Respiration Lyrics - Mos Def

"What'd you do last night?" 

"We did umm, two whole cars 

It was me, these, and Main Three right? 

And on the first car in small letters it said 

"All you see is" and then you know 

Big, big, you know some block silver letters 

That said "crime in the city' right?" 

"It just took up the whole car?" 

"Yeah yeah, it was a whole car and shit..." 

[Repeat: x3] 

Escuchela, la ciudad respirando 

[Listen to it, the city breathing] 

Escuchela 

[Mos Def] 

The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis 

Shining, like who on top of this? 

People was hustling, arguing and bustling 

Gangsters of Gotham hardcore hustling 

I'm wrestling with words and ideas 

My ears is picky, seeking what will transmit 

The scribes can apply to transcript, yo 

This ain't no time where the usual is suitable 

Tonight alive, let's describe the inscrutable 

The indisputable, we New York the narcotic 

Strength in metal and fiber optics 

Where mercenaries is paid to trade hot stock tips 

For profits, thirsty criminals take pockets 

Hard knuckles on the second hands of working class watches 

Skyscrapers is colossus, the cost of living 

Is preposterous, stay alive, you play or die, no options 

No Batman and Robin, can't tell between 

The cops and the robbers, they both partners, they all heartless 

With no conscience, back streets stay darkened 

Where unbeliever hearts stay hardened 

My eagle talons stay sharpened, like city lights stay throbbing 

You either make a way or stay sobbing, the Shiny Apple 

Is bruised but sweet and if you choose to eat 

You could lose your teeth, many crews retreat 

Nightly news repeat, who got shot down and locked down 

Spotlight to savages, NASDAQ averages 

My narrative, rose to explain this existence 

Amidst the harbor lights which remain in the distance 

So much on my mind that it can't recline 

Blasting holes in the night til she bled sunshine 

Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine 

Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline 

Heard the bass ride out like an ancient mating call 

I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing 

Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening 

Sigh before we die like the last train leaving 

[Talib Kweli] 

Breathing in deep city breaths, sitting on shitty steps 

We stoop to new lows, hell froze the night the city slept 

The beast crept through concrete jungles 

Communicating with one another 

And ghetto birds where waters fall 

From the hydrants to the gutters 

The beast walk the beats, but the beats we be making 

You on the wrong side of the track, looking visibly shaken 

Taken them plungers, plunging to death that's painted by the numbers 

With crime unapplied pressure, cats is playing God 

But having children by a lesser baby mother but fuck it 

We played against each other like puppets, swearing you got pull 

When the only pull you got is the wool over your eyes 

Getting knowledge in jail like a blessing in disguise 

Look in the skies for God, what you see besides the smog 

Is broken dreams flying away on the wings of the obscene 

Thoughts that people put in the air 

Places where you could get murdered over a glare 

But everything is fair 

It's a paradox we call reality 

So keeping it real will make you casualty of abnormal normality 

Killers Born Naturally like, Micky and Mallory 

Not knowing the ways'll get you capped like an NBA salary 

Some cats be emceeing to illustrate what we be seeing 

Hard to be a spiritual being when shit is shakin what you believe in 

For trees to grow in Brooklyn, seeds need to be planted 

I'm asking if y'all feel me AND THE CROWD LEFT ME STRANDED 

My blood pressure boiled and rose, cause New York niggaz 

Actin spoiled at shows, to the winners the spoils go 

I take the L, transfer to the 2, head to the gates 

New York life type trife the Roman Empire state 

[Mos Def] 

So much on my mind I just can't recline 

Blasting holes in the night til she bled sunshine 

Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine 

Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline 

Yo don't the bass ride out like an ancient mating call 

I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathin 

Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening 

Sigh before we die like the last train leaving 

Escuchela, respirando ? 

[Common] 

Yo, on The Amen, Corner I stood looking at my former hood 

Felt the spirit in the wind, knew my friend was gone for good 

Threw dirt on the casket, the hurt, I couldn't mask it 

Mixing down emotions, struggle I hadn't mastered 

I choreograph seven steps to heaven 

And hell, waiting to exhale and make the bread leavened 

Veteran of a cold war It's Chica-I-go for 

What I know or, what's known 

So some days I take the bus home, just to touch home 

From the crib I spend months gone 

Sat by the window with a clutched dome listening to shorties cuss long 

Young girls with weak minds, but they butt strong 

Tried to call, or at least beep the Lord, but didn't have a touch-tone 

It's a dog-eat-dog world, you gotta mush on 

Some of this land I must own 

Outta the city, they want us gone 

Tearing down the 'jects creating plush homes 

My circumstance is between Cabrini and Love Jones 

Surrounded by hate, yet I love home 

Ask my God how he thought traveling the world sound 

Found it hard to imagine he hadn't been past downtown 

It's deep, I heard the city breathe in its sleep 

Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep 

Deep, I heard my man breathe in his sleep 

Of reality I touch, but for me it's hard to keep 

[Mos Def] 

So much on my mind I just can't recline 

Blasting holes in the night til she bled sunshine 

Breathe in, inhale vapors from bright stars that shine 

Breathe out, weed smoke retrace the skyline 

Yo how the bass ride out like an ancient mating call 

I can't take it y'all, I can feel the city breathing 

Chest heaving, against the flesh of the evening 

Kiss the Ide's goodbye, I'm on the last train leaving