Mann Center For The Performing Arts - Darin Atwater's Black Metropolis with The Philadelphia Orchestra & Chill Moody

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SECOND TABLEAU

Dangers, Toils and Snares

CIVIL WAR TO CIVIL RIGHTS
Lyrics by Darin Atwater

How Long?

Lord How Long, How Long, Lord How Long

How Long?

Lift every voice Sing a Song, Sing a Song full of Faith

Sing a Song full of Harmony and Liberty

A Song that the present has brought.

A New Day Sing of Song

Let us March on til Victory… Ah…Is Won

Hip Hop Fight the Power Don’t Stop

Hip Hop Walk it, Talk it, Won’t Stop

THE FIGHT IS ON
Lyrics by Chill Moody
feat. Balmour

Stand up hands up we’ll be accounted for
Too many centuries at war
I lost count at four
Your information was off
Due to the fact your foundation was flawed
Some insight on why it’s taken so long
Whole nation designed devoid morals
Hate personified through racist statues and murals
It’s in the palm of our hands
Wu told you: it's yours
Realize this country was built by us, not for us
A tough pill to digest convo should never digress
Keep applying the pressure progress a slow process
It’s tougher, cuz we been stepped on dissed and forgotten, left for dead
All I can say is hold your head
The fight is on

I feel it in my bones, a fires taken hold
Been marching so long
The fight is on
This system isn’t broke
It’s working how they want
But change is gon come
The fight is on

Live from where them shot riddle through
And them cops a belittle you
Or worse strike with vengeance that biblical
I’m giving you a different view
How I see it, we just want a promise honored
You making it difficult
Us wanting to live aint political
They give for publicity
Dig in they wallets to be on the right side of history
But are they really listening
Cuz we been talking
They been watching
The revolution is here
So cut that tv off, ya people marching
The fight is on

I feel it in my bones, a fires taken hold
Been marching so long
The fight is on
This system isn’t broke
It’s working how they want
But change is gon come
The fight is on
The shot her while she slept
And knelt all on his neck
Until that wars won
The fight is on yeah
I feel it in my bones
A fires taken hold
Until we’re called home
The fight is on

HORNS AT THE FUNERAL
Lyrics by Chill Moody

You know my story right?
Rise to fame from the pain to glory, right?
You heard from a source “he rips all the mics”
“His names in all sorta lights” well, you sorta right
See you just know about my daily obsession
I take a step inside the booth and make a daily confession
But you don’t know about my daily depression, the doubt that comes wit it
You just hear it and swear that ‘m having fun with it
But you don’t know about being that one ticket
Everyone's hitting, telling you to come with it
Or just be done with it
Tunnel vision, you don’t know what i go through
Keep it real, you only know what I show you
Remember back in 02’
ask where my life was headed
Couldn’t a told you
Now I might recite these lyrics,
At the O-2
The Garden gets a show too
I swear that 80 point theory so true
I figure we gon change that
Take whatever spots we were given
And re-arraign that
Make it so the spots that we’re living
I’ll park a range at, I’ll always be the same cat
Vowed to always be the same cat

Just where my mindframes at
Memories so vivid it's like i’m hearing pictures
Word so powerful figured they’re in scriptures
I promise, it’s different
But while i’m here with ya
In the physical
I just want you to know
When it’s my cue to go
Play the horns at the funeral

Got me skipping verses
I play it cool, i’m chill but I be just as nervous
Only reason it’s seeming that all thats writtens’ working
Cuz i’m spitting for a different purpose, you heard it
Say what you will, you gon hate if you like
Many tried, not even you can deny that this kid is working
And I aint saying that this here race was picture perfect
But you can’t look me in my face and say I didn’t earn
Fresh out the furnace where the blocks hot
The streets blocked off
And they aint have to get the permits they just get the burners
Cut from my cloth thats the point where we come determined
You aint feeling that cool it’s for the ones that learning
And i’m the one thats earning all the respect anyway
It’s due but so is rent so whats plenty play without any pay
Squad still riding they know it can happen any day
And most of them is fam, they been riding since day ennipay
Ask Tee Hov or Billy when
Them boys turned to Philly men
Nights on young porch dodging chilly wind
Miami drop tops, still chilly wind
The only difference is that’s off of chilly’s wins
More than squad we really kin. Again.

CHURCH IS OUT
Lyrics by Chill Moody

they pack burners
tired of life on the back burner
where nat turner meet crack servers
i’m from that merger
a fast learner
that had me primed to be a bag earner
aware that the pressure there
as i prepare this last sermon
the cash turned him
the money changed him
that money dangerous
to each and everyone one he hang wit
cuz son he famous
fame den done em heinous
they wanted payments
they want his ranges
they want his watches they want his chains n
they want him brainless
call the wolf up they want it stainless
far from fiction
digging deep into this mine of mind
it’s by design
cult and religion difference? a dollar sign
they say i’m outta line
it depends how you define divine
confide in rhyme
still finding time to bottle wine
i align with the kings
czar talk is a large part
bottom line with 3:16’s
i get them bars off
view the hills through hollywood blinds
it’s a sign of the grind
it’s hopeless trying
i woke up flying
approach horizons
what we do for the cultures thriving
happens when it should
no illusions of perfect timing
hold up
n͓̽i͓̽c͓̽e͓̽things the chosen folk
think i ain’t the one you overdose
palms itching as the dough approach
they warring over loafs
heats on so they hold the toast
hit green quicker lower strokes
i started off 6 under
feeling like deaths around the corner from em
just put Tirfe on the horns
and make sure Marlon drumming
all or nothing
talking tough but ain’t offing nothing
bishop & radimenz
call his bluff cuz he saw us coming
we gon hold it down
paper weight ain’t waiting on paper
was on the 35
we kick it from Ev’s akers
down 2 now we up one looking like fan favorites
tell em church is out
we stand faithless on mans greatness