Intro sample: When I woke up this morning, I found myself alone I turned to touch her hair and she was gone, she was gone and there beside my pillow were her tears from the night before she said give up your guns and face the law
I robbed a bank in Tampa and I thought I had it made but the hounds picked up my trail within the glades so I ran and I stumbled on this cabin and she came to me to me once more she said give up your guns, she said give up your guns, she said give up your guns....and face the law
CHORUS (Royce): This is a stick up, stick up pistols will lift up, lift up if you don't get up, get up - your hands
CHORUS (Talib Kweli:) Gun to the violence and we get numb to get silent get my gun into firing, I'm never runnin or hidin
Verse 1: Royce da 5'9\" I don't need any bullets runnin' from the guns in front of any one of yall youngns We aint trippin in the winter still killin spring chickens, We aint slippin, we aint sittin you ain't listen this is me with my n---a Kweli get back gettin stacks since 0-3' no strings yo swing wack! spittin crack makin' tracks like a dope fiend oh! me and my team hot! dream team I didn't seen obscene fiends seein that whole backdrop like a green screen stuck before its cream so they stuck him up in Sing Sing I know what you mean dog I been caught between walls I don't kill -I'm the Boss- I just make scream calls I don't aim I don't give a speech in the streets like Im livin in the movie I ain't slept a thing dog getting up my funds while I'm rippin up the slums with they own pistol left cuz they givin up they- guns!
Sampled vocals (Buoys): and now I'm in this cabin where my own true love should be Instead there lies a note she wrote to me and it said: though you can't live by the bullet, but you sure as dead can die My love give up your guns or say goodbye, goodbye and the sheriff now is calling with a shotgun at my door Son---, give up your guns- and face the law----
Verse 2: Talib: hell naw my n---s don't make speeches cuz we ain't no fake preachers or follow no fake teachers soon as the state releases you from the bank you not a citizen, you quickly learn the difference, between rights and privileges, nothin like the lyricist, remember when Sai got shot? yo it was winter he layed on the ice shiverin comfortably numb, he was killed for being hungry and young violently is how the company run they dump in the slum see the flashing lights & the gun at the end of the tunnel no rebuttal to run the blood is the sum of the equation, when you add up the factors the splatters attractive, life don't matter to rappers so we glorify and glamorize talk about or plans to die and learn to always stay inside the motherf---n camera's eye get my good side, murder is so sexy but the hood cried every time one of us would die
Verse 3: Raekwon give up my guns never you crazy? I'm all blazey all 80 fly out put you right out lets try it out save the babies dressed to impress blow a hole in your vest with suitcase money I roll up the stretch high powered 9's masbergs squeeze faster than new V's fresh new bags of bullets or bean got my paper poppin' and plottin' I blow a hole right thru your stocking come out your back and scratch up your locknin we real killas in don dons pop thru the vagabond dons, boulevards where n----s will pull a card wrong songs don't play me lady killas baby guerillas with hate feelings That'll spray up the ceilings The best ninjas in the business Mind yo business statens are vicious Malicious team we live in the kitchens and dis n---s go the f--k home Bring better biscuits, Come to the rally and flas