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Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Fatoumata Diawara
Fatoumata Diawara
Vocals
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Vocals
Jeymes Samuel
Jeymes Samuel
Guitar
Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Saxophone
Dave Guy
Dave Guy
Trumpet
Kenneth Barry
Kenneth Barry
Bass Guitar
Andre Harris
Andre Harris
Drums
Jules "Juda" Bartholomew
Jules "Juda" Bartholomew
Keyboards
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Songwriter
Jeymes Samuel
Jeymes Samuel
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Lauryn Hill
Lauryn Hill
Producer
Jeymes Samuel
Jeymes Samuel
Producer
Julian Miller
Julian Miller
Recording Engineer
Eli Heisler
Eli Heisler
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Davide Lasala
Davide Lasala
Recording Engineer
Andrea Fognini
Andrea Fognini
Recording Engineer
Rob Kinelski
Rob Kinelski
Mixing Engineer
Casey Cuayo
Casey Cuayo
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Horace Ward
Horace Ward
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Colin Leonard
Colin Leonard
Mastering Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Woman cry
Give life
Mother Mary and baby the burden she carry all time
Woman cry
When give us life
And she begs He forgives us the sin and the sinners all time, whoa
[Verse 2]
Foreign man took me from land
Banish my name, I survived all the same
Enough commotion
Way across ocean
Through whip and chain I survived all the same
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
[Verse 3]
Tied my neck
Ship it don't wreck
Bind me to tree, I survive, they will see
Whip they crack
Scar me pon my back
Soon we gone see who survive make us free
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
[Verse 4]
Follow follow
People they know they follow
People they know they copy
People all up in my grotto
They see me like a genie, try to keep me in a bottle
Petty petty people keep them incommunicado
They tie you up in strings
They play **** like pizzicato
Lose sight of the picture scripture now they not so steady
Meanwhile I'm like Curtis Mayfield getting people ready
See into the future then cut through like a machete
Or cutlass, all these trappings leave these **** gutless
You can't make moves for justice
You can't make no adjustments
Drowning in corruption Charlie addict to convenience
Now they got you caught up & calling freedom extremists
We're not in agreement, I won't lay down politely
I closed my mouth for years and they still tried to fight me
I sat down on the sidelines and they still tried to bite me
They buried my career and promoted my peers to spite me
But they can't tell me nothing Charlie they don't underwrite me
I've had a lot of money thrown at me, none of that shit excites me
It's just another kind of case to get up in my psyche
To use me as an instrument to further push their puppet show
But I'm not inexperienced and this not my first rodeo
I'm not so shallow Charlie, I call it too precisely
Separate bone from marrow, so much soul that they dislike me
Intuitives, Charlie we be like fugitives
Until the universe responds to show them who the student is
[Verse 5]
Woman cry (Woman cry)
Give life (Gives us life)
Mother Mary and baby the burden she carries all time (Burden she carries)
Woman cry (Woman cry)
Gives us life (Gives us life)
And she begs He forgives us the sin and the sinners all time (Begs He forgives us)
[Verse 6]
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
So them a go make war before we free
Why them a go make war before we free?
Written by: Jeymes Samuel, Lauryn Hill
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