Bootleg Versions

* originally avail. on the vocab 12"

Intro: lauryn hill

Yo, this is the fugees
Refugees
About to take you on a journey
Into the dimensions of the booka basement
The basement, word
Uhh

Hey yo, one two three! the crew is called re-fu-ge-ee-es
An if yu come fa tes the rap stylee
Stop the violence and just bring it on, willld

Verse one: lauryn hill

Hey yo i, feel kind of melancholy people think they really know me
I keep a wrap about me while i'm driving daddy's audi
I pay the toll fighting for my own soul
Cause the bourgeoise type of mental sucks like a flat comb
But i be baitin the rebel base to bass distort the eq
The devil's wishin they could send me back to mogadishu
Cause i've been wild since i was a juvenile
Afro-centric profile, back when righteous rap was your style
Now kids are whylin so i ask the bad black
Boogie bandit, what's the damage, gimme the estimate then
Pray tell me when's the revolution will begin?
I turn on my tv i check out farrakhan on cnn see
I'm like the phantom that's flying like the bird do
And things you never heard plus i come from the suburbs
Word to god, i heard you're acting kind of hard
And you got your skin scarred when they was shootin on the boulevard

[lauryn hill]

(you got the vocab) i got the vocab
(on the real got the vocab) you know we got the vocab
(all my peeps got the vocab) yeah, we got the vocab
[lauryn] aiyyo praz, grab the mic and show you got the gift of gab

Verse two: prazwell

Then cast off from here to mexico
You see my four-five-six a-be my celo
And when i rest my head is on a pillow
Be-ba-dee-be, be-dee-be, be-dee-be-bo
You see the skills i manifest is very tho-rough
And if you don't believe me ask freres ja-cques
Mmmm, freres jacques, freres jacques
A dorme vous? a dorme vous?
Watch out now! when i choose to speak
I'm forming the cipher fly east to the five percenter
Knowledge is born, to all beginners
Cast the first stone, if you feel you ain't a sinner, ahh
Say o-ur father, who art in heaven
Forgive the foolish rapper for he not know how fugee be steppin
Correct and, stopped and kept in, nuff respect to the
Dj, that be selectin, the type of record ahhh

[prazwell]

(you got the vocab) i got the vocab
(the click's got the vocab) you know they got vocab
(brooklyn got the vocab) we got the vocab
[lauryn] aiyyo clef grab the mic and show you got the gift of gab

Verse three: wyclef

Check it out, here we go
Back in eighty-tree, no one wanted to be nappy
I turn on my tv, it's a dreadlock for free
Kill the gimmick
It's nonsense, it's no sense or value
A rapper, disaster, nobody ever told me that
"roxanne, you don't got to work for money no more!!"... and...
Back in the days i used to listen to kool g rap
Way back when before guns became gats and
Run-d.m.c. used to ask mary was she buggin?
I loved p.e., they kept me concious of what i was saying
Afrika bambaata, poor righteous teacher
Got within myself so it made me a five percenter
Say la-di-da-di, uhh! we like to party but
My jam was bdp, with my philosophy
Say grandmaster flash, mc melle mel
Then ll cool j came with rock the bells!
See i'm the one for the crew, like a jew is a jew
Like apollo got the moon, like the men who got the blue
Like the fu got the manchu, chaka got the zulu
Hawaii got the honolulu
I got the rap lieu, so skippedy-de-bop-bop you don't stop
You do the rock-rock from hip-hop through be-bop
From be-bop to bee-bee

[lauryn hill]

(you got the vocab) i got the vocab
(boogie down got the vocab) you know they got the vocab
(black people got the vocab) word, we got the vocab
[lauryn] aiyyo peeps, grab the mic and show you got the gift of gab

(you got the vocab) yeahh, we got the vocab
(queens got the vocab) you know y'all got the vocab
(uptown got the vocab) yeahh, they got the vocab
[lauryn] aiyyo, bros grab the mic and show you got the gift of gab

(dc got the vocab) word, y'all got the vocab
(virginia got the vocab) aiyy, i know y'all got the vocab
(oakland got the vocab) word, they got the vocab
[lauryn] aiyyo, sisters grab the mic and show you got the gift of gab

