The Roots - Long Time [tekst, tłumaczenie i interpretacja piosenki]

[Hook]
Oooh
It's been a long time
Since I been back around the way
It's been a long time
Let it spin let spin let it spin
Since I been back around your way
It's been a long time
Long time long time

[Verse 1: Black Thought]
Struck by the luck of the draw
Real life preservation, what I'm hustling for
My name Black Thought, the definition of raw
I was born in South Philly on a cement floor
We had nothing at all, I had to knuckle and brawl
They swore I'd fall or be another brick in the wall
Another life full of love that lost
That's silly, this Philly, y'all really ain't stoppin the bull
With the pen like Willie on top of the hall
Pure soul is what the city most popular for
Hear the tones that will ease you
Smooth as Bunny Sigler's soundtrack
Keepin your head boppin and all
And it's something in the water where I come from
They used to sing it on the corner where I come from
Making somethin outta nothing because everybody fifty cents away
From a quarter where I come from
Yeah the streets ain't timid but I feel at home in it
Gotta see a couple people, I ain't got at in a minute
Yeah, you can take a brother outta South Philly
Can't take it outta him really
I forever represent it

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Peedi Peedi]
Live and direct, I don't need no mic check
Remember mommy told me "Peedi, you ain't write that!"
It started in the bathroom taking a dump
Listening to Ultramagnetic ego tripping you won't
Question my word, I'm the urban version of you chump
Stomped on a different ground, sound second to none
Synthesizers tweet to improvise your feet
I calculated every lyric to arrive on a beat
It's free, come get high on me
Before a nine millimeter shell hit my pelle pelle in the P
And yeah it's somethin in the water where I come from
They used to sing it on the corner where I come from
Making somethin outta nothing because everybody fifty cents away
From a quarter where I come from
It's just a natural reaction for crack to make it happen
Let the pen ink sink into the paper of the pad
Think back when I was younger
Ghetto could have took me under but
Peedi can't mess with North Philly, never had
You don't know about me, you ain't stroll my streets
Look familiar, I feel ya, long time no see

[Hook]

[Verse 3: Black Thought]
Clap something but whatever you clap
Clap to the record spinning while I'm taking you back
To the top paper era, baby dig on that
Picture the pool room where the money getters was at
And street people with the feathers in the cap of their Borsalino
Pulling paper as if it's a small casino
I was a young boy sweeping the floors
And runnin to stores
But all those old heads would talk to me though
About the way to clutch the eagle on a buck and tuck
And if I'm down how to get back up
Just survival kid, and it's a struggle worldwide, I'm positive
Shit the ghetto might as well be the Gaza Strip
You know where all the monsters is
Street walkers, you don't see no consciousness
I'm coming back to where the core of the problem is
We on the job again, y'all know what time it is

[Hook]