(feat. Mos Def and Chali 2na)
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uh huh uh huh uh huh
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oh this takes me home,
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it makes me think about sitting outside of my old home when I was younger and singing something like
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[Chorus I (with translation)]
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gabar yaroo subhaano [Young beautiful girl]
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maro shabeelo hirato [wearing tiger-patterned]
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maro qafiifa huwato [light, thin clothing]
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magaa¢æ¢âaaga ii sheeg [Tell me your name]
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magaeygu waa sharaf [she says: My name is Sharaf]
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sharaf haaji weeyan [Sharaf Haaji, it is]
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aqalada hariirta [Those beautiful houses]
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dhina baan ka jooga [I live beside]
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alla ya u sheega [Somebody please tell them]
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tinta u shanleeya [give them a clue]
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nahoy zamzamey [of you, Zamzam]
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sabaah nuurey [who shines like the morning light]
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adoo kin kin iyo [like the scales]
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kaluun badaneey [of a colorful fish]
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adoo hajka jira [while you were gone on Hajj]
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xasuus badaneey [had many memories]
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sahiibtaa asho ashaq baa dilay [Your friend, Aisha died of love]
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ugu dambeyntiina [at long last (I realized)]
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aniyo geeluba [both I and the camels]
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wa u banaanbahnay [need love]
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[Chorus II - x2 (with translation)]
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wanagii orodnee [Remember us fleeing]
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nabad barinee [searching for peace?]
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mareykan waa laga soo waayay [3x] [In America, none was found]
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There are certain things fresh,
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and certain things mesh,
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I got my own sound I dont sound like the rest,
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and even my attire and my choice of dress,
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and not long ago I dona¢æ¢ât spoke English
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my point is police pull me over a lot
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they wonder what kind of rap sheet I got.
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and sometimes I take a young girl out to eat,
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and hold the door open oh your so sweet,
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of course my affectiona¢æ¢âs super illustrated
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and I like to give dona¢æ¢ât reciprocate it
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unless you could give me someone innovated
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well lets cook it up we dont refrigerate it
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but back to the country of the educated
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where people get robbed and they celebrate it,
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[Repeat Chorus II x2]
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[Mos Def:]
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Maraken,
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my country tis of thee
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sweet land for robberies
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dos smokin SUVa¢æ¢âs
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grab me an army green
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fat and frills
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thrills and spills
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eat and sleep
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hump and kill
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shop til you drop
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work til you dead
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get all you can
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then get in the wear
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outta my face
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on your knees
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sleep in the mansion
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shut out the streets
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make that cake
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woop that trick
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lick my swagger
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suck my sick
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get high get low get stcky get rich
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get yo own show get down get quick
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you slow you blow you broke your fix
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terror dome, home swag home
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terror dome, home swag home
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home swag home
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home swag home
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[Chorus II - x2 ("America" repeated)]
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[Chali 2na:]
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There are some things pure while certain things blur
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dilute it with the lie and you believe when it occur
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falsified information got my people in the stir
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we have to be in search of something equal to the cure
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straight out the door, I come to give you more
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lay the law keep it raw, when I speak it from the core
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get underneath your skin like especially with the claw
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conflicted with the rich cuz i kick it with the poor
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I laugh in the face of adversity
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sound clashed with the bass cuz its natural to me
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but if you pay attention to the past you will see
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not long ago you black theya¢æ¢âd hang your ass from a tree
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but certain things things change, while some stay the same
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some are recluse others are lovers of the game
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Ia¢æ¢âm trying to walk the lane, the serahtal mustakeen [arabic for "straight path"]
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instead of doing things that keep you covered in the flame.
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[Chorus II - x2 ("America" repeated)]
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Nanananana that shit was cool in English, but let me get that Somali verse.
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[Chorus I]
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-----------------
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America
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| K'naan |
