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Minimal eating.”“These people worked here in the dust and pollution, whereas I was wondering if I should leave this country and lead a good comfortable life in the U.S.? For some seniors, virus is shifting their views of Trump“The priest is a follower and the prophet is a rebel and revolutionary,” Mr. Yet he has inspired social workers and activists of all ilks in India. What he calls his “inner evolution” continued as he taught at Kolkata’s St. “I was very critical of Christian missionaries. Agnivesh recalls, that he decided to become a monk.Yet he also made a name for himself in Haryana’s politics, and was even jailed – along with much of the opposition – by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi during the two-year “Emergency” in the 1970s, remembered for its civil liberties abuses. He adopted the caste-agnostic title Manav, which literally means “human.”“When a person rises from religion towards spirituality, he situates himself in a bigger striving,” says Mr. Bonded labor has been outlawed for decades, but the practice persists in industries like brick kilns, quarries, and carpet factories. Agnivesh has led efforts to defuse tension after Hindu-Muslim clashes, and denounce leadership he considers responsible for failing to halt attacks – including that of current Prime Minister Narendra Modi.But tolerance within a faith, his advocacy underscores, is just as important as tolerance between them. And in India too, the largest minority group, Muslims, was being demonized by a rising Hindu right.Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam, the activists called their meeting – the ancient Sanskrit adage meaning “the world is one family.”The group was convened by Swami Agnivesh, a Hindu monk clothed head-to-toe in saffron, who is also a renowned social activist. You are bringing shame on Hinduism.”Eventually, he shares the concern that bites him the most. “That’s what attracted me to this path – the prophet and the revolutionary character.”Over the years, Mr. For decades, he has led campaigns to change practices within Hindu culture that he sees as unequal toward women or Dalits, the people lowest in the caste hierarchy, such as his effort to secure the entry of so-called untouchables into Hindu temples. “The priest is a follower and the prophet is a rebel and revolutionary.”Much of his work has involved fighting modern-day slavery in India. Many victims are children, and lower-caste Hindus, whose families are trapped by debt. Gurugram, India
This past November, in a small hamlet in the Indian state of Haryana, several dozen activists from around the country gathered to discuss how to achieve world peace.The state of affairs was looking grim, with populist movements fanning out across democracies. Through BMM, Mr. But he soon quit and threw himself full time into freeing bonded workers, founding the BMM in 1981.Much of his activism has focused on tolerance, at a time when there is fear both inside and outside India that religious freedom is diminishing sharply, particularly for Muslims. Commission on International Religious Freedom designated India a country “of particular concern,” noting “government action … Agnivesh has been many things: an anti-corruption activist, a prisoner, and a politician. “I asked myself what my mission was and realized I had none. The monk does not own property and has little money in the bank. In May, the U.S. Also born into an upper-caste family, Mr. This vision was given to me by Swamiji.”Frequently, the monk has come under attack from a resurgent right-wing Hindu nationalist movement, opposed to his criticisms of what he considers “dogmatic” practices – and his visible work on Hindu-Muslim solidarity, at a time when many gurus seem to endorse the ruling party’s “Hindutva” ideology. Manohar Manav, a local activist from the state of Bihar, spent 10 years as the swami’s pupil. What next?As much as Mr. created a culture of impunity for nationwide campaigns of harassment and violence against religious minorities.” For years, Mr. Agnivesh, who works for religious tolerance, pauses during an event for activists. Soumya Shankar
Mr. In decades since, he has also made a name for himself as a politician and activist, whose spirituality and social work are deeply intertwined. “The real seekers were the prophets, not priests,” Mr. Loading… Manav, who is now director of the BMM. He’s negotiated with Maoist rebels, campaigned against sex-selective abortion, and headed the World Council of Arya Samaj, a Hindu reformist movement. There is no air conditioning for the sweltering hot months, no heat or hot water for the cold months that sweep through northern India. “So I decided, even though I am not a missionary, I must have a mission.”He decided to become a Hindu monk. I’d accuse them of trying to convert our poor tribal people and try to instigate a Christian state here,” he says. Agnivesh tells me, perched on a hard, rustic cot in a room empty apart from the bare essentials – the cot, some towels, a few identical saffron robes, a chair, and a table strewn with books. He has also become known – and sometimes come under attack – for his campaigns for interfaith tolerance, at a time when many fear it is on the decline in India. The assailants accused him of being sympathetic to Christian missionaries and proselytizing to local tribes.But fear is not a factor for the monk, he says. “I am a threat because I am showing them a mirror,” he says. At 80, the swami (meaning one who has control over the “self”) is a truly eclectic figure – clothed and steeped in tradition, yet defiant of it in many ways.“The real seekers were the prophets, not priests,” Mr. “I am telling them that the religion or gods of Hinduism that you are talking about is not this; you are perverting and corrupting it. “I asked myself what my mission was and realized I had none,” he recalls. It “was all very universal, very transformative,” he recalls. Agnivesh’s career is multifaceted, his lifestyle is simple. Agnivesh says, perched on a hard, rustic cot in a room empty apart from the bare essentials – the cot, some towels, a few identical saffron robes, a chair, and a table strewn with books. But tolerance within a faith, his advocacy underscores, is just as important as tolerance between them. Three times, he has served as chair of the United Nations Voluntary Trust Fund on Contemporary Forms of Slavery.A personal journeyThe monk’s spiritual life feeds his political and social rebellion – each one a long process of transformation.Born Vepa Shyam Rao into an upper-caste Brahmin family from southern India, Mr. But he’s best known for his work for interfaith tolerance, and his organization Bandhua Mukti Morcha (BMM), or the Bonded Labour Liberation Front.Nearly 8 million people are thought to live in modern slavery in India today, according to the Global Slavery Index. Agnivesh continues. While attending college in Kolkata, he discovered the Arya Samaj movement, which emphasizes the ancient Vedas, the oldest scriptures in Hinduism, over later traditions. Agnivesh grew up following traditional Hindu rituals. Agnivesh says. This Hindu monk and social activist says his work, such as campaigns against bonded labor and intolerance, have been inspired by his own transformation.
