Thieves In The Night Lyrics - Mos Def & Talib Kweli Are Black Star - Blackstar

"Give me the fortune, keep the fame," said my man Louis 

I agreed, know what he mean because we live the truest lie 

I asked him why we follow the law of the bluest eye 

He looked at me, he thought about it, was like, "I'm clueless, why?" 

The question was rhetorical, the answer is horrible 

Our morals are out of place and got our lives full of sorrow 

And so tomorrow coming later than usual 

Waiting on someone to pity us while we finding beauty in the hideous 

They say money's the root of all evil but I can't tell 

You know what I mean, pesos, francs, yens, cowrie shells, dollar bills 

Or is it the mindstate that's ill? 

Creating crime rates to fill the new prisons they build 

Over money and religion there's more blood to spill 

The wounds of slaves in cotton fields that never heal, what's the deal? 

A lot of cats who buy records are straight broke 

But my language universal they be reciting my quotes 

While R&B singers hit bad notes, we rock the boat of thought 

That my man Louis' statements just provoked 

Caught up, in conversations of our personal worth 

Brought up, through endangered species status on the planet Earth 

Survival tactics means, busting gats to prove you hard 

Your firearms are too short to box with God 

Without faith, all of that is illusionary 

Raise my son, no vindication of manhood necessary 

Not strong (Only aggressive) 

Not free (We only licensed) 

Not compassionate, only polite (Now who the nicest?) 

Not good but well behaved 

(Chasing after death, so we can call ourselves brave?) 

Still living like mental slaves 

Hiding like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis making you look twice 

Hiding like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis making you look twice 

Yo, I'm sure that everybody out listening agree 

That everything you see ain't really how it be 

A lot of jokers out running in place, chasing the style 

Be a lot going on beneath the empty smile 

Most cats in my area be loving the hysteria 

Synthesized surface conceals the interior 

America, land of opportunity, mirages and camouflages 

More than usually, speaking loudly 

Saying nothing, you confusing me, you losing me 

Your game is twisted, want me enlisted in your usury 

Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly 

Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception 

Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the looking glass 

Walking the street, wondering who they be looking past 

Looking gassed with them imported designer shades on 

Stars shine bright, but the light rarely stays on 

Same song, just remixed, different arrangement 

Put you on a yacht but they won't call it a slave ship 

Strangeness, you don't control this, you barely hold this 

Screaming "brand new", when they just sanitized the old shit 

Suppose it's, just another clever Jedi mind trick 

That they been running across stars through all the time with 

I find it's distressing, there's never no in-between 

We either niggas or Kings, we either bitches or Queens 

The deadly ritual seems immersed in the perverse 

Full of short attention spans, short tempers, and short skirts 

Long barrel automatics released in short bursts 

The length of black life is treated with short worth 

Get yours first, them other niggas secondary 

That type of illing that be filling up the cemetery 

This life is temporary but the soul is eternal 

Separate the real from the lie, let me learn you 

Not strong, only aggressive cause the power ain't directed 

That's why we are subjected to the will of the oppressive 

Not free, we only licensed, not live, we just exciting 

Cause the captors own the masters to what we writing 

Not compassionate, only polite, we well trained 

Our sincerity's rehearsed in stage, it's just a game 

Not good, but well behaved cause the camera survey 

Most of the things that we think, do or say 

We chasing after death just to call ourselves brave 

But everyday, next man meet with the grave/Great 

I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy 

I'm trying to live life in the sight of God's memory like that y'all 

A lot of people don't understand the true criteria of things 

Can't just accept the appearance, have to get the true essence 

(They ain't looking around) 

Not strong (Only aggressive) 

Not free (We only licensed) 

Not compassionate, only polite (Now who the nicest?) 

Not good but well behaved 

(Chasing after death, so we can call ourselves brave?) 

Still living like mental slaves 

Hiding like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis making you look twice 

Hiding like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis making you look twice 

Stop hiding, stop hiding, stop hiding yo' face 

Stop hiding, stop hiding, cause ain't no hiding place