Someone I Knew

[Intro: UPC All Stars]
A young man died today
What have we to show?
A country split in two
A left wing and a joke
What remains when we tear away the mask?
Who will be around to face the coming task?
Never someone I knew

[Chorus]
How much longer 'til we're through? (Yeah)
How much longer 'til we're through?
How much longer 'til we're through? (Yeah)
How much longer 'til we're through?

[Verse 1]
Hardly show up on time to the party, yes, we the tardiest
Never good at chronology, I measure timе in memories (Memoriеs)
Where were you when the towers fell? I was seven
Sittin' at home, Aunty bust through the door in a frenzy
Face in horror, shocked, yelling at Mom's in the kitchen
I pretend I wasn't listenin', but still paying attention
Life is a gift and if God wills it, live it
Inshallah, we don't face the world with a stigma
Where were you when you first held a gun? I was five
Playing hide and seek in my parents' room
Went under the bed, the perfect spot for me to hide
Dark brown mahogany handle on my hand like camouflage
Where were you when Michael died? I was fifteen
The singer I idolized, immortalized in my mind
Livin' with my cousins in a foreign land (Foreign land)
Sittin' in living rooms, wishing my spin move could hang
My nose used to look like his
Maybe God's a magician and we look like twins
Maybe one day, I'm takin' off the runway
And floating with the sun rays around
Though my tongue weighs me down
My mind roamin' 'cause I'm fly, homie
In and out of states, I done spent way too much time zonin'
I try look up to skies with my eyes open
But I'm blindfolded by the lies that they all told me, goddamn

[Chorus]
It was someone I knew
But he died for me and you
How much longer 'til we're through?
How much longer 'til we're—
How much longer 'til we're—
How much longer till we're through?
Oh, oh, baby

[Verse 2]
Far from religious, close to his intuition
Praying for forgiveness from the patron saint of sinners
Left hand on the scripture, right hand to the heavens
This vision was God-given, it's worked on in the shadows
We the '04 Pistons, no stars, just winners
No TayShauns, just princes, Kings 'cause legacy build bridges
Tryna be the best man I can can you Taye Digg it?
Not a pawn in no military state prison
Paid off piglets
Treat men like villains that's based off pigment, gotta be kidding
Ah, man, we on war times
Sometimes, I ask myself
"Am I an artist or an archive of hard times?"
Seen life long ties split apart like apartheid
Fuck outta here, got me wondering where the light
Ain't no light at the—, ain't no light at the—, nah
Fuck a light at the end of the tunnel, homie, I am the light
Exposing tarnishin', promise, you really ain't half as bright
Me and homie ain't that alike, no more vigils by candlelight
See 'em slippin' banana-like, mission splittin' banana-like
They been tricking us all our life and I'm moving to get it right, we're through

[Chorus]
It was someone I knew
But he died for me and you
How much longer 'til we're through?
How much longer 'til we're—
How much longer 'til we're—
How much longer till we're through?

[Outro: Phil Ranelin]
Hey, listen, everybody, this is Phil Ranelin
And you're listening to TOBi
And welcome to PANIC