War in the Mind (Freedom Time) Lyrics
Everybody knows that they guilty
Everybody knows that they've lied
Everybody knows that they guilty
Resting on their conscience eating their inside
It's freedom, said it's freedom time now
It's freedom, said it's freedom time now
Time to get free, or give yourselves up now
It's freedom, said it's freedom time
[Verse]
Yo, there's a war in the mind, over territory
For the dominion
Who will dominate the opinion
Skisms and isms, keepin' us in forms of religion
Conformin' our vision
To the world church's decision
Trapped in a section
Submitted to committee election
Moral infection
Epidemic lies and deception
Insurrection
Of the highest possible order
Destortin' our tape recorders
From hearin' like under water
Beyond the borders
Find the sin in disorder
Bound by the strategy
A systematic depravity
Heavy as gravity
Head first in the cavity
Without a bottom
A fate, worse than Sodom
What's got 'em, drunk off the spirits
Truth comes, we can't hear it
When you've been, programmed to fear it
I had a vision I was fallin' in indescision
Apallin', callin' religious
Some program on television
How can, dominant wisdom
Be recognized in the system
Of Anti-Christ, the majority rules
Intelligent fools
PhDs in illusion
Masters of mass confusion
Bachelors in past delusion
Now who you choosin'?
The head, or the tail
The bloodshed of the male
Or confidence in the tale
Conferences is Yale
Discussin' doctrines of Baal
Causin' people to fail
Keepin' the third in jail
His word has nailed
Everything to the tree
Severing all of me
From all that I used to be
Formless and void
Totally paranoid
Enjoy darkness as Lord
Keepin' me from the sword
Block for mercy
Bitter than cerasee
Hungry and thirsty
For good meat we would eat
And still, dined at the table of deceit
How incomplete
From confrontation to retreat
We belong, in true enemies defeat
Destitute in a necessity
Causin' desperation to get the best of me
Punishment 'til there was nothing left of me
Realizin' the inescapable death of me
No options in the valley of decision
The only doctrine, supernatural circumcision
Inwardly, only water can purge the heart
From words to fiery darts
Thrown by the workers of the arts
Iniquity, shapen in
There's no escapin' when
Your whole philosophy is paper thin
In vanity
The wide road is insanity
Could it be all of humanity
Picture that
Scripture that
The origin of a man's heart is black
How can we show up for
An invisible war
Preoccupied with a shadow, makin' love with a whore
Achin' in sores
Babylon, the great mystery
Mother of human history
System of social sorcery
Our present condition
Needs serious recognition
Where there's no repentance there can be no admission
And that sentence, more serious than Vietnam
The atom bomb and Saddam and Minister Farrakhan
What's goin' on, what's a priority to you
By what authority do to you
The majority hasn't a clue
We majored in curses
Search the chapters, check the verses
Recapture the land
Remove the mark from off of our hands
So we can stand
In agreement with his command
Everything else is damned
Let them with ears understand
Everything else is damned, let them with ears understand
About
“War In The Mind”, track 7 of Lauryn Hill’s MTV Unplugged album, illustrates the trappings of society’s norms, and the mental slavery that has taken its toll on society today.
Since the release of this song, many rappers have brought up the idea of being a slave to the system in your mind, such as Kanye West on his controversial “New Slaves” track, or Kendrick Lamar on the entirety of his album To Pimp A Butterfly.
While describing to her audience how trends and common stereotypes are beginning to control the mind, she makes many biblical references, such as a comparison to the demise of the Sodom, which represented sin and vices;
A fate, worse than Sodom
What’s got ‘em, drunk off the spirits
While on other tracks, Lauryn sings about her dependence on God during hard times, now she wishes God’s punishment on those being controlled by the anti-Christ that takes its form in government.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
- 4.Interlude 1
- 5.Oh Jerusalem
- 6.Interlude 2
- 7.War in the Mind (Freedom Time)
- 8.Interlude 3
- 10.Water
- 11.Interlude 4
- 14.Interlude 5
- 16.Interlude 6
- 17.I Get Out
- 18.Interlude 7
- 19.I Remember