[Chorus] And what I gotta say And what I gotta say, is rebel While today is still today, choose well And what I gotta say, is rebel It can't go down this way Choose well, choose well, choose well Choose well, choose well, choose well
[Refrain] And while the people sleep Too comfortable to face it Your lives are so incomplete And nothing, and no one, can replace it No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no
[Chorus] And what I gotta say, and what I gotta say And what I gotta say, and what I gotta say And what I gotta say, and what I gotta say And what I gotta say, and what I gotta say Is rebel – rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel Rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel, rebel Repent, the day is far too spent – rebel, rebel! Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up Wake up, wake up, wake up, wake up and rebel We must destroy in order to rebuild Wake up, you might as well Oh are you… oh are you satisfied? Oh are you satisfied? Rebel, ohhh, rebel!
Lauryn explained at the outset of the song that it’s based on the Amadou Diallo incident. She further stated;
It was such a hot time in the city at that point, I was afraid that if I put the record out, people would misunderstand what I meant by “Rebel” and they just take it to the streets…
Expand
+5
Share
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning