Hard to Tell - Radical Redemption

When every day begins in yesterday When every light around you shines You are the lover of a hundred others So don't tell me what to do Retreat resist relent redemption Be careful not to cut your hair Be sorry for your sins and all their mothers But don't tell me what to do, oh no I am, forever trying to defend I lost, my childhood qualities when I was ten Don't quite recall when it began Oooh I can't remember such a drain Believe the truth before you breathe it Beloved sometime very soon Your pathway forward is an exit doorway So don't tell me what to do I am, forever trying to defend I lost, my childhood qualities when I was ten Don't quite recall when it began Oooh I can't remember such a drain Oooh, I can't remember Such a drain ... whoa oh yeah I am, forever trying to defend I lost, my childhood qualities when I was ten Don't quite recall when it began Oooh I can't remember such a drain I am, forever trying to defend I lost, my childhood qualities when I was ten Don't quite recall when it began Oooh I can't remember such a drain

I am the story of a man Who makes his way on his own Don't need no kind of direction from no one I got myself a pretty old soul Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live I'm a giant of a man I do what I please I got respect for all that's around me and expect the same for me So go ahead do what you want Whatever your release I'm just looking for a little quiet and my own kind of peace Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live I'm gonna soar like an eagle My wings will carry me away I got the heart of a lion And I get stronger everyday I like the finer things in life At least what's fine to me I got music and people to love and that sure does suit my needs Sitting in the sun with my Favorite song and a little bit of weed Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live I'm gonna soar like an eagle My wings will carry me away I got the heart of a lion And I get stronger everyday I'm gonna soar like an eagle My wings will carry me away I got the heart of a lion And I know what kind a man I am And I'm gonna do it right I'm gonna do it right Ain't nobody gonna tell me how to live

Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) It ain't hard to tell, I excel, then prevail The mic is contacted, I attract clientele My mic check is life or death, breathin' a sniper's breath I exhale the yellow smoke of buddha through righteous steps Deep like The Shining, sparkle like a diamond Sneak a Uzi on the island in my army jacket linin' Hit the Earth like a comet-, invasion! Nas is like the Afrocentric Asian, half-man, half-amazin' 'Cause in my physical, I can express through song Delete stress like Motrin, then extend strong I drink Moët with Medusa, give her shotguns in Hell From the spliff that I lift and inhale; it ain't hard to tell Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) The buddha monk's in your trunk, turn the bass up Not stories by Aesop Place your loot up, parties I shoot up Nas, I analyze, drop a jew-el, inhale from the L School a fool well, you feel it like Braille It ain't hard to tell I kick a skill, like Shaquille holds a pill Vocabulary spills, I'm Ill plus Matic I freak beats, slam it, like Iron Sheik Jam like a TEC with correct techniques So analyze me, surprise me, but can't magmatize me Scannin' while you're plannin' ways to sabotage me I leave 'em froze, like heroin in your nose Nas will rock well; it ain't hard to tell Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) This rhythmatic explosion Is what your frame of mind has chosen I'll leave your brain stimulated, niggas is frozen Speak with criminal slang, begin like a violin End like Leviathan, it's deep? Well, let me try again Wisdom be leakin' out my grapefruit, troop I dominate break loops, givin' mics men-e-strual cycles Street's disciple, I rock beats that's mega trifle And groove even smoother than moves by Villanova You're still a soldier, I'm like Sly Stone in Cobra Packin' like a Rasta in the weed spot Vocals will squeeze Glocks MCs eavesdrop, though they need not to sneak My poetry's deep, I never fell Nas' raps should be locked in a cell; it ain't hard to tell Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!) Da-da-da-da-da Da-da-da-da-da (yeah!)

From the hands it came down From the side it came down From the feet it came down And ran to the ground Between heaven and hell A teardrop fell In the deep crimson dew The tree of life grew And the blood gave life To the branches of the tree And the blood was the price That set the captives free And the numbers that came Through the fire and the flood Clung to the tree And were redeemed by the blood From the tree streamed a light That started the fight 'Round the tree grew a vine On whose fruit I could dine My old friend Lucifer came Fought to keep me in chains But I saw through the tricks Of six-sixty-six And the blood gave life To the branches of the tree And the blood was the price That set the captives free And the numbers that came Through the fire and the flood Clung to the tree And were redeemed by the blood From his hands it came down From his side it came down From his feet it came down And ran to the ground And a small inner voice Said "You do have a choice." The vine engrafted me And I clung to the tree And the blood gave life To the branches of the tree And the blood was the price That set the captives free And with the numbers that came Through the fire and the flood I clung to the tree And was redeemed by the blood From his hands it came down From his side it came down From the feet it came down And ran to the ground

Old pirates, yes, they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships Minutes after they took I From the bottomless pit But my hand was made strong By the hand of the Almighty We forward in this generation, yeah Triumphantly Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have Redemption songs Redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourself can free our mind Have no fear for atomic energy 'Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets While we stand aside and look? Yeah, some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom? 'Cause all I ever have Redemption songs Redemption songs Redemption songs

I know sorry is not enough To erase all the pain from when I messed up I'm not here to overturn my conviction These eyes are on the road, the road to redemption Well, it's only until you lose Everything that you love that you're forced to choose And there's nothing like a crash to get your attention To keep you on the straight, the road to redemption I know there's nights when it felt like living hell All those nights when I almost killed myself In the end you never left When I needed your forgiveness It's a long way down from the fall And the terrible truths, yeah, I own them all And I had to hit the bottom to change my direction To find my way back, back to redemption I know there's nights when it felt like living hell All those nights when I almost killed myself In the end you never left When I needed your forgiveness When everyone left me for dead You never gave up, you never quit I remember the words you said We can still be good again Now I'm looking you in the eyes My soul on my sleeve, nothing more to hide And I'm never going back to that condition You showed me the way to redemption I know there's nights when it felt like living hell All those nights when I almost killed myself In the end, you never left when I needed your, needed your forgiveness

Old pirates, yes, they rob I Sold I to the merchant ships, Minutes after they took I From the bottom less pit. My hand was made strong By the hand of the almighty. We forward in this generation, triumphantly. Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom 'Cause all I ever have Redemption song Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look Some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book. Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom 'Cause all I ever have Redemption songs Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery None but ourselves can free our minds. Have no fear for atomic energy, 'Cause none of them can stop the time How long shall they kill our prophets, While we stand aside and look Some say it's just a part of it We've got to fulfill the book. Won't you help to sing These songs of freedom 'Cause all I ever had Redemption songs 'Cause all I ever had