Soumya Shankar
A woman speaks during a grassroots meeting called “The World Is One Family,” as Swami Agnivesh, in an orange turban, listens. Xavier’s College, where he worked alongside Jesuits. Agnivesh and fellow activists say they have released more than 200,000 workers and helped to rehabilitate them. How one monk’s “inner evolution” fuels social justice work
Why We Wrote This
When people are willing to take risks to help others, what motivates them? Afterward, he was elected to the state legislature and became minister for education. )
By Soumya Shankar
Contributor
As a young teacher in Kolkata, Swami Agnivesh was critical of his Jesuit coworkers.Yet his views shifted, as he came to appreciate their simple way of life. Manav says he was compelled to drop his last name – a signifier of one’s caste – after hearing the swami speak. Yet his views shifted as he got a glimpse of their simple way of life: “A small bed. No!” Mr. “Then there is no Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Buddhist, or Christian. So I decided, even though I am not a missionary, I must have a mission.” This was the moment, Mr. May 21, 2020
Two ways to read the story
Quick Read
Deep Read ( 5 Min. In 2018, as he was working with marginalized communities in the eastern state of Jharkhand, groups affiliated with the ruling party protested against him, and a mob assaulted him, hitting him until he fell into a lump on the ground.
Opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of these organizations. I am not completely sure about that,” he says. So, should he have designated a successor? “Sometimes, I feel, who will take my work forward? No one has.”This article was produced with the support of the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, the John Templeton Foundation and Templeton Religion Trust. “No, I have seen that no prophet’s children have truly taken their work forward.
It’s free. Material from Al Jazeera was used in this report.Editor’s note: As a public service, the Monitor has removed the paywall for all our coronavirus coverage. This story was reported by The Associated Press.
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Nkurunziza’s chosen successor in the ruling CNDD-FDD, Evariste Ndayishimiye. He arrived at the polling station on a bicycle surrounded by his guards, he wore a track suit of his club Aleluya FC with a brown cow boy hat with the Burundian flag. Preliminary results are expected by May 25. Citizens and journalists said access to social media was not possible without a virtual private network. to come to vote,” said one, Suzane Bucumi.Ruling party supporters disagreed.”During the civil war [from 1993 to 2005 that killed about 300,000 people] I lost my parents and we were not spending nights in our homes. Burundi has been criticized for not appearing to take the coronavirus pandemic seriously. He also stressed that politics was meant to serve the greater benefit of the populace. Burundi holds high-stakes presidential election amid virus
The East African country held a crucial presidential election despite the pandemic. Ndayishimiye, a retired general, would be a front for Mr. Many Burundians were surprised that President Pierre Nkurunziza decided to step aside before 2025, when his presidential term would end. Loading… Nkurunziza is unpredictable and the election could be a mere formality.”We are not going to have a credible election,” said Stephanie Wolters, an analyst with the South African Institute of International Affairs. Rwasa condemned the social media cuts, saying it could be a way of committing election fraud. For some seniors, virus is shifting their views of Trump”The government is cutting social media so that we don’t tell the world what is happening,” voter Jean Pierre Bazikamwe said.Mr. “If we are satisfied we will say it, but if we are not we will also say it,” he said.One electoral commission official, Zirabura Ferdinand, dismissed concerns: “As you can see, everything is in order and we expect everything to move along freely and fairly.”But demonstrations marked the vote in 2015, when Mr. May 21, 2020
By Eloge Willy Kaneza and Ignatius Ssuuna
Associated Press
Nairobi, Kenya
A crucial election appeared peaceful on Wednesday in the East African nation of Burundi, where President Pierre Nkurunziza is stepping aside after a divisive 15-year rule but will remain “paramount leader” in the country that often rejects outside scrutiny.The vote is one of the most important transfers of power in Burundi since independence in 1962. He called for respecting the people’s will. Rwasa of making “incendiary and defamatory” remarks and inciting revolt.Mr. “They saw that God is with us.”Regional observers were not present after being told that arriving foreigners would face a 14-day quarantine. “You cannot refuse the decision of Burundians who voted because you also are included in them,” he said.Analysts have said Mr. After casting his ballot, Nkurunziza praised Burundians for the peaceful conduct of the process which he reiterated had been fully funded with local finances. Critics and rights groups have warned that Mr. President Pierre Nkurunziza, surprisingly, decided to step aside after a divisive 15-year rule, but says his will remain a "paramount leader" in the country. The country has 42 confirmed virus cases but testing has been limited.”We are not afraid because the organizers did not require us to distance 1 meter,” voter Ndayishimiye Innocent said. The U.N. That is why I woke up at 4:00 a.m. Nkurunziza himself attended crowded political rallies. Burundians stood in long lines outside polling stations, which opened shortly after six am, most centers had hand washing points for people arriving to vote and election officials had some protective equipments in some instances. Nkurunziza praised the election because “no foreigner came to trouble them as it happened in the past.”Ahead of the vote, government agents were accused of harassing the main opposition party, the CNL, whose leader Agathon Rwasa, the deputy parliament speaker, was believed to be in a close race with Mr. Nkurunziza would step aside after a referendum in 2018 extended the length of a presidential term to seven years.Africa News reported:
The polls will usher in the post-Pierre Nkurunziza era. But voters also cast ballots for lawmakers and local level representatives. More than 5 million people were registered to vote in the country of nearly 12 million.Many Burundians were surprised that Mr. Berthier Mugiraneza/AP
