Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
KRS-One
Vocals
Grand Funk Railroad
Sampled Artist
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Lawrence Parker
Songwriter
Rodney Lemay
Songwriter
Alan Lomax
Songwriter
B. Chandler
Songwriter
Eric Burdon
Songwriter
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
KRS-One
Mixing Engineer
Showbiz
Producer
Eddie Sancho
Engineer
Adam Kudzin
Engineer
Luc Allen
Assistant Engineer
Norty Cotto
Engineer
Lyrics
[Chorus]
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast (Yes indeed)
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast (Yes indeed)
[Verse 1]
Stand clear, Don man a-talk
You can't stand where I stand
You can't walk where I walk
Watch out, we run New York
Police man come, we bust him out the park
I know this for a fact, you don't like how I act
You claim I'm selling crack, but you be doing that
I'd rather say, See ya," 'cause I would never be ya
Be a officer? You wicked overseer
Ya hotshot, want to get props and be a savior
First show a little respect, change your behavior
Change your attitude, change your plan
There could never really be justice on stolen land
Are you really for peace and equality?
Or when my car is hooked up
You know you wanna follow me
Your laws are minimal
'Cause you won't even think about looking at the real criminal
This has got to cease
'Cause we be getting hyped to the sound of da police
[Chorus]
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
[Verse 2]
Now here's a likkle truth, open up your eye
While you're checking out the boom-bap
Check the exercise
Take the word "Overseer," like a sample
Repeat it very quickly in a crew, for example
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Overseer
Officer, officer, officer, officer
Yeah, officer from overseer
You need a little clarity? Check the similarity
The overseer rode around the plantation
The officer is off patrollin' all the nation
The overseer could stop you, what you're doin'?
The officer will pull you over just when he's pursuin'
The overseer had the right to get ill
And if you fought back, the overseer had the right to kill
The officer has the right to arrest
And if you fight back, they put a hole in your chest
Woop, they both ride horses
After four hundred years, I've got no choices
The police, them have a likkle gun
So when I'm on the streets, I walk around with a bigger one,woop-woop
I hear it all day
Just so they can run the light and be upon their way
[Bridge]
Yes indeed
Yes indeed
Yes indeed
Yes indeed
[Chorus]
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
[Verse 3]
Check out the message in a rough style-e
The real criminals are the C-O-P
You check for undercover and the one P.D.
But just a mere black man, them want check me
Them check out me car, for it shine like the sun
But them jealous or them vexed, 'cause them can't afford one
Black people still slaves up till today
But the black police officer nyah see it that way
Him want a salary, him want it
So he put on a badge and kill people for it
My grandfather had to deal with the cops
My great-grandfather dealt with the cops
My great-grandfather had to deal with the cops
And then my great, great, great, great
When it's gonna stop?
[Chorus]
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da police
Woop-woop! That's the sound of da beast
Written by: Alan Lomax, Bryan James Chandler, Eric Burdon, Lawrence Parker, Rodney Lemay