Artist: The Roots & John Legend f/ Pete Rock & CL Smooth
Album:  J. Period Presents... Wake Up! Radio
Song:   Our Generation (J. Period Remix)
Typed by: OHHLA Webmaster DJ Flash, kirenamloh@msn.com
 
[John Legend - Intro]
Good morning! This is Wake Up! Radio 
with John Legend & The Roots and J. Period, Wake Up!
 
[Martin Luther King, Jr.]
Let us realize that, we don't have to hate
As we try to, straighten this situation out
{"Straighten it out so everybody know" <- CL Smooth} (OWW!!!)
 
[John Legend] (Pete Rock ad-libs Legend's word in the background)
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Take lesson from our elders, don't make the same mistake (let's straighten it out)
Let's fill the world with love, and get rid of all the hate
 
Our elders taught us one thing but, practice another
Just look what happened to the Indian and the brother
 
(Straighten it out!) {*3X*}
 
{"Straighten it out so everybody know" <- CL Smooth}
 
Hope of the world is in our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us, to change this present situation (let's straighten it out)
Our leaders make us fight, and we don't know what for (let's straighten it out)
If they want people killed, let them fight the war!
 
It's gotta end somewhere, this killing's got to cease
If no one were to fight, we'd all live in peace
 
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
It's all left up to us (let's straighten it out)
Our generation (let's straighten it out)
Let's do just what we must
And straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Gotta straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Straighten it out! (Straighten it out)
Yeahhh we gon' straighten it out, yeahh! (CL)
 
[CL Smooth] (Pete Rock)
As long as there's a you, there's a better me
It's why we're together and stronger than they ever thought it could be
A world motherless - can health care cover this?
A love for all people no matter what the culture is (CL)
Our generation, is makin huge strides
A self-empowering movement that's on the rise
The more the door is open, the more the youth can see
a fair chance means a greater opportunity
To have a brighter future, deeper insight (No doubt)
Work hard to be anything you want in life (Word)
It's what it's all about, the longevity
Educated enough to know what's ahead of me (What's ahead of me)
Need to straighten it out, seek and you'll find
they can cage your body, but not your mind
We lay it all on the line in the struggle (Uh, yeah)
We grew, but together here's what we gotta do
 
[Pete Rock]
Same year Johnny Carson passed the torch to Leno
Ev'ry night we had a show, superstars in a limo
I started as a demo with the head nodding tempo
Turned out to be one of rap's hardest singles (WHOO!)
from the black John Lennon and Ringo
Almost twenty years later, me and John Legend mingle
Connect with The Roots, but this time, Duke
I'ma get up in the booth and spit a rhyme for the youth (OWW!!!)
On top of this Ernie Hines loop
It's like, today's generation is in a state of vegetation
This ain't Maury, you ain't gotta be a father, {nigga}
But you could be a father figure
Too many rappers busy tryna be a boss
But a leader leads by example, not by force
So ?uestlove hit me, nuff respect due
Pete Rock, I just hit you with a jewel, f'real
 
[JL with background singers] {CL sample}
Our generation - straighten it out! {Pete Rock & CL, well set to spark it}
Let's straighten it out - and straighten it out! {Every time we sample all the past-time greats}
Heyyyyyyyyy we can straighten it out, YEAHHH! {Pete