Ruling party presidential candidate Evariste Ndayishimiye casts his vote in the presidential election in Burundi on May 20, 2020. Nkurunziza decided to run for a third term that some called unconstitutional.On Wednesday the president said people would not oppose the results this time “because in the past they did it due to ignorance” and asserted that “they won’t commit the same mistake.”The deadly turmoil after the 2015 vote badly damaged global relations, and Burundi became the first country to leave the International Criminal Court after it started investigating abuses. I must vote for Evriste Ndayishimiye because it is the CNDD-FDD who ended the war,” said voter Marie Nduwimana.”We thank the CNDD-FDD because these recent 15 years we have security,” said Melance Hakizimana, who added that “in a family there must be a heir to organize the affairs.” Ndayishimiye called on all candidates to accept the results. human rights office reported more than 300 extrajudicial killings and was kicked out of the country. “If Ndayishimiye is elected, he will have to invite political opposition, civil society back into the country and also participate in the national dialogue with the opposition.”Some voters reflected the skepticism and uncertainty.”I know my vote won’t be counted but I have to make a change. Burundi’s government has denied it targets its people.Last week, the World Health Organization’s top official in Burundi was kicked out amid concerns about the pandemic response.If none of the seven candidates receives more than 50% of the vote, a runoff election will occur within weeks. Nkurunziza and other powerful ruling party members.Mr. Mr. Police accused Mr. Some observers worry that disputed results could lead to the kind of violence that marked the previous vote in 2015.Few face masks were seen, even on the ruling party’s candidate, in crowded lines of voters though some paused to wash their hands. Internet connectivity for social media and messaging apps were blocked early Wednesday morning.
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Let’s get on with it.’”“I’ve had my bad days, but boy, I’ve had a wonderfully good life, my goodness.”Ideas of national sacrificeThe coronavirus pandemic has laid bare some of society’s urgent weaknesses, from inequality to lax health and labor protections to environmental degradation, and many are hoping it forces change around the world when it’s done.It’s far too soon to know how deep or lasting any shifts will be. Within days his family knew it was polio, the worst public health threat in American communities of the postwar era.While his father helped him largely regain use of his legs, there was no more basketball, baseball, track, or helping his folks on the farm.He grappled with worthlessness throughout his childhood, he says. Why We Wrote This
The coronavirus pandemic is just the latest in a long line of global crises. He says that a lot of the goodwill today around sacrifice could erode as people weigh the financial and social costs of shutdowns.“I think that we have to be very careful in assuming that what comes out of this is a unifying thing,” he says.Yet Mr. Past crises brought change. Those who lived through the uncertainty of World War II feel it intimately.Odile Diconne was a child in the occupied zone of France during the war. Now that many are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – they are finding their limits tested.Heads of state like French President Emmanuel Macron have likened the current situation to previous war eras. “When I had polio, I was the most miserable, ornery, unhappy-feeling kid you could ever imagine. What will this pandemic bring? Steve Apps/Courtesy of Jerold W. Widespread social welfare policies were created after World War II. Now that many in the world are undergoing the biggest crisis of their lifetimes – a pandemic with unknown health and economic consequences – their limits are being tested like Mr. We would try to grow what was lacking in our garden, but it was a difficult period.”
Damian Dovarganes/AP
Cartons of eggs are for sale at a Trader Joe’s grocery store in Los Angeles on May 14, 2020. “Solidarity was a really important element of the occupation,” he says.Within the first month of lockdown in the United Kingdom, more than 750,000 volunteers had signed up to community groups to take care of Britain’s more vulnerable people. Since the COVID-19 outbreak, egg demand has increased. Ms. And in doing so, they have invoked ideas of national sacrifice.French President Emmanuel Macron told the country that it was “at war” with the coronavirus ahead of France’s first lockdown period on March 17. “We had ration stamps to buy food, but it was very limited.”Like many of those who have lived through wars, depressions, or other public health threats, the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic, says Raymond Charlès, who also lived through World War II as a child. In Canada, a group of “caremongers” has sprung out to help those in need.But there are limits to the parallels, argues Mark Humphries, a historian at Wilfrid Laurier University in Ontario who wrote “The Last Plague: Spanish Influenza and the Politics of Public Health in Canada.”“It’s very easy for politicians to say, ‘We’re in a war, this is about national sacrifice,’ and then use that to try and allude to previous conflicts and make the argument that we need to do what people did in the past. He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today’s generation learn to live with less.“During the war, before buying something we’d ask ourselves, ‘Do I really need this?’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation, who always have everything they want right away.”“Things are going to change,” says Mr. And yet, in some ways she finds today’s lockdowns more psychologically challenging.“It’s harder now to not be able to go out, speak to the neighbors,” says Ms. And as those earlier events have shown, there is hope for a better world tomorrow – and it starts with each individual. Diconne. No paywall.Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts, personal and structural. Widespread social welfare policies were created after World War II. Wieviorka, the historian, “but it won’t be a big bang or a major change from one day to the next.”What comes out of this?The current lockdown has created a sense of solidarity among communities that is reminiscent of wartime when neighbors would help tend each other’s farms or share food, says Richard Berrong, who has produced three documentaries on World War II and is a French professor at Kent State University in Ohio. He says he believes the forced shutdowns could help today’s generation learn to live with less.“During the war, before buying something we’d ask ourselves, ‘Do I really need this?’ I think this will be a good experience for this generation.”
