"The Message" lyrics - BELA FLECK & THE FLECKTONES

One day I'd like to be rich and famous
Maybe be funny like Andy and Ames
Be on TV and sing like Stevie
And have a girl who'd never leave me

But I'd really like a place
Where there could be no war
A bright and shiny world where there ain't no poor
Where there's opportunity, peace and unity
Where people can be what they want to be

And where Apartheid could never happen again
Where people don't judge you by the color of your skin
Where I hold your hand and you hold mine
Where a helpful hand is never hard to find
A place where people care
Where no one could bear
When someone's hungry, with nothin' there
Where the heart is never cold
The young are never needy,
The old are never poor,
And the rich are never greedy

So bring the power to the people
The people to the power
'Cuz now is the time, this is the hour
To stop thinkin' about war start thinkin' about peace
So on this life, we can get another lease
With a lesson to learn
A new direction to turn
So we can take it to the sky where we belong
'Cuz 'fore to long, we been to wrong
We've got the right notes
But we play the wrong song
Stop thinkin' with your wallet
Think with your mind
So we can move ahead
Instead of behind
We got the people selling drugs
People are dying
Politicians talking and we know they're lyin'
Taxes for the poor, none for the rich
People starvin' here in American
Now ain't that a bummer

And now my heats been turned off
From my job, I've been laid off
What am I gonna do?
Well, is the shape I'm in
Because of my dark skin?
Now I know that can't be true
But since we're all down here
Let's work to make it better
Do our best for what it's worth
But you know the rules are bent
When you have to pay rent
Just to live on earth
Talk about justice

We're gonna do something now
That's gonna be really slick
We're gonna listen to Mr. Fleck and Chick

I'm gonna say one more thing
Then I'll get outta your face
How 'bout a sound
With a little bass

And we got missiles on the ground
Lasers in space
Underground shelters, just in case
That something goes boom
Certain doom
'Cuz in our hearts we didn't make enough room
For the love
It comes from up above
Let's stop talking war
And let's offer the dove

'Cuz when it's done it's over
When it's over, it's done
We look back at the wars
And see nobobdy won
It's time to make a better place
For out daughters and our sons
Or life will be a blast
Pardon the pun