I was in need, I was in need
I remember a long time ago, a long
I remember a long time ago
A long
They say chi don't dance no more
And the little kids don't got a chance no more
They ain't even tryna free the old man no more
One day there won't be no old man no more
Mr. Darden used to take the bus over from Halsted
Mr. Harper used to be so exhausted
The barbershop bustling, bootleg Lacoste fits
Forget the DVDs, they tryna get that golf drip
Freckles, bifocals and Kangol hats
Spinnin' stories 'bout blocks that they can't go back
Singin' songs about the women that they can't hold back
They used to rub 'em on their hair that they can't grow back
Clippers buzzin', cryin' grand baby boy cousin
The first cut, "Lil' man, quit all that fussing"
God the father may love you, the world doesn't
That's how I learned to put my dukes up and play the dozens
Lessons and the strategies of love and war
Chessboards and king magazines galore
It's a lot less love than it was before
It's a lot less old men than it was before
I say we gon' live 'til our hair turn white ('til our hair turn white)
No law can find our names (no law can find our names)
And when we run, no one's chasing us (chasing us, ooh)
Streetlights on, the kids all come back home (kids always come home, y'all)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
They say chi don't dance no more
And the kids don't even got a chance no more
They ain't even tryna free the old man no more
Pretty soon there won't be no old man no more
I dance with my father Luther Vandross
We played catch so much, I turned to randy moss
I had uncles all up and down 79th
With his boys betting on Floyd every fight
Cold beers and cigar smoke
Pelle coats, card decks and some harsh jokes
Jacks when they cars broke
Sleep in separate rooms for years when they hearts broke
So at least somebody there if they start stroke
I used to play street fighter with my play cousin
Now the streets'll have you playin' with your real cousin
They said the world didn't love me, and it still doesn't
I guess that "Real old love" wasn't real, was it?
The present is past, the future is sick
The culture gave us cutout life-sized funeral pics
Where's your instincts, nigga? Act like you forgot
It's the four black commandments, man, you know how we rock
It goes one, watch your health, that's your wealth (one)
Two, watch yo' brother, that's yo'self (two)
Three, watch your home, that's your door (three)
Four, if they want it, we go to war (four)
In the distant future, the twilight of our lives
Contains all the laughs and highlights of our lives (he said)
The knowledge that could help a young man go forth
'fore the day you don't see these old men no more
I say we gon' live 'til our hair turn white ('til our hair turn white)
No law can find our names (no law can find our names)
And when we run, no one's chasing us (where I'm I?)
Streetlights on, the kids all come back home (kids always come home, y'all)
On and on and on and on, I know it go
On and on and on and on, I know it go (and on and on)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go ('til my hair turn white)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (can't find my name)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (where I'm I?)
Kids always come home, y'all
I say we gon' live till our hair turn white (ooh-ooh-ooh)
No law can find our names (ooh-ooh-ooh)
And when we run, no one's chasing us (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Streetlights on, the kids all come back home (ooh-ooh-ooh)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
On and on and on and on, I know it go (on and on and on and on, I know it go)
(Ooh, ooh)