Toronto and Paris
Jerry Apps was pulling his sled home from his one-room country school in rural Wisconsin on a January afternoon in 1947 when he started to feel ill. And in an April 13 address, he said that even though it was difficult to stay confined and deal with shortages while being on the “front lines” of the virus, the country had “mobilized” and a “production schedule, just like in times of war, [had] been put in place.”Queen Elizabeth, in an address to the British people in April, invoked the spirit of World War II when she told the nation, “We will meet again,” a reference to a British song from the war. She says that the era was one of constant scarcity. But many individuals are recalibrating goals, values, and their own understanding of freedom.That has been shepherded by heads of state, who have likened the current situation to previous war eras. And my dad, he never said, ‘Get over it.’ He just said, ‘Tomorrow’s going to be a better day. “We had ration stamps to buy food, but it was very limited. Diconne and her family would black out their windows with paper and escape to the basement as shelling pounded down nearby. Historians say transformations are often oversimplified and romanticized in collective memory. But at the urging of a teacher, he joined a typewriting class. May 21, 2020
Two ways to read the story
Quick Read
Deep Read ( 5 Min. And those who lived through the uncertainty of the era feel it intimately.Odile Diconne was a child in Remigny in the Burgundy region in the occupied zone of France during World War II. “During the war, schools and churches remained open. Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic. Apps’s once were. For some seniors, virus is shifting their views of Trump“For a lot of people it’s a very tough stretch right now, and they need to find a little optimism,” Mr. We are all in this together.”
Total darkness obscured the streets of her neighborhood every evening, as families shuttered themselves inside for the German army-imposed curfew. … A sign reads: “A great way to show kindness to our neighbors is to limit yourself to 2 units of any item. Politicians around the globe have asked their citizens to shelter at home, with a loss of freedom over movement and labor – something unthinkable just two months ago. Apps says that the individual growth that comes at any period of change should be used to refocus thinking on those things in society that need to change, like a lack of safety nets for many workers. Apps says. We were relatively free.”Like many of those who have lived through wars, depressions, or other public health threats, the crises shaped values systems that they rely on during this pandemic, says Raymond Charlès, who was born in 1933 in Brittany, France, and also lived through World War II as a child. Public health systems were established after the 1918 flu pandemic. Loading… )
By Sara Miller Llana
Staff writer
Colette Davidson
Correspondent
Crises have been the catalyst for major shifts, personal and structural. He believes without polio he wouldn’t have gotten to college – or had a career as a historian and author.Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. “Better days will return.”Olivier Wieviorka, a French historian who specializes in the study of World War II, says there are parallels between then and now, in shortages, restrictions, and sacrifice. Apps
Jerry Apps was one of the tens of thousands of Americans who contracted polio in the 1950s. He was the only boy and says he excelled because his fingers were strong from milking cows. But while the disease hampered his use of his legs, it ended up leading him to his career as a historian and author. She says that, with her father locked up as a prisoner of war, the era was one of constant scarcity. But these things get very muddy and murky very quickly.” In Canada, for example, in both world wars, conscription became a divisive issue that roiled the nation.He says that during World War I there was a longing for the war to be “a cleansing fire which would burn away all the old problems.” That idealism faded quickly as political divisions resurfaced. Another teacher, recognizing his suffering on the sidelines of the sports he loved, urged him to broadcast the games instead. Next year is going to be a better year.
“That’s not the right question. This is our opportunity to be something better than we were.”Editor’s note: As a public service, all our coronavirus coverage is free. No paywall. “I firmly believe that this is that rare opportunity once again to think carefully about where we want to be and not spend all of our time thinking about how we can be exactly like we were,” he says.
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(Verse 1)
Early morning
Feet are freezing
‘Cos you stole my covers again
But I don’t mind
It’s alright
‘Cos I get to kiss you awake
But it’s just a memory
Growing hazy
Like a photo starting to fade
(Pre-Chorus)
Oohh oohh
I’m a fool but it’s true
(Chorus)
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up
(Verse 2)
You wore my t-shirt
To the kitchen
With the cutest smile on you face
Made the coffee
A little sweeter
But now it tastes all bitter again
‘Cos it’s just a memory
Growing hazy
Like photo starting to fade
Well I should have got the t shirt back
I didn’t think that it would be the last time I’d see you
(Pre-Chorus)
Oohh oohh
I’m a fool but it’s true
(Chorus)
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up
(Verse 3)
‘Cos I don’t get to watch you
Put your make up on
I don’t get to tell you
Your hair looks better down
And I don’t get to share your train ride into town
‘Cos you stopped coming round
(Bridge) x4
Skin on skin
We didn’t finish what we started
Heart to heart
I’m missing your love
(Chorus)
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up without you, without you, without you
I’m tired of always waking up without you, without you
I’m tired of always waking up without you
I’m tired of always waking up
Te vas amor
Si así lo quieres qué le voy a hacer
Tu vanidad no te deja entender
Que en la pobreza se sabe querer
Quiero llorar
Y me destroza que pienses así
Y más que ahora me quedé sin ti
Me duele lo que tú vas a sufrir
Pero recuerda
Nadie es perfecto y tú lo verás
Tal vez mil cosas mejores tendrás
Pero un cariño sincero jamás
Vete olvidando
De esto que hoy dejas y que cambiarás
Por la aventura que tú ya verás
Será tu cárcel y nunca saldrás
Quiero llorar
Y me destroza que pienses así
Y más que ahora me quedé sin ti
Me duele lo que tú vas a sufrir
Pero recuerda
Nadie es perfecto y tú lo verás
Tal vez mil cosas mejores tendrás
Pero un cariño sincero jamás
Vete olvidando
De esto que hoy dejas y que cambiarás
Por la aventura que tú ya verás
Será tu cárcel y nunca saldrás
And all this has been just the beginning
Let’s go
And all this has been just the beginning
Take him back? Didn’t even say goodbye,
He never liked to see me cry,
Afraid my tears might change his mind,
He’s just my kind! Mine was an ordinary man,
Not the type you’d notice passin’ by. Why he left me I don’t know,
I loved him more than I could show;
I’ve always had him on my mind,
He’s just my kind! When he came along my life began,
And I’ll love him till the day I die. I’d even meet him on the way. Take him back? Though he’s not worth it I don’t mind,
He’s just my kind, just my kind! Well I should say! I’d even meet him on the way. Well I should say! Though he’s not worth it I don’t mind,
He’s just my kind!
