Akala – Absolute Power Lyrics
Lyrics
Hook X2
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
- But absolute powerlessness does the same,
- Its not the poverty,
- Its the inequality that we live with everyday that will turn us insane.
Akala
- In a scheme of livin' my life wasn't hard,
- But as far as britain goes shit I practically starved,
- Sleeping in a track suit, gas meter runnin' out,
- Electric cut off as well, candles lightin' up the house,
- Lookin' in my momma's eyes I see how she feels,
- The strain and the pain of just paying bills,
- It ain't real, and thats how I grew like so many more,
- And it is part of who I am,
- I am very sure,
- You wanna know the rage I feel in my stomach,
- Knowing my mum and dad split up when I was still in her stomach,
- And not everything that happened I will put in sixteens,
- But I will tell you enough so you will know what I mean,
- My boy's mother got cancer the same time as mine,
- His mother died, and mine survived,
- The shit was fucked back then,
- When I was like ten already had the mental strength,
- More than many grown men.
Hook X2
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
- But absolute powerlessness does the same,
- Its not the poverty,
- Its the inequality that we live with everyday that will turn us insane.
Verse 2
- This was a couple months after my step-dad left,
- Did he really know the crazy mess that he left?
- Cos mum done' recovered from the lumps in her neck,
- Being poor and alone just couldn't cope with the stress,
- And I earn my big sis for,
- So much soul that night hattan left school,
- When she left home,
- I was thirteen by now,
- Still a little kid, innocent,
- Next couple years though would turn him 'to a militant,
- That is the result of no food in the fridge,
- And every other day being searched by the pigs,
- Fuck these patronizing teachers,
- Don't want my grades 'slip, trynna' emasculate me,
- -yeah turn me 'to a bitch,
- And I dont mean a woman please lemme be clear,
- I mean a spineless man 'cos what do they fear,
- Than a working class black male with a brain,
- When our energy is harnessed, every changed,
- Look at 'Pac look at Marley look at Hendrix look at Garvey,
- This is the potential that is wasted on a daily basis,
- In this racist,
- Classist world that we live in,
- Still we comin' from nothing but we educate millions.
Hook X2
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
- But absolute powerlessness does the same,
- Its not the poverty,
- Its the inequality that we live with everyday that will turn us insane.
Verse 3
- I understand why it scares you,
- Its like how dare you,
- Overcome obstacles that we have been careful to,
- Place in your way every step of the way,
- In this so called democracy where kids get sprayed,
- Blacks and the Asians, Turks and the chavs,
- Crowded in council houses, living like ants,
- And who's more confused than the poor white trash,
- Spouting the bullshit about they want their country back,
- It never was yours, you should read more,
- What they did to brown people they did to their own poor,
- Peoples memories short, so much that im seeing,
- Black and asian kids cussing eastern Europeans,
- No pot to piss in, makes competition,
- I fail to see how this is an effective system,
- Cats and dogs in america and Britain,
- Eat better food then most of humanity,
- We spend our technology only on killin',
- How is this more than sophisticated savagery,
- Its like its said, the world is a stage,
- Each person's just an actor with a part to play,
- Like the middle class kids, -kids of the rich,
- Have everything but yet still they pissed,
- On coke and khetamine, strung out on heroin,
- I ain't generalizing, look at the evidence.
Hook X2
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
- But absolute powerlessness does the same,
- Its not the poverty,
- Its the inequality that we live with everyday that will turn us insane.
Verse 4
- Go to Glastonbury any year,
- You will see, unlike carnival,
- It won't be crawling with police,
- This is London, the kids on the very next street,
- Had a very different life experience than me,
- In my experience they can't help but be smug,
- After a lifetime of what they think's just good luck,
- Their still more anxious,
- And more frank cos',
- Unearned privilege weigh's like an anchor,
- That's why they copy what we do, trynna' be what they not,
- They will grow up though and get better jobs,
- They will maintain the system they hated,
- But they can't burn it down they got a stake in this matrix,
- Hip-hop is just a fad to them, you didn't know?
- But to us, this our living breathing soul,
- And yeah they might backpack in south america,
- Or even volunteer in an African village,
- But all said and done, push comes to shove,
- Shit hits the fan we're middle class and British,
- That's just how it is, most rich black people are just as full of shit,
- So more concerned with they' cars and jewels,
- Most of the worlds poor looks just like you,
- So more concerned with they' cars and jewels,
- Most of the worlds poor looks just like you.
Hook X2
- Absolute power corrupts absolutely,
- But absolute powerlessness does the same,
- Its not the poverty,
- Its the inequality that we live with everyday that will turn us insane.