It's life vs. death
Ignorance vs. ego
A book vs. a gun
And our babies just tryna live

There's a war going on outside, no man is safe from
A drug being sold outside, no man is safe from
A gun going off outside, no man is safe from
Can I live? Can I live? Yeah

Love vs. hate outside, no man is safe from
Courthouse with the judge, no man is safe from
Three strikes (You're out), no man is safe from
Can I live? Can I live? Yeah

There's greed and envy, no man is safe from
Pride and jealousy, no man is safe from
Mental slavery, no man is safe from
And I'm wondering
Can I live?

There's a war going on (War)
There's a war going on (War - east and west)
So you better arm yourself (Internal and external)
We got to arm ourselves (I'm gon arm myself)
And they're out to bury me (They want to bury me six feet deep)
And they're out to bury you (They want to bury you)
And they're out to bury me
And they're out to bury you
And all you can do is arm yourself
And all you can do is arm yourself
Look to the sky, say
Can I live?

There are laws and diseases, no man is safe from
Trigger happy polices, no man is safe from
Racism, no man is safe from
Can I live? Can I live? Yeah

There's Republicans, no man is safe from
Democrats, no man is safe from
Government, no man is safe from
Can I live? Can I live? Yeah

There are murders, no man is safe from
Bloody murders, no man is safe from
There are even predators, no man is safe from (No man)
Let me live, let me live

There's a war going on (War)
There's a war going on (War - wars, and rumors of wars)
You better arm yourself (Check yourself)
We got to arm ourselves
And they want to bury me
And they're out to bury me
And they're out to bury you (It's a war going on)
And they're out to bury me (They want to bury me)
And they're out to bury you
And all
And all we can do is arm ourselves
Educate your mind
Educate your mind
Arm yourself
Look to the sky, and say
Well, it's the big 45 versus the high school diploma
Waking to the bitter truth versus living in a coma
The scriptures versus scholars
Morality versus dollars
It's the depths versus the shallows
Insurgents versus soldiers, it's
Minimum wage versus standing on the corner
Selling crack to your cousin vs. the shoes for your daughter
Escape versus depression
Staying clean versus addiction
Alcohol versus your blood equal one nasty hangover, it's
Your daily budget versus living in a dream
Your sacrifice that means your wants vs. your needs
It's giving thanks for what you got and still not care how small it seems versus the grass over the fence that always looks so green
Bling-bling versus diamonds w' bleed
A sweatshop versus designer jeans
Looking out for one another versus looking over shoulders
Remaining a mental slave vs. being free by any means

They want to bury me
And they're out to bury me (They want to bury me six feet deep)
And they're out to bury you (They want to bury you)
And they're out to bury me (They want to bury me)
And they're out to bury you
And all I can do is pray to the
Educate my mind
Cause they want me six feet deep
Think of penitentiaries
And they're out to bury me (They got 3 strike rules)
And they're out to bury you
And they're out to bury me
And they're out to bury you
So all you can do is protect yourself
Educate your mind
Stay prayed up
So all you can do is arm yourself
Look to the sky, say
Can I live?
Yeah
Well, greetings this is Damian Jr. Gong Marley alongside Brother Raheem
And I and I wants to say its one's responsibility to make sure one is properly armed for the Armageddon, you know what I mean?
Educate your mind
Exercise your brain