The world wakes up this morning, I’m sorry for the news
Wrapped up in a tinfoil blanket without any shoes
Babies in cages
I’m sorry to my children, I’m sorry what they see
I’m sorry for the world that they’ll inherit from me
Babies in cages
And are we so divided that we can’t at least agree
This ain’t the country that our granddads fought for us to be? Babies in cages
Surf’s up in the cities where the next wars will be fought
I’m sorry we’ve forgotten every word that we’ve been taught
Babies in cages
I bang my head against it, smash guitars, and scream and shout
Standing on the beach watching the tide go out
Babies in cages
And standing in the darkness to answer for our sins
Children changing each other’s diapers in a pen
Babies in cages
Look down from the heavens as we calculate the cost
Our souls cry out for the better angels we have lost
Look down from the heavens as we calculate the cost
Our souls cry out for the better angels we have lost
[Verse 1]
From the time I open my eyes
Lord, yeah, I’m in fight of my life
A simple soul that was once cast out
Now is living large in luxury’s lap
[Chorus]
The first prayer comes to my lips
Oh Lord, don’t you let me slip
Into temptation’s arms
I’m a son of a prodigal son, I say
Son of a prodigal son
[Verse 2]
Inherited prayers and forewarned trials
At an early age I walked through the cleansing fires
I tried to drown the voice of doubt
But stayed captured by a spirit I can’t live without
[Chorus]
The first prayer comes to my lips
Oh Lord, don’t you let me slip
Into temptation’s arms
I’m a son of a prodigal son, I say
Son of a prodigal son
[Verse 3]
Favor smiles on us one by one
So be prepared when your good fortune comes
Desire has whispered on the wind
Caused many loss of your family and friends
[Chorus]
The first prayer comes to my lips
Oh Lord, don’t you let me slip
Into temptation’s arms
I’m a son of a prodigal son, I say
Son of a prodigal son
First prayer comes to my lips
Oh Lord, don’t you let me slip
Into temptation’s arms
I’m a son of a prodigal son, I say
A son of a prodigal son
[Interlude]
Hey
[Outro]
When I was young, my family helped a man
Hitchhiking his way across Beulah land
He was a prayer warrior, a prayer warrior
Prayer warrior and a medicine man
(I don’t know)
Not a good leader, more like a tyrant
Put my power to use (To use)
Put your brain to use (To use)
Put your mouth to use (To use, bitch)
Put your knowledge to use (To use)
Broke boys (Yeah), they need some allowance
I don’t need no alliance (Yeah)
Coupe on finance
You’re over reliant
Might jerk the suppliant
Invest in appliance (Woah)
We apply pressure (Ooh)
Rev it like a go kart (Skrr)
Porsche or the Rover (Yeah)
Thugs never called back
We up, never looked back
Dropped out of uni’
Best solution for me
They say I need Jesus
I’m far from religious
Blessing from ancestors
That’s why them man stay stressed (Ooh)
[Chorus]
Zeds in the pouch, of course
Rev the foreign like we on a course
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr, skrr)
Zeds in the pouch, of course (Ooh)
Rev the foreign like we on a course (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out (Skrr)
[Verse 2]
Yeah, hoods and shanks
In my hood niggas don’t save in banks
Shoebox ting, get the box no ring
If a fiend bells, gotta go link him (Hello)
Link in parks and exchange for the rocks
See feds pass then I gotta kick rocks
I would’ve have a job if I could put drip on my résumé
Slip, nah, that’s never me
Getting paid every way
[Verse 3]
Trappin’, fashion, bagged it (Bagged it)
She wrapped it, plastic, grab it (Grab it)
Becky a savage (She got it)
Becky wan’ ride dick, grab it, slap it (Slap it, slap it)
Turn up on the dance floor (Woo, woo)
A couple bruddas came up from the cunch floor
Now shake your ass more (Shit)
With that ass, you might get what you ask for (Ooh)
[Chorus]
Zeds in the pouch, of course
Rev the foreign like we on a course
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr, skrr)
Zeds in the pouch, of course (Ooh)
Rev the foreign like we on a course (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out (Skrr)
[Verse 4]
Gettin’ to the money but I need more (More)
My diamonds drippin’, you could prolly find Nemo (Yeah)
Spend it ’cause I know I’ll make it back again (Skrr)
Claim you’re with me but you used to doubt me back then (Suwoo)
Loudpack came and it smells (Yeah)
Always had it gone without a fail (Yeah)
Made a lot of money off my cell
But this cell could put me in a cell
[Verse 5]
I’m the one, I’m the realest
Ride for my niggas
Ice give you chills
In your eyes, I’m the illest (Ice, ice)
Squad is tight and we fitted
Get on stage and we kill it
Now I wanna bill it
Shawty, don’t be wicked (Don’t be wicked)
Let me take you Nicky
Out in the ditch and we lit on the weekend (On the weekend)
Look at them haters
Smile in your face for your back dem ah pretend (Pretend, dem ah pretend)
[Chorus]
Zeds in the pouch, of course
Rev the foreign like we on a course
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr, skrr)
Zeds in the pouch, of course (Ooh)
Rev the foreign like we on a course (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out (Skrr) [Intro]
4Play 4Play
Check, yeah
[Chorus]
Zeds in the pouch, of course (Of course)
Rev the foreign like we on a course (Skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr, skrr)
Zeds in the pouch, of course (Ooh)
Rev the foreign like we on a course (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out Porsche (Skrr, skrr)
Off-white in a blacked out (Skrr)
[Verse 1]
Porsche, Panamera (Hmm)
Hues, attire (Yeah)
Zeds in my pouch but a nigga don’t smoke
Somethin’ in the pouch, if them man want smoke (Yeah)
What would life be like if I was broke?
