Lift You Right On Up by Glenn Ellis Lyrics
Say a- "Yo" bro, don't you know
That should've played out 20 years ago
Talkin' loud and talkin' fast
Ain't sayin' nothing but a lot of trash
Now it's time to do my thing
See if you can rap along and sing
What you hear is not a test
But it also ain't about no hip-hop mess
'Cause the implication of the situation
Demands serious concentration
Like liberation, our obligation
Like people organizing with a plan
Like Malcom and Marcus holding hand and hand
Like eating good food to keep good health
Like eating no swine to hurt yourself
Like praying to the most high every day
And making sure you mean every word you say
Like caring for your brother and your sister man
By giving all the love and respect you can
You got me on the mic, you get the rap with the fire
You got me on the mic and I've got to take you higher
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Communication is a very big key
With positive direction a necessity
What cha' talkin' bout' should do more than rhyme
What cha' talkin' bout' should help the people climb
Like Frederick Douglas with the serious pen
We can't be playing the role of comedian
Like Web DuBois we cannot hesitate
A focus of our plan, should be to educate
Like Martin Luther King, who had a dream
We've got to keep movin' while we sing
Since it seems that I have rapped so long
Well let me see if y'all can sing my song
Say Africa, are the words
Say Africa, if you've heard
Say Africa, home of the black and proud
Say Africa, home of the sun child
Say Africa, with the red, black and green
Say Africa, do you know what I mean?
Like Patrice Lumumba who was from the land
And Kwame Nkrumah had to take a stand
Like involving ourselves with technology
While looking out for the ecology
Like Daniel Hale Williams with the heart
And George Washington Carver played his part
Like Benjamin Banneker with the clock
And Charles R. Drew as a "What's up Doc?"
Like Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown
We got be rappin' bout' what's goin' down
Like understanding their legislature
'Cause their laws don't always confirm with nature
Like making sure we've got our vote
'Cause the strength of the people, we've got to promote
Like making sure we can all read and write
'Cause the info in some books is dynamite
You got me on the mic, I hope you hear my story
My words are loud and self-explanatory
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Rapping fast brothers ought to cut it out
If all they're gonna do is run off with their mouth
If you're gonna talk fast with a rapper's gums
Make sure you ain't talkin' 'bout nothing dumb
You hear the little brothers also talkin' swift
So while you're rapping, watch out what cha' rap them with
You misdirected energy
Forget the hip-hop, remember harmony
You got me on the mic, you got me with the deal
Remember I told you you've to to be for real
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Did ya ever check out TV
Where the brothers never win?
They're either movin' very slow or Oreo
But never progressin'
Well if you know like I know
You won't allow these things in your mind
The man's goal is to control your very soul
If you give him time
So my lovely people, we've got to strive in every way
Things are getting too rough, we've all had enough
We've got to see a better day
Now I'm almost through expressing
What we all need to hear
So may yours be peace and love, blessings from the one above
With the gift to see things clear
You got me on the mic and I hope I have shown
There is a proper way to use a microphone
You got me on the mic and my story's complete
If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Say Africa, are the words
Say Africa, if you've heard
Say Africa, home of the black and proud
Say Africa, home of the sun child
Say Africa, with the red, black and green
Say Africa, do you know what I mean?
(Africa!)
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
That should've played out 20 years ago
Talkin' loud and talkin' fast
Ain't sayin' nothing but a lot of trash
Now it's time to do my thing
See if you can rap along and sing
What you hear is not a test
But it also ain't about no hip-hop mess
'Cause the implication of the situation
Demands serious concentration
Like liberation, our obligation
Like people organizing with a plan
Like Malcom and Marcus holding hand and hand
Like eating good food to keep good health
Like eating no swine to hurt yourself
Like praying to the most high every day
And making sure you mean every word you say
Like caring for your brother and your sister man
By giving all the love and respect you can
You got me on the mic, you get the rap with the fire
You got me on the mic and I've got to take you higher
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Communication is a very big key
With positive direction a necessity
What cha' talkin' bout' should do more than rhyme
What cha' talkin' bout' should help the people climb
Like Frederick Douglas with the serious pen
We can't be playing the role of comedian
Like Web DuBois we cannot hesitate
A focus of our plan, should be to educate
Like Martin Luther King, who had a dream
We've got to keep movin' while we sing
Since it seems that I have rapped so long
Well let me see if y'all can sing my song
Say Africa, are the words
Say Africa, if you've heard
Say Africa, home of the black and proud
Say Africa, home of the sun child
Say Africa, with the red, black and green
Say Africa, do you know what I mean?
Like Patrice Lumumba who was from the land
And Kwame Nkrumah had to take a stand
Like involving ourselves with technology
While looking out for the ecology
Like Daniel Hale Williams with the heart
And George Washington Carver played his part
Like Benjamin Banneker with the clock
And Charles R. Drew as a "What's up Doc?"
Like Stokely Carmichael and H. Rap Brown
We got be rappin' bout' what's goin' down
Like understanding their legislature
'Cause their laws don't always confirm with nature
Like making sure we've got our vote
'Cause the strength of the people, we've got to promote
Like making sure we can all read and write
'Cause the info in some books is dynamite
You got me on the mic, I hope you hear my story
My words are loud and self-explanatory
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Rapping fast brothers ought to cut it out
If all they're gonna do is run off with their mouth
If you're gonna talk fast with a rapper's gums
Make sure you ain't talkin' 'bout nothing dumb
You hear the little brothers also talkin' swift
So while you're rapping, watch out what cha' rap them with
You misdirected energy
Forget the hip-hop, remember harmony
You got me on the mic, you got me with the deal
Remember I told you you've to to be for real
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Did ya ever check out TV
Where the brothers never win?
They're either movin' very slow or Oreo
But never progressin'
Well if you know like I know
You won't allow these things in your mind
The man's goal is to control your very soul
If you give him time
So my lovely people, we've got to strive in every way
Things are getting too rough, we've all had enough
We've got to see a better day
Now I'm almost through expressing
What we all need to hear
So may yours be peace and love, blessings from the one above
With the gift to see things clear
You got me on the mic and I hope I have shown
There is a proper way to use a microphone
You got me on the mic and my story's complete
If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
(If you can't beat 'em then give 'em the beat)
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Say Africa, are the words
Say Africa, if you've heard
Say Africa, home of the black and proud
Say Africa, home of the sun child
Say Africa, with the red, black and green
Say Africa, do you know what I mean?
(Africa!)
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up
Gonna lift you right on up