Verse 1:
The preacher repeatin' their scriptures
While the people are paintin' their pictures
They still complainin' and bitchin'
Waiting in vain to get paid attention
A couple of things, covered in strings
But talkin' failed to mention
Tell me whatever happened to
Veterans gettin' their pension
First, they sayin' they're payin' for college
Your body exchanged for knowledge
But, what good is a mind, whenever we find
Another one locked in a coffin, y'all?
My brother was up in Iraq
While his brother was singin' this song
I'm chantin' to bringin' him home
And most of the people were singin' along
Except for middle American
Flag wavin', fag hatin'
Praisin' sayin' yellow ribbon campaignin' hate
On anybody debatin' I salute you
In definite ways that they could never have done for you
In truth they hardly knew you
But they killin' it, hallelujah, huh
Stop the marchin' orders
While the soldiers gettin' martyred for
Stop the war
Wishin' it all was easy like The Commodores
My mind is sore, thinkin' of war
Thinkin' of all the fallen
You are gone but not forgotten
You alive proceed with caution
Know that sleep is not an option
Don't follow 'em into the slaughter
The reason that all of the youth
Should salute Lieutenant Watada
Hook (2x):
And I... got your back even if they don't believe in us
Just leave it up to us to keep the love they try to steal from us
Please accept the offerin'
Don't forget we sovereign
A letter to the sufferin'
It's time to keep on marchin'
Verse 2:
And they still debatin' the scriptures
While the people are paintin' their pictures
Still complainin' and bitchin'
Waitin' in vain to get paid attention
A couple of things, covered in strings
But talkin' failed to mention
Tell me whatever happened to
Askin' a couple of questions
They put us in competition to cause affliction with opposition
The friction is probably fiction
They lookin' for pots to piss in
Watch, the boss is up in the loft, laughin'
Uppin' the cost of livin' the cot
But buildin' while the cops are killin' 'em off
Women and children
Politicians who mock religion and talk tradition
They all just just wishin' that all the listeners fall victim
The pistols are drawn, the sinister laws
Are killin' the calls of citizens' march
And soon will start repentance
The minister called deliverance
Guerrillas defendin' their villages
In spite of all of our differences
We're fightin' over percentages
We drafted into the battle that
We never remember considerin'
We simmerin' down
It's bigger than even the king or the crown
"Stand up or fall down", the people are sayin' it loud
"Stand up or fall down", the people are sayin' it loud
"Stand up or fall down", the people are sayin' it loud
Repeat hook
