Church - De La Soul

Peace — this is Spike Lee

A.k.a.

Shelton Jackson Lee

A.k.a.

loving husband and father

of Tonya and Satchel and Jackson

I’m here with De La Soul

A.k.a.

De La, a.k.a. The Plugs

We’re about to get in this song, «Church»

A.k.a.

«It's Reality»!

Aiyyo, wake up!

Wipe the sleep from ya eyecracks

It’s time to focus y’all, fix ya I-MAX

In other words, listen to the brother’s words

Ingest these anecdotes with HOPE

and ya ass, may learn how to COPE

It’s not always good just to get by Who’s coverin’ya stakes when ya bet high?

You’re cha-sin', cars, clothes and rocks

Identify with the goods you got

Make sure it’s V-S-One, not

and perfect, leavin’you one clear

I really don’t care to see ya tattoos there

I’d rather see you graduate the school year

Black folk, go put a book in ya face

But first give the hook a taste

Bring the preacher in!

Heal!

Heal, y’all!

We comin’healin'!

It’s real!

It’s real!

It’s realer than real, realer than real

Heal!

Heal, y’all!

We comin’healin'!

It’s real!

It’s real!

It’s realer than real, realer than real

It’s a sick world that we live in, let some tell it Some put it in books, some yell it You need to make your own choice, be your own voice

Set ya soap-box up, let your talk fight

Pull ya socks up, get ya walk right

Or the chalk might outline ya one day

You oughta try steppin’outside you one day

You circle round yourself like you the answer

To the question of your inner son

But keep ya falsehoods to a minimum (minimum *echoes*)

We all need a little church

A life update, keyword — update

If they don’t serve change, don’t bite the bait

Instead’a givin’you a share, servin’you a dish

I lead you to the water, show you how to fish

Ain’t nothin’wrong makin’that bread wid’it

But don’t let the bread get to ya head, geddit?

Admit it, when you can’t stand alone

I wanna stand up, give all the pretend up And get a full blast of my demands of the rhyme runner said the man’s come

There’s something in our words that reveal (reveal *echoes*)

Sho 'nough real!

Heal y’all!

We come to heal!

So let it heal you!

It’s real!

It’s real!

It’s realer than real, realer than real

Heal y’all!

We gonna heal it!

So let it heal!

It’s real!

So real!

It’s realer than real, for real, for real

The early bird gets the worm in this rotten apple

But explore deep and you will the find the seed

Plant more ether, get your mind free

We roll passsionate, put your lights last in it You’re holdin fear too close, unfasten it!

And like old age invades youth

Invade falseness with truth

Replace rebelling with rebirth

Face new dwelling, that’s your turf

Lean back and put your feet up on the sofa

Relax!

(Relax! *echoes*) learn how to punch back

And do your work to the max

The payoff’s much sweeter than the payback

Even the haysack needle wouldn’t play that

So let’s pray at, church (church *echoes*)

Heal!

Heal, y’all!

We comin’healin'!

It’s real!

It’s real!

It’s realer than real, realer than real

Heal y’all!

We comin’healin'!

So let it heal!

It’s real!

It’s real!

It’s realer than real, realer than real

— (Repeat until beat fades)

Realityyyyyyy!

Realityyyyyyy-eeeeeeeeeee-reeeeaaall!