[Intro: Mak Sauce]
DJ Chose
Yeah (Do it)
Yeah (Do it)
(Do it)
[Chorus: Mak Sauce]
Face down, don’t look at nothing
The ass fat, lil’ baby, bust it
She even bustin’ it in public
I bust that p*ssy like a bubble
Twenty band, twenty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Fifty band, fifty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Hunnid band, hunnid band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Anyway she gone (Do it, do it, do it)
[Verse 1: Mak Sauce]
Poppin a pill, poppin a purp, gon’ ‘head (Do it)
Sipping the mud, fill your cup, gon’ ‘head (Do it)
I wanna bust nut on your butt, are you gon’ let me? (Do it)
Run ’round with a drink, don’t give no f*cks, I’m ready to shoot it
Got lil’ baby on the molly, got that bitch booty
p*ssy Nicki, talkin’, told you, know you ain’t gon’ (Do it)
I bought them records in the club, told that bitch (Do it)
Just like Nike, I got a check, I’m ready to (Do it)
[Chorus: Mak Sauce]
Face down, don’t look at nothing (Do it)
The ass fat, lil’ baby, bust it, yeah, yeah
She even busting it in public (Do it)
I bust that p*ssy like a bubble
Twenty band, twenty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Fifty band, fifty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Hunnid band, hunnid band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Anyway she gone (Do it, do it, do it)
[Verse 2: DaBaby]
Let’s go
I’m smoking runts, nigga (Do it)
This shit four hundred as if this a hundred-fifty dollar blunt, nigga (Do it)
This ain’t what you want, nigga (Do it)
You know I get your bitch to come to my dick whenever I want, nigga (Do it)
This shit on my hip on the stage in the club, I don’t go the trump, nigga (Do it)
Why y’all go to the net acting like a dawg when you know you a punk, nigga (Do it)
You know she got that ass fat like the clumps, nigga (Do it)
Told my nigga to pass, slam dunk, nigga
[Chorus: Mak Sauce]
Face down, don’t look at nothing (Do it)
The ass fat, lil’ baby, bust it, yeah, yeah
She even busting it in public, yeah (Do it)
I bust that p*ssy like a bubble
Twenty band, twenty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Fifty band, fifty band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Hunnid band, hunnid band, Michael, yeah (Do it)
Anyway she gone (Do it, do it, do it, hey)
(From me)
Come and show me, what it’s gonna be
I might need somebody, cause I’m being naughty
Ooh
I’m gonna need another
One ‘fore I leave this party
Ooh
It’s written all over your face
I got the sauce
You want a taste? I got this city
’bout to blow
You see
You see this ain’t no joke
So tell the DJ
Drop the bass
Mmmh, it’s so good
(So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good
(So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good
(So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good
All them other boys
They make a lot of noise
Kawasaki toys
Never let ’em know
So come and slide it up
You down to ride or what? I got this city
’bout to blow
You see
You see this ain’t no joke
So tell the DJ
Drop the bass
Mmmh, it’s so good (So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good (So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good (So tell the DJ, drop the bass)
Mmmh, it’s so good What they’ gonna say
When they can’t get none of me
‘Cause I’m on a plane
With a bag in Germany
Come on, come on
You know I keep it one hundred
I’m a Bonnie and Clyde
Don’t try to find me
Outfit on just like I got it painted
Take a picture, it can make you famous
(it will)
Touchin’ on tha’ milli’ on tha’ low
Sauce it up and watch it hit the floor
I might need somebody, cause I’m being naughty
Ooh
I’m gonna need another
One ‘fore I leave this party
Ooh
It’s written all over your face
I got the sauce
You want a taste? You talk a lot of stuff
Let’s get the party thrown
Don’t try me
Cause I get it poppin’
Can’t buy me
My pockets so rocky
So what you want from me?
