American Hypnosis

[Intro: Saba]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Ahem
Ah, ah, ah
Ah

[Verse: Saba]
American hypnotize
Been sad since about '09
Was scared of shit in my mind
Now I smile in my pics online
Isolation taught me patience 'bout the way to go
Had to learn my mama depression wasn't my own
Had to feel the pressures of the pessimism
Tryna convince me that realism was a better vision
Never been accepted in the ghetto, but I'm on Division
And I'm living
Inability to be myself in a room full of niggas
Focused on hittin' stains and gettin' bitches
I don't speak, I'm silent as a mouse by my own house
With a bit of bitterness, worried about fittin' in
And my uncle in the pen taught me how to be a man
But he failed to mention why he did what he did
Why my dad had to dip 'fore I learned how to tie my sneakers?
Why my mama boyfriend think he hidin' the fact he sell reefer?
We was kids, that ain't mean we was stupid
First time I'd seen a gun, thinkin' if he'd shoot it
Shotgun in my mama mouth, "Please, don't do it"
She ran home naked and came right to us
And I go to school the next day like ain't shit happen
Excelled in great grades and they ain't matter
Standardized tests, educate data
You love the hype shit, but they ain't Saba
You ain't seen addicts until my family
Granny lost her brother, her other brother, her daddy
You wonder why I don't drink? Wonder why I don't smoke?
Wonder why I don't live? Wonder why I'm so grey?
Wonder, "What's a fun night?" Waiting for the punchlines
Want the beat quantized? You should play some other shit
Nigga, we was traumatized, you talking 'bout the government
Had to get my ass whooped, fights how we settle it
I wish I didn't have to be famous to be important
I used to wish that my parents could keep it cordial
I hated my life until I played the piano
They raided my best friend, he red-handed
Scene of this shit like a scene of a movie
Meanwhile, I'm the kid in the private schooling
Wearing my glasses, playing my computer
Drawing cartoons, was a straight-A student
On a scholarship and I hated that
Left the hood, somehow, I made it back

[Bridge: Akenya]
Back to life, back to reality
Will my life ever belong to me?
Hypothesize the definition of free
And realize this dream wasn't meant to be

[Interlude: Chandlar]
Hey, boss, how you doing?
It's Pops
Here's my bucket list, it's pretty short
I want us to go see Vatican City
I wanna go see Mecca
I wanna visit Israel
I wanna visit Morocco
I wanna see the Egyptian pyramids
The Mayan pyramids in South America
Most importantly, what I'm saying is that I want us to all do this together
I'm proud of you, man
Peace

[Outro: Saba & Akenya]
I, too, am an American dreamer
I, too, dream of American freedom
I, too, sing an American plea
I, too, scream 'til liberty rings, and
I, too, am an American dreamer
I, too, dream of American freedom
I, too, sing an American plea
I, too, scream 'til liberty rings, and
I, too, am an American dreamer
I, too, dream of American freedom
I, too, sing an American plea
I, too, scream 'til liberty rings, and
I, too, am an American dreamer
I, too, dream of American freedom
I, too, sing an American plea
I, too, scream 'til liberty rings, and