Which Side Are You On?

[Intro (speech sample)]
Don't let them escape unpunished

[Verse 1]
Who let the torch passed
Fall in the tall grass?
Fire alarm wire’s disarmed
What do you call that?

Call it predictable
Political cliché
So when the movie ends
The revolution’s dead. Replay

The sequence of events that led to these deep divisions
I’ve realized that all the wrong people are in prison
The children wanna know if I believe in the reptilians
I tell 'em I don’t know, but on the TV I see lizards

When action was in fashion you were such an easy mimic
Bumpersticker quote lifting crib-note statistic
Grasp for the straw man, born-again cynic
Fair-weather firebrand, spark my suspicion

Knew you were the type to take the fight like a gimmick
And rock the T-shirt when your sweat wasn’t in it
The clock is still ticking for the victim of the future
You’re waiting till they look like you to ever choose, but—

[Chorus]
(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Damn

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Ask the industry

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Ask a emcee

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Go ahead

[Verse 2]
Who wrote the greatest lines of our generation
But couldn’t get from under they own small-minded hate trip?
The same rappers say they’re troopin' the front lines
And casually use the word faggot as a punchline

That’s not a man, that’s not a tough guy
That is a sucker and a fraud to the culture
Hip Hop is folk music grown from the struggle and
Half these fools could put the mic down and run as a Republican

Fuck ‘em, then. They learn from they own wrong
Homophobes don’t go to my shows. We too strong
And if you in the front row harassing girls during a song
Imma reach out and ask you, "Exactly …

[Chorus]
(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
You ain't gotta like it

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

[Verse 3]
I’m on the side of poor people gettin' organized
I’m on the side of choice where it is in short supply
I’m on the side of those the system doesn’t authorize
L-G-B-T: we are on the side of pride

Justice and equality
Egypt to Wisconsin when they march against the policy
If you bringing down a king, I’m on your side probably
Kids’ll give me shit for this; it really doesn’t bother me

They were not around when we were wrestling with poverty
So I follow none and ask no-one to follow me
Use your own mind; use your heart and your anger
Check yourself because apathy is a cancer
And let your action be the answer

[Coda]
(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Ask your government

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Ask your media

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)
Ask yourself

(Which side are you on?)
(Which side are you on?)

[Outro (sample of Pete Seeger)]
Don’t scab for the bosses
Don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance
Unless we organize

Don’t scab for the bosses
Don’t listen to their lies
Us poor folks haven’t got a chance
Unless we organize