Somalia

[Intro: Children's choir & K'naan]
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la (Ugh)
La la la la la (Yeah)
La la la la la
La la la la la (Somalia)
La la la la la (Yeah)

[Verse 1]
I spit it for my block—it’s an ode, I admit it
Here, the city code is "lock and load," any minute is rock-and-roll
And you rock and roll and feel your soul leaving
It’s just the wrong dance that'll leave you not breathing
I’m not particularly proud of this predicament, but
I’m born and bred in this tenement; I'm sentimental—what!
Plus, it’s only right to represent my hood and whatnot
So I’m about to do it in the music; in the movies—Cut!
To the chase, pan across to the face, I'm right there
Freeze frame on the street name—oops, wait a minute
This is where the streets have no name and the drain of sewage
You can see it in this boy how the hate is brewing
'Cause when his tummy tucks in, fuck, the pain is fluid
So what difference does it make entertaining through it?
Some get high, mixing coke and gunpowder, sniffing
She got a gun but could have been a model or physician

[Hook: K'naan]
So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?
To never know a singe day without a big commotion?
It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing
So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?
To never know a single day without a big commotion?
It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

[Break: K'naan]
Yeah!
Yeah!

[Verse 2]
We used to take barbed wire
Mold them around discarded bike tires
Roll 'em down the hill on foot, blazing
Now, that was our version of mountain bike racing
("Damn!") Do you see why it’s amazing?
When someone comes out of such a dire situation
And learns the English language just to share his observation?
Probably get a Grammy without a grammar education
So fuck you, school, and fuck you, immigration!
And all of you who thought I wouldn’t amount to constipation
And now, I’m here without the slightest fear and reservation
They love me in the slums and the Native reservations
The world is a ghetto, administering deprivation
But mommy didn’t raise no fool—did she, Hoyo?
I promised I would get it and remain strictly loyal
'Cause when they get it—then, they let it all switch and spoil
But I just illuminated it like kitchen foil
A lot of mainstream niggas is yapping about yapping
A lot of underground niggas is rapping about rapping
I just wanna tell you what’s really crack-a-lackin'
Before the tears came down, this is what happened

[Hook: K'naan]
So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?
To never know a singe day without a big commotion?
It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing
So what you know about the pirates terrorize the ocean?
To never know a single day without a big commotion?
It can’t be healthy just to live with such a steep emotion
And when I try and sleep, I see coffins closing

[Outro: Children's choir & K'naan]
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la (Ugh)
La la la la la (Yeah)
La la la la la (Somalia)
La la la la la
La la la la la
La la la la la