While the Nas track was about the lawlessness in the hood, Dan raps about the corruption and injustices of the world.
[Intro]
More syncopated drumming. I believe they call it boom-bap. It's an onomatopoeic term to describe the sound of the kick and the snare. Ideally, the kick should be like a punch to the stomach. And the snare a slap to the face. One love, and I don't mean tennis
[Verse 1]
I was gonna write a letter to my friend in prison
Till I remembered that I haven't got a friend in prison
Most of my associates are well to do professionals
They probably don't need to spend much time in a confessional
I'll tell you what though, I better shout out Peterson [?] they're keeping under
Julian Assange holed up in the embassy
And doing his hardest to prevent himself being sent to Sweden
I've got a question and I'm not expecting answers
But how come prison is for everyone except for bankers
The feckless, reckless wankers who's only focus is bogusness
And they still manage to go home with a bonus, bruv
That sets examples for the rest of us
Cos if they're not arresting them then why the heck are they arresting us?
It's double standards, they're too big to fail
Too big for handcuffs and too big for jail
I believe the judges should never give sentences
Until they've spent a bit of time in penitentiaries
I feel relieved that despite my petty crimes
I've never had to spend a single second doing time
[Hook: Q-Tip x4]
One love
One love
One love
One love
[Verse 2]
I see keeping animals caged as outrageous
Just to expand the range of flavours upon our plate disgust me
I feel I must free my suffering sisters and brothers
Who I trust treat it as no more than just meat
Are resourced by the same people who are outraged to eat horse
You're either seated on a wobbly moral see-saw
Or you've simply never thought about it before
Now I'm getting preachy, but getting preachy's easy
When you see diseased creatures treated as a piece of meat
Which is obviously what they are, GG
But so am I, does that mean that you would eat me?
Cos if you would then you're a cannibal
But if you wouldn't then you're racist against animals
And it's you that battery farming is actually harming
Have you seen what happens? It's alarming
Trapped animals bred and pumped with chemicals
And fed their dead family instead of vegetables
These are the graveyards where husbandry is dead to all
And yet it's where your dinner comes from, it's dreadful
I'm energised and angry now, better call me Red Bull
But if I cared any less I'd be neglectful
Yeah I'm a fluffy bunny lover, you funny bugger
I'm fucking proud of my compassions for others
[Hook: Q-Tip x4]
One love
One love
One love
One love
[Verse 3]
There's different kinds of prison, those that people doing time would live in
Then there's the ones inside your mind that keep you hiding, quivering
Poverty's a prison and it's getting bigger
It's becoming tougher for the kids, look it up and check the figures
A silent seeker's bundled up inside a secret bunker
Where they are deprived of each other and the people they love and live for
No if's, or's, and but's, freedom's at full capacity the frickin doors are shut
I used to believe in capitol punishment till I saw
What the difference between getting someone back and justice is
You need to be able to reverse an unjust decision
Because the justice system doesn't have enough precision
There's false accusations, human error, prejudice
Corruption in the courts, we ought to put an end to this
Who? Me? I'm scared of jury duty
If I send the wrong one down someone'd surely shoot me
That just wouldn't work, I'd rather be sat on my booty
Watching 12 Angry Men, I'm turning classic movies
Reality scares me, till insanity dares me
To get mad and grab my pen and pad and rap on a rare beat
I see so many injustices I haven't much to give to them
In terms of giving just a single fuck for it, I must forgive myself
I'm only human, doing what I should to keep my mind open and tune in
Consumerism is so massively distracting
I'll battle the allure of apathy in action
I'm gonna have to beat it bad some so I can concentrate
On debates, important issues, and what's going on today
There's so much on my plate domestically
And yet it seems I'll never let the mundane get the best of me
Today is just another day I get to bless the beat
Yeah, today is just another day I get to bless the beat
One love
[Hook: Q-Tip x4]
One love
One love
One love
One love
[Outtro]
For everyone who wants love
This is for everyone who wants love
(To all my niggas locked up, for Queens Branch)
It's also for Vladimir Putin, who appears to want, rather than love, global domination
Whatever floats your nuclear submarine, Vlad. One love