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It Ain’t Fair (feat. Bilal) (From The "Detroit" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Audio)
Watch It Ain’t Fair (feat. Bilal) (From The "Detroit" Original Motion Picture Soundtrack/Audio) on YouTube

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Top Songs By The Roots

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
The Roots
The Roots
Performer
Algee Smith
Algee Smith
Additional Vocals
Joseph David-Jones
Joseph David-Jones
Additional Vocals
Leon Thomas
Leon Thomas
Additional Vocals
Ephraim Sykes
Ephraim Sykes
Additional Vocals
Kirk Douglas
Kirk Douglas
Guitar
Mark Kelley
Mark Kelley
Bass Guitar
James Poyser
James Poyser
Keyboards
Michael Leonhart
Michael Leonhart
Trumpet
Billy Austick
Billy Austick
Trumpet
Dave Guy
Dave Guy
Trumpet
Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Saxophone
Mike Buckley
Mike Buckley
Saxophone
Clark Gayton
Clark Gayton
Tuba
Ray Mason
Ray Mason
Trombone
Christiana Liberis
Christiana Liberis
Strings
Josh Henderson
Josh Henderson
Strings
Jarvis Benson
Jarvis Benson
Strings
Kristine Kruta
Kristine Kruta
Strings
Raymond Angry
Raymond Angry
Keyboards
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Ahmir Thompson
Ahmir Thompson
Composer
Tariq Trotter
Tariq Trotter
Composer
Phonte
Phonte
Composer
Raymond Angry
Raymond Angry
Composer
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Ahmir Thompson
Ahmir Thompson
Producer
Tariq Trotter
Tariq Trotter
Producer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Oh, brother, mmm
It's still a mystery, yeah, yeah, yeah
Will you hear my cry?
Won't you hear my plea? Oh
'Cause I'll never know
How it feels
How it feels
Oh, how it feels
To be
To be
Free
[Verse 2]
People swear they woke, but they're walking in their sleep
I pray the Lord their souls to keep
Because wolves disguised as sheep patrol our streets
And we all know, that which you sow you shall reap
Those who do know, you should teach
Through every loophole, we gon' leap until you reach
A common ground and become unbound
Because when your whole town becomes a battleground
Tears raining down
[Verse 3]
Because it ain't fair
It's hard when you're looking for love
And it ain't there
Or trying to read what tomorrow holds
When it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
Racial tension is running high
Under 21 is far too young to die
My salvation's under fire
This marks a rising of the tide
[Verse 4]
Every day I wear a mask like an umpire
Guess a **** gotta laugh to keep from crying
Tonight another friend passed on the young side
It's bad 'cause a good friend's hard to come by
[Verse 5]
Justice is never color blind, never gun shy
For one crime, you may never see the sunshine
We know of one time, giving you the finger
'Round hearing me, fuck you, it's not the number one sign
[Verse 6]
I hear they turning downtown to the front line
It's something like the same place, but it ain't safe
They took it from the human race to a tank chase
The Devil feeding off hate so he can gain weight
[Verse 7]
There's tainted waters in the well, so we can't taste
People dazed and amazed though it ain't grace
Impossible to coexist in the same place
Enter the black saint with the war paint face
[Verse 8]
Yeah, yeah, yeah, ooh, ooh, ooh
This generation, we've forsaken all that's real
What emotions do we feel?
Is your poison called a pistol or a pill?
[Verse 9]
Some people say, let Jesus take the wheel
Others say, thou shall not kill
But that old time religion ain't gon' pay my bills
[Verse 10]
We've come so far, yet here we are
Ruthless God, presumed inferior
We ain't sacred of y'all
[Verse 11]
It ain't fair
It's hard when you're looking for love
And it ain't there
Or try to read what tomorrow holds
When it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
Racial tension is running high
Under 21 is far too young to die
My salvation's under fire
Rising and rising, oh!
[Verse 12]
To my, Afro, Israelis, Native Americans, Mexicans
Invested in wrestling with Willie Lynch's next to kin
The rising of the tide, noose around the necks again
Look how they try to hide proof of all the excellence
[Verse 13]
The only tag you know me as is Holy Swag
Through any glass window we smash, and, bro, we back
It's coming fast, I'm unabashed, so we have
An awareness of the only flag that's growing fast
[Verse 14]
I guess I'm tryna minimize regrets, I identify with death
That don't mean it's not an uninvited guest
I'm just tryna answer all of my requests
And express in a hundred-forty characters or less
[Verse 15]
Why I'm the best educator, re-legislated, premeditated
Dedicated, heavy weight that ever paid it with blood
Not tuition without a cop's permission
I got a pot to piss in despite the opposition
Listen, oh, it ain't fair
[Verse 16]
It's hard when you're looking for love
But it ain't there
Try to read what tomorrow holds
And it ain't clear
Because the well is running dry
And it ain't fair
No, it's ain't there
No, it ain't fair
[Verse 17]
Looking for justice, and it's just us
It ain't fair
There's a riot going on out there
And it ain't fair
When your protector is your predator
It ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
No, it's ain't fair
[Verse 18]
Y'all just gon' turn the other way
No, it ain't fair
Turn a bloody cheek on these bloody streets
It ain't fair
It ain't fair
It ain't fair
No, it ain't fair
[Verse 19]
No, no
No, no
No, no
No
Written by: Ahmir Thompson, Phonte, Raymond Angry, Tariq Trotter

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