Do The Right Thang

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Hip hop nation, this is Spiz-ike Lee

Been sleepin' for too long, wake up

Wake up

Wake up!

I see the sunshine gazing through the window pane (yeah)

Blazin' like indo flame, it's to wake up! Come to yo' senses manye

Snow is all around you, but you don't play in the winter games!

Cartridges surround you, but you ain't playin' Nintendo games!

Load 'em up and fill 'em up, to the top before you ** and aim

Tryna get from the bottom to the top like the stock exchange

Shower, ** and shave and hit the corner for a block exchange

Amazing what my people'll do for some pocket change

But maybe this ain't the life that you chose (chose)

This is the life where you stay strapped and pack a knife or end up with a blooded nose

Street survivor or survivor of the streets! (streets!)

And only the strong survive, there's no survival for the weak! (weak!)

Catch a sneak peak of death if you ain't on ya P's and Q's

They carry banana clips and **'ll peel you for ya shoes

It's the blues, but not on Hill Street, you could call it "kill or be killed" street

"Lost a pint of blood, let it spill" street

Stop and wake up!

Wake up

They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame

And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin'

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

You say the only family that you got is in a gang

And the only way to make it is by sellin **, but I'm sayin'

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

I've been in his ear since we were drinkin' beers

Years we've spent together, used to break up get-togethers

With a fight every night gettin' cheddar, movin white

Our thang, so we had to "Do it Right" like Spike

Holdin 40s, gettin' green on acres, these broads were our mules

That's when we used to serve in front of Com'wealth School

Fuel for cars and jewels, chains and tools

It was organized crime but we remained confused

Mom in the pews, singin', "Lord, protect 'em"

You might not a-gree with our views, but you had to respect 'em

Diamonds in the rough, but were we reflectin'

A system that's abrupt, the streets under pressure

One morning in the mirror, I seen my reflection

A young man with good spirits but needed direction

I guess my man's death was my resurrection

'Cause now I hear him sayin' from heaven, "Wake up!

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!"

They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame

And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin'

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

You say the only family that you got is in a gang

And the only way to make it is by sellin **, but I'm sayin'

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

I woke up this morning and got a call

My partner said he had news about a girl named Baby Doll

She got four baby daddies, four kids by four different men

And she just found out she's pregnant, I said, "No, not again!"

Man, when she gonna learn she don't wanna spend her life in court?

Lookin' for back payments and fightin' for that child supports

Chasin' checks, chasin' her ounce of respect, chasin paper

Chasin' entertainers or rappers and ballplayers

Not carin about a condom, I say, "Help her Lord, please"

'Fore she stuck wit mo' babies or ends up fightin some disease

You know that you a momma, and, mommas, we can't lose ya (no!)

Treat yourself better, you carry seeds to the future (who!)

And the future looks dim if we don't get ourselves together

We gotta sacrifice, some do whatver for the cheddar

So make the right decisions 'til you ready to give birth

And know that you the most precious gift we have on this earth

Babies, stop and wake up

Wake up

They say my folks'll do whatever for the fortune and the fame

And it'll take a fortune to get rid of all the pain, but I'm sayin'

Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain baby, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

You say the only family but it's hard without a man

And the only way to make it get him for his chains but I'm sayin'

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Use your brain homie, do the right thang! (Lemme talk to 'em)

Wake up, wake up

It's a new day! Come on brothers, wake up

Come on sisters, wake up

ATL, wake up, wake up, baby

Chi-Town, wake up wake up

Brooklyn's in the house!

Wake up, Brooklyn!

Ludacris! Common Sense and ME, Spike Lee!

Always do the right thing

I got it, I'm gone