Thieves In Thie Night Lyrics - Blackstar

[Talib Kweli] 

Yo Dee (What?) 

Come on (Yeah..) 

What? What? Come on 

(Yeah) 

"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 comin later than usual 

Waitin' on someone to pity us 

While we findin beauty in the hideous 

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

YouknowhatImean, 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 recitin 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, bustin 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 

[M.D.] Not strong 

[T.K.] Only aggressive 

[M.D.] Not free 

[T.K.] We only licensed 

[M.D.] Not compassioniate, only polite 

[T.K.] Now who the nicest? 

[M.D.] Not good but well behaved 

[T.K.] Chasin after death 

so we can call ourselves brave? 

[M.D.] Still livin like mental slaves 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[Mos Def] 

Yo, I'm sure that everbody out listenin agree 

That everything you see ain't really how it be 

A lot of jokers out runnin in place, chasin the style 

Be a lot goin on beneath the empty smile 

Most cats in my area be lovin the hysteria 

Synthesized surface conceals the interior 

America, land of opportunity, mirages and camoflauges 

More than usually -- speakin loudly, sayin nothin 

You confusin me, you losin me 

Your game is twisted, want me enlisted -- in your usary 

Foolishly, most men join the ranks cluelessly 

Buffoonishly accept the deception, believe the perception 

Reflection rarely seen across the surface of the lookin glass 

Walkin the street, wonderin who they be lookin past 

Lookin 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 slaveship 

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

Screamin brand new, when they just sanitized the old shit 

Suppose it's, just another clever Jedi mind trick 

That they been runnin across stars through all the time with 

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

We either niggaz 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 niggaz secondary 

That type of illin that be fillin up the cemetary 

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 excitin 

Cause the captors.. own the masters.. to what we writin 

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 ca-me-ra survey 

most of the things that we think, do, or say 

We chasin after death just to call ourselves brave 

But everyday, next man meet with the grave 

I give a damn if any fan recall my legacy 

I'm tryin to live life in the sight of God's memory 

Like that y'all 

[Mos Def] 

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

Can't just accept the appearance 

Have to get the true essence 

[Talib Kweli] 

They ain't lookin around 

[M.D.] Not strong 

[T.K.] Only aggressive 

[M.D.] Not free 

[T.K.] We only licensed 

[M.D.] Not compassioniate, only polite 

[T.K.] Now who the nicest? 

[M.D.] Not good but well behaved 

[T.K.] Chasin after death 

so we can call ourselves brave? 

[M.D.] Still livin like mental slaves 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[both] Hidin like thieves in the night from life 

Illusions of oasis makin you look twice 

[Mos Def (singing)] 

Stop hidin, stop hidin, stop hidin yo' face 

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

* repeat 2X* 

(Ad libs to fade)