[wyclef] - (lauryn in parentheses)
...yo, steve marley throw on your father's old record...(yeah) - lauryn
Ha! classic material...refugee camp, hold tight! yes, yes!
Steve marley, come on! ah-ha! wyclef, ha-ha!
Feel the gong! heh-heh! yes, yes y'all! heh, come on!...yes, yes!
Feel the gong! (echo)

[steve marley - chorus] - {marley sisters background singing in brackets}
No woman, no cry (crowd cheers)
No woman, no cry! {no woman, no cry!}
No woman...
No, no woman!...no woman, no cry! {no woman, no cry!}

[steve marley - verse one] (wyclef in parentheses) {marley sisters in brackets}
You see...
Said i remember! oh, when we used to sit (where at?) - wyclef
In a government yard, in trenchtown {town!} - marley sisters
(and what did you used to see son?)
Well oh, i was observing, them hypocrites!
As they would... mingle with the good people we meet {meet!}
Yeah-yeah!
Good friends we have, and oh well!
Good friends we've lost! yeah-yeah!
Along...the way! {way!} yeah!
In this great future, yeah! you can't forget your past! say-yeah
Oh, dry your tears i say {say!}

[chorus 1x]

[wyclef] - (lauryn singing in parentheses) - {marley sisters in brackets}
Say! say! say! say!
I remember! when we used to sit! [where at son?]
Oh, in a project yard, in brooklyn! {lyn!} [oh, yeah right when i left haiti,
Ha]
And little georgie, would make the fire light! (i tell ya!)
As...stolen cars passed through the night {night!} [newark, new jersey, ah-ha!]
And then we'd hit, the corner store!
For roots, paper, and brew, wooh! {brew! whoo!}
My drinks, my only remedy! i tell ya! (sold out! sold out!)
For pain of losing, family...
But while i'm gone, sure thing...

[steve, lauryn, sharon, and pam singing] - (clef, eric, and ziggy chanting)
Everything's gonna be alright!! (oh! ah! oh-ah!)
Everything's gonna be alright! (oh! ah! oh-ah!)
Everything's gonna be alright!! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)
Everything's gonna be alright! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)
Everything's gonna be alright!! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)
Everything's gonna be alright! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)
Everything's gonna be alright!! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)
Everything's gonna be alright! (oh! ah! oh-ah!) (ho!)

[steve marley]
...so, woman no cry!
No, no woman!...{no woman, no cry!}

[wyclef]
Say! say! say! say!
Hey, little sista! don't shed no tears!
Said no woman! no woman, no cry! {no woman, no cry!]

[steve marley]
Lay-la-lay-la-lay-la-lay-la-a-ee!

[wyclef]
Yes-yes! wyclef, steve marley sittin' back reminiscing
This is how it used to be...yes-yes! {no woman, no cry!]
(yeah, yo...ghetto youths up in here! heh) - lauryn

[steve]
No woman, ay! no woman, ay! no woman, no woman, no cry!
No woman, no cry! (with wyclef) {no woman, no cry!}

[lauryn]
Yeah...refugees up in here...

[marley sisters] - (steve in parentheses)
Little darlin' (yeah you!)
Don't shed no tears!............

[all join in]
No woman, no cry!!! (no cry!) - steve

[lauryn - verse one] - (pras in parentheses)
Yo! yo! what?!
I heard he sang a good song, yeah!
Yo...i heard he had a style
And so, i came to see him and listen for awhile! (yo, yo, yo, yo...unh,unh)
What?! yo! yo! yo! yo! yo!...and there he was, this young bra!
(just a lil' kid chillin' on a...unh)
Ha-ha! stranger to my eyes! (c'mon, what?! unh, ahh!)

[chorus] - (wyclef & pras in parentheses) {pras in brackets}
Strummin' my pain with his fingers, yo! (one time!)
Singing my life with his words...two times! (two times!) {come on!}
Killing me softly with his song...killing me softly! {yo! unh-uh! unh-unh-
Unh-unh!}
With his song, telling my whole life! {ha! unh, unh!}
With his words, killing me...softly! yo, yo...yo! yo! yo! yo!
{yo-yo-yo-yo-yo-yo, unh!}
With his...song! (yo l-boogie!) (throw 'em off the bridge!) - wyclef

[bridge]


[chorus 1x]

[wyclef]
I'm just about done...
Yo, let me finish tuning this guitar...
Yo, y'all ready for the show?