[Outro]
‘Cause I don’t want your money, baby
I just want your love
It must be some other girl
That you are thinking of
No, I don’t want a penny, babe
I promise that it’s true
Why would I want your money when
I’ve been making so much more than you? [Verse 1]
I appreciate the effort
But it will take much more than that to get me in your bedroom
‘Cause I love just how much you adore me
But your ego’s so big it gets boring
I see you riding in the rain
Showing off to people that don’t even know your name
Did that work on the girls just before me? Boy, I know that there’s more to your story
[Pre-Chorus]
But it’s getting long of hiding all
So, baby, if I spell it out
Would you settle down, oh
[Chorus]
‘Cause I don’t want your money, baby
I just want your love
It must be some other girl
That you are thinking of
‘Cause I don’t want a penny, babe
I promise that it’s true
Why would I want your money when
I’ve been making so much more than you? [Verse 2]
You don’t need to take me shopping
Buy it on my own, yeah, if I like it then I’m copping
And if you find that intimidating
Baby, boy, it’s the wrong girl you’re dating
‘Cause I’d still like you all the same
I need nothing more than us just kissing in the rain
‘Cause I’m not like the girls from before me
Boy, you know that there’s more to my story
[Pre-Chorus]
But it’s getting long of hiding all
So, baby, if I spell it out
Would you settle down, oh
[Chorus]
‘Cause I don’t want your money, baby
I just want your love
It must be some other girl
That you are thinking of
‘Cause I don’t want a penny, babe
I promise that it’s true
Why would I want your money when
I’ve been making so much more than you?
What I hated all the way back in the cypher when
Goin’ indie I will always look like them [?] growin’ up poor
Gave me what I need to open up these doors
I ain’t even paused to reflect on the advantages I get
Yeah, the privilege that I can afford
All I know is tread carefully
Shut the f*ck up, tread carefully
Intentions get misplaced
But you gotta keep pace
[Hook: Urthboy]
No good reversing away
Been going to long to stop now
Thought I was against the grain
Startin’ to see what I got now
No good reversing away
Been going to long to stop now
Thought I was against the grain
Startin’ to see what I got now
No good reversing away
[Post-Hook: Urthboy]
No good reversing away
No good reversing away [Verse 1: Urthboy]
Smoke wafts up to the light globe
Punched through a tight cone
Ragtag bunch enter my home
MiniDisc from the pocket of my coat
Plug it in the mixer, [?] flow
We independant as f*ck [?] stuck
Maybe we can make our own luck
Cause all these majors suck (that’s wassup!)
We came in here to kill that noise
Stay asleep while we fill that void
One and one, two and two till we feel employed
Make a sum of our dreams like Sigmund Freud
At that point the industry were enemies
No idea, [?] destiny
E—T is the entity
And none of this happened accidentally
[Pre-Hook: Urthboy]
And even if they block the exit
And lock the gates
And everything around is hectic
And all of us make mistakes
Try to throw off direction
Barriers in our way
I got far too much invested
You gotta keep pace
[Hook: Urthboy]
No good reversing away
Been going to long to stop now
Thought I was against the grain
Startin’ to see what I got now
No good reversing away
No good reversing away
[Verse 2: Urthboy]
We formed a band that we called The Herd
Unaware Peter Frampton had got it first
From upon comin’ together to put in work
If we could subvert well [?] first
And we were lucky enough people listened
By the time the second album dropped we saw the mission
Fingers up against the powers that control the system
How did the math conquer with the long division
And who care about drugs when you seein’ that addiction to power
Vinyard so beautiful, grapes so sour
Had our first run in with shock-jock coward
Pissin’ off rednecks, couldn’t be prouder
But the rich old white man still got the country on lock
In many ways nothing has changed
Finally the king died, only for the new guy
To end up being more of the same
[Pre-Hook: Urthboy]
And even if they block the exit
And lock the gates
And everything around is hectic
And all of us make mistakes
Try to throw off direction
Barriers in our way
I got far too much invested
You gotta keep pace
[Hook: Urthboy]
No good reversing away
Been going to long to stop now
Thought I was against the grain
Startin’ to see what I got now
No good reversing away
No good reversing away
[Verse 3: Urthboy]
See Elefant Traks been goin’ for a while now
Ain’t lookin’ like anything will die down
And I’m part of this industry right now
And until I put the mic down
I’ll be able to cite them
Will I be another one of these white men
At the top, no idea about entitlement?
[Verse 1]
Here she comes
Here she comes
She’s okay
She’s okay
I can tell
That she’s okay
And just as she walks by
[Verse 2]
Be alright
Be alright
Set her up
Just like some church
Set her up
Just like some church
Aw, don’t ask me how
[Verse 3]
Here she comes
Feels like heaven
There she goes
Such a problem
Here she comes
There she goes
Uh, uh, uh, uh, uh! Uh
Cloud
One-Four-Nine
Bye bye, One-Four-Nine!
Frozen on the floor, all you hear is rain
When you hear me talking, you’ll remember my name
And I got nothing polite to say
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t stay connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
I’m trading in my mind
I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry
Big boss rolls your name
(Can’t get connected)
This time, I’ll try to get it
(Can’t get connected)
I’ll try to get it right
(Can’t stay connected)
(Can’t get connected)
Or breaking my deadlines
I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry, [?]
