Music Video

Common - They Say (Feat. Kanye West and John Legend) (NIGHTMARE MODE)
Watch Common - They Say (Feat. Kanye West and John Legend) (NIGHTMARE MODE) on YouTube

Featured In

Credits

PERFORMING ARTISTS
Common
Common
Vocals
Kanye West
Kanye West
Background Vocals
John Legend
John Legend
Background Vocals
Ahmad Jamal
Ahmad Jamal
Sampled Artist
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Kanye West
Kanye West
Songwriter
Lonnie Lynn
Lonnie Lynn
Songwriter
John Roger Stephens
John Roger Stephens
Songwriter
Thomas Bell
Thomas Bell
Songwriter
Linda Creed
Linda Creed
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
Kanye West
Kanye West
Producer
Taylor Dow
Taylor Dow
Assistant Recording Engineer
Manny Marroquin
Manny Marroquin
Mixing Engineer
Jared Robbins
Jared Robbins
Assistant Mixing Engineer
Andrew Dawson
Andrew Dawson
Recording Engineer
Common
Common
Executive Producer
Derek Dudley
Derek Dudley
Executive Producer
Ric McRae
Ric McRae
Assistant Recording Engineer
Tom Coyne
Tom Coyne
Mastering Engineer

Lyrics

[Verse 1]
They say, "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts, and if they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say, but they don't know
They say, they say
They don't know
[Verse 2]
They say a **** lost his mind
But in the scheme of things, I never lost a rhyme
The thin line between love and hatred
I'm the black pill in the Matrix, the saturated life
They say life is what you make it
So I wait quick on a spaceship so I can take it
As high as the stakes get when paper get low
I be tellin' Derick, tell Kara get us a show
Little com, I make righteous bitches bet low
The richest man ain't necessarily the **** with dough
They say you ripped, wow, yeah, that's what they say
My **** couldn't tell it was me, like Jamie in Ray
Paintin' a day, with focused crime, broads, and good wine
They say dope is sour so it's homework and hood crimes
I stood mine, for forever and a day, so goodbye
They never could say, tell 'em J
[Verse 3]
They say, "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts, and if they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say, but they don't know
They say, they say
They don't know
[Verse 4]
Ah, the sweet taste of victory
Go 'head and breath it in like antihistamine
I know they sayin', "Damn, Ye snapped with this beat"
Fuck you expect? I've got a history
Groupie love now, gotta be them wheels
Haters back down, gotta be that steel
I know they can't wait till ya outta ya deal
Look how they did D'Angelo, ask him how do it feel
My best friends worry 'bout me
'Cause they know when you famous
And you had made cash, the media aims at us and you be up so high
If you ever fall off, it feel like a plane crash
But God don't ever give me nothin' I can't handle
So please don't ever give me records I can't sample
So I could vacay where it ain't no channels
But it's quite okay for a gangsta to wear sandals
They say because of the fame and stardom
I'm somewhere in between the church and insane asylum
I guess it's messin' with my health then
And this verse so crazy when I finish, I'm just gon check myself in, again
[Verse 5]
They say, "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts, and if they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say, but they don't know
They say, they say
They don't know
[Verse 6]
They say dude think he righteous
I write just to free minds, from Stoney to Rikers
Amongst the lifeless, in a world crazy as Mike is
On my paper, whether its weed or Isis
They say life is a game, so I play hard
Writin' for my life 'cause I'm scared of a day job
They say Sef kept the hood together
I tell the young, we can't play the hood forever
Play my cards right, they say I went too left
They showed me strange love, like I was Mr. F
Played chess in this game of pawns and knights
Now I claim King like Don, or Frank White
They say my life is comparable to Christ
The way I sacrificed, and resurrected twice
They say the crochet pants and the sweater was whack
Seen the corner, now they say that ****'s back, uh
[Verse 7]
They say, "What's happenin'?"
We say the facts, and if they lie
We comin' back for them
They might say, but they don't know
They say, they say
They don't know
Written by: John Roger Stephens, Kanye West, Linda Creed, Lonnie Lynn, Thomas Bell
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