Take A Look Around

I got something I want y'all to do

Take a look around

Take a look around, take a look around and ask yourself: Why?

See all those people on the other side of town, livin large and postin high?

Take a look around, see that bum rush to this liquor store?

He's all out of Thunderbird, but I got to say more

Take a look around as the wealthy and rich

Go to plush parties and do-si-do together, ain't that a bitch?

Cause they're movin on while most of us sit back complainin

Bout, "Ain't nuff opportunities for our people", like it's always rainin

But take a look around, cause I see plenty of sunshine in the sky

Maybe next time, instead of complainin, you go out and get a piece of the pie

Take a look around

Take a look around

Take a look around as more young people take their eyes off the prize

See my man Simon talkin bout he's gonna put a kit

And a rag-top on that 560 S-E-C he buys?

Take a look around at the music man on the corner playin his sax

Fillin the air with jazz

He's a one-man symphony, see that 2 dollars in change in his hat?

Yo, that's all that brother has

This is just a little letter about the situations we live in

Take a look around and realize: to succeed we just can't give in

Now take a look around

Hey brother, take a look around

Hey sister, take a look around

Now money made is not necesserally money earned

But those who earn money seem to have a lot less

And not very often are those tables ever turned

But then again, money's not a measure of success

The power of 3, you see, is ever present

Slide and ride this groove, to get the meanin

Only a true king can call someone a peasant

You hold a microphone, but for a throne I find you fiendin

Pursuit of happiness and money are not the same

There is some overlap, but they're still separate goals

Because it's possible to have one without the other, a shame

Some don't realize it, so they sell away their souls

Take a look around

Take a look around

As I walk through Grand Central I see so very many

Brothers and sisters that are down on their luck

Is there really pie, and they just aren't gettin any?

Or is it cause they're lazy and they just don't give a fuck?

Walkin through the park I see Bam-Bam playin cee-lo

4-5-6, Bam just lost 3 g's and a kilo

Who says they only play for kicks?

Take a look around

Take a look around

I remember Jackie, when Jackie was a hottie

Jeans used to fit her like the skin upon a grape

Me and every other brother fiended for her body

But she's smokin, so now look at her shape

Now Mrs Green goes to church like every single Sunday

And she had three sons, Ron, Mike and Dale

Maybe if she'd done a little bit more than just pray

Ron wouldn't be dead, and the other two, they wouldn't be in jail

I remember Mr. Tee, he used to walk with a limp

He had a wooden leg, y'know, cause he lost it in the war

Maybe if this country had made some attempt

To take care of their veterans, Mr. Tee, he wouldn'ta have to die poor

Take a look around

Hey - brothers, sisters

Take a look around