This time, I’ll try to get it
(Can’t get connected)
I’ll try to get it
(Can’t get connected)
I’ll try to get it right
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t stay connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(I’m breaking my deadlines)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected) “We were supposed to-“
Yeah, I recall
I’m sorry, babe, I just got the call
It turns my stomach to disappoint you
I know the trouble that you must go to
It’s from a place you can barely imagine
Far from the crowd and the ambulances
At my best, I have almost been there
Let me pretend that I know the way there
Here are words
But they all
Taste like shit
And none of them make sense
And none of them sit, sit still
I don’t even know if it’ll be a single
I got no idea how it’ll play on vinyl
I, I keep on working and I don’t mind
But if I see you tonight, I might break down crying
Let me pretend that I’m in it deep
Let the right note hit me when I’m gettin’ to sleep
(Oh, that’s good, that’s- that’s so good, that’s great)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t get connected)
(Can’t stay connected)
(Can’t get connected)
I’m trading in my mind
Or breaking my deadlines
(Can’t get connected)
This time, I’ll try to get it right
(Can’t get connected)
It’s from a place that you can’t imagine
Saw it in silence but the silence vanished
You lose your face in someone else’s mouth
Big boss tells you what it’s all about
Cast it to the floor
Open up your eyes
Everything up to here has been a hollow lie
I can’t believe I’m starting over again
Wind up your fist and punch me in again
Elements are rising, switch on the heat
Is there anywhere else, anyone left to meet?
[Verse I]
Ethereal forest
Feel the ground moving under my bare feet
Unbroken in the silence
As the sun beats down
And the light seems to settle in my soul
Through the doors of my mind
[Pre-Chorus I]
Here in my dreams, safe in the hour of the storm
A wood sanctuary, away from the breaking of the dawn
[Chorus]
Still the wheel turns ’round
I’m drawn ever to the light
As I move through the gaps of time
I’ll take your hand
And we’ll find a way through the dream
Until we touch the spirits of the trees
[Verse II]
The sounds of the sky
Echo down to play amongst the leaves
An open chord twist of wonder
And my voice breaks loose
Soaring sighs are the substance of my soul
And the forest eternal
[Pre-Chorus II]
Please let me stay inside this world of golden [air?]
Don’t cast me away, reality’s too much to bear
[Bridge I]
Take me to the woods
Where I am safe from the fear of my own mind
[?], see them as I
Lay them down, sigh and resolve my thoughts
[Bridge II]
White face, eyes wide – she’s here, alive
Tormenting me with her poison
Overwhelming [response?] haunts me
Take me back to the [ghost of spring?]
[Pre-Chorus III]
Jolted awake into a world of broken dreams
Please take me back to the [?]
I don’t know who you think you are
But I know we don’t give a f*ck about you
I don’t know what happened
Thought that you and I were good
Why’s it always gotta come to this, yeah
Heart shattered
I was chasing after
Everything I thought we could be
How’d I let you put me through it like this
[Verse 2: Aha Gazelle]
It’s just some things
That I shouldn’t have to say
You act like it’s the same
But it’s really night and day
I’m the only one that got away
And they mad now
Not afraid to get up in they face
And I won’t back down (Cool)
Writing hits I’m Boosie bad now
You thought that you was it
But really you a class clown
Had to learn the hard way
That the crystal ball say
That we probably won’t remain cool
[Chorus: Mogli the Iceburg]
I can’t tell
If you’re down to ride
And it’s more than I can take
Lay in my arms
When it’s late at night
And all my worries melt away
Your heart is hurt
From the one before me
And you say you still need time
I know you scared to open up again
But I wanna make you mine I don’t know what happened
Thought that you and I were good
Why’s it always gotta come to this, yeah
Heart shattered
I was chasing after
Everything I thought we could be
How’d I let you put me through it like this
[Verse 1: Mogli the Iceburg]
And I tried
But you keep pushing me away
You come back
And I don’t know what to say
I wish that you would make your mind up
Someday now
I’m about to cut these ties
With your right now
But the way you’re looking at me
Gives me a feeling
That‘ve wanted all my life
I can’t believe the way you trap me
Just let me be before I say
Something dumb tonight
[Chorus: Mogli the Iceburg]
I can’t tell
If you’re down to ride
And it’s more than I can take
Lay in my arms
When it’s late at night
And all my worries melt away
Your heart is hurt
From the one before me
And you say you still need time
I know you scared to open up again
But I wanna make you mine
[Post-Chorus: Mogli the Iceburg]
Whats the matter? [Chorus: Mogli the Iceburg]
I can’t tell
If you’re down to ride
And it’s more than I can take
Lay in my arms
When it’s late at night
And all my worries melt away
[Post-Chorus: Mogli the Iceburg]
Whats the matter?
[Intro]
[Verse 1]
Taking me back into the [?]
Seven the clock, we on the north side
Tear drops from my red eyes
You watch me go
And the greatness of me has arrived
So don’t be surprised when i die
Don’t be surprised
[Verse 2]
Well you [?] since you never felt
Make a lighter come by to you
Make the guns wanna kill for you
Make a nigga wanna cry for you
With Seven Sails in my head, they expand all across the land, the true meaning of modern man
Anticipation
[Verse 3]
I’m fallin’ back
On the memory foam, i need a cloud to deliver me home, somewhere where the heart beats
Alleyways where they’re holding a speech
I’m wondering if the gods reach
Into the heart of the city
My boots stomp blocks and i got my niggas with me
And they take no lives, they take no lives, they take no lives, lives
[Interlude]
My call
That avenue
What
[?]
[Hook]
So much time, wasted
Waiting
For the sun, the man, to tell me how it is
So much time, wasted
Waiting
Anticipating
So much time, wasted
Waiting
For the sun, the man, to tell me how it is
So much time, wasted
Waiting
Anticipating
[Outro]
