace Seeking flesh in every dream Over his mind it reigned supreme He loved it more than anyone But most nights he got none Hungry he returned home And roared angry and alone Some nights he had success Hunting and consuming flesh Sleeping when he had his fill But he would wake up empty still His hunger never disappeared Day after day year after year No matter how hard he tried He was never satisfied One night while on the prowl He came across a young gazelle A piece of thick juicy meat The kind of flesh he loved to eat He gazed at her from far away Then slowly crept up on his prey Ready to sink his teeth right in He could almost taste her skin He thought that she couldn’t see For she did not try to flee But the gazelle, to his surprise Turned and looked into his eyes In those eyes he saw her soul A fragment of the greater whole He saw the spark of God above For the first time the lion loved He could not eat her like the rest For in those eyes he saw not flesh She was no prize to lose or win Instead he saw the One within In the eyes of that gazelle He could see himself as well Though his mane looked the same Beneath the surface he had changed And from that moment on His desire for flesh was gone He felt only joy inside Finally he was satisfied And the gazelle was not afraid Before the lion’s eye she stayed Their souls then became entwined For a moment, yet for all of time The lion bowed his head down And kissed her feet upon the ground From his touch she did not run The two then became one The other lions saw him after And they all roared with laughter Saying, “Just eat that flesh And then find some meat that’s fresh And when the gazelles did see How they begged her to flee Crying, “There is no denying That you cannot trust a lion” But this constant stream of doubt Was so easily drowned out For nothing could be heard above The rushing river of their love She was approached many times By predators of every kind But that gazelle, she could fly None could even catch her eye The lion watched passing waves Of the herds he used to crave Now it just made him yawn The taste he had for flesh was gone So together they now dwell The young lion and gazelle Never are they found apart With only love between their hearts

credits

released April 29, 2011

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Ari Lesser Cleveland

Ari Lesser is a singer, songwriter, rapper, and spoken word artist from Cleveland, Ohio. He has performed all over the world, and written hundreds of songs on a wide range of subjects. Ari’s repertoire is expansive, touching on everything from history, to animals, to Star Wars, but now his focus and passion is making music based on the Torah. ... more

contact / help

Contact Ari Lesser

Streaming and
Download help

Report this album or account