[lauryn "l-boogie" hill (chorus)] (wyclef in parentheses)
Ready or not! (yo!) - wyclef
Here we come! (uh huh)
All the biting m.c.'s and the pirates, i go run! (come on, come on)
(why?)'cause they are old!
(and...) and we are young!
(uh huh...and) and while we're young, yes we're gonna have some fun! (yo!)
(here it comes) here we go!
Skippity bop bop bop, skippity whoa!! swing! (yo, yo, yo, yo!)
Skippity bop bop bop, skippity whoa!!! swing!! (yo! yo! yo! yo! yo!)

[wyclef]
You should've have died before you reach this station, refugees we run the
Border!
Ay! ay!...ay! ay!
You should've have died before you reach this station, refugees we all go
Murder!
Now!!!

[wyclef]

Yo! now that i escape, selling four million plates
My beeper vibrates, like california earthquakes
But i keep a balanced head, 'cause you're hot, they're not
M.c.'s go hollywood, then lose their spot on the jukebox
Still ichi bang, wack m.c.'s get the gong!
Lyrical tongue
Wireless mics from samsung
Wyclef, seduced once by an actress
Angela basset wanted the head of jean baptiste
Meanwhile across town, i steal no money to carlito
Mama always say don't gamble
I'm trapped in casino
No more money in my bags
Nightmares, getting closer
I slept on elm street, freddy kruger
Woke up with a german luger
Black serial killer, man turns to gorilla
Provoked i change faces like michael jackson's thriller
B-b-b-b-b-boo! (imitating young michael jackson)
And you don't stop!!!

[chorus 1x]

[wyclef]
Yo, l-boogie where you at?

[lauryn]
I'm just adjusting my mic

[wyclef]
Come on, yo l-boogie where you at?!

[lauryn]
I'm just adjusting my mic!

[wyclef]
Yo, l-boogie where you at? come on!

[lauryn]
I'm just adjusting my mic!

[wyclef]
Well won't ya, grab the mic and lead the blind to the light?!

[lauryn]
If i could change the times, make rhymes, raise the babies
Give all the pigs rabies
Send biting niggas to haiti's
Clothe young ladies
Chase the rainbow, find the pot
Free the third time offender once he learns to makes-a-lot
Lose the fame
Take the money
Play boys, just like the bunny
Find a man with a plan
Slap a chicken, if she acts funny
Break the bank, on tank
Stop niggas from acting stank
Take over your vouch free rovers
Teach a man to find jehovah
Own the stores, own the tours
Watch the record, pimps and whores
Make love, stop the wars
Cop the land, like the laws
Make the last be the first
Make the god respect the earth
Change the murder rate to the birth! (swing!)

[chorus 1x]

[wyclef]
Hey yo, pras where you at?

[prakazrel "pras"]
I'm just adjusting my mic

[wyclef]
Yo! hey yo, pras where you at?!

[pras]
I'm just adjusting my mic!

[wyclef]
C-c-come on, yo pras where you at?!!

[pras]
I'm just adjusting my mic!

[wyclef]
Well won't ya, grab the mic and make the crowd react!

[prakazrel "pras"]
No more tours, no more scores
Por favor senor, i do the soundbite from here to el salvador
Ready to take over, like that! (gun cocks)
Run your whole crew over, like that!! (gunshot)
Buffalo soldier! dreadlock rasta! (lauryn in background)
Rather be slaughtered, than be captured!
Three refugees, one usual suspect
Trapped in the firm, 'cause he fell to two techs
Prospects have thoughts, blood in like outlets
I can read your whole flow, just like a pamphlet
Thousands and thousands of watts
High volt!
Body as a q-tip, right on the asphalt
Tell the truth that you shouldn't sky off
This is mr. prakazrel, i don't take it as an insult
I grab the money, money!
Stash the cash-n-dash, peddle on the gas
I'm clear like everlast! (never seen a refugee movin' so fast!) - salaam
Now catch me in jamaica
Chillin' at the break of sunsplash!

[chorus 1x]

[lauryn]
(ooo-wee!) to queens
(ooo-wee!) to new jersey
(ooo-wee!) to brooklyn
(ooo-wee!) ...and uptown
(ooo-wee!) ...and long island
(ooo-wee!) ...staten island
(ooo-wee!) ...u.c. (university of columbia)
(ooo-wee!) ...miami!
(ooo-wee!) ...to jamaica!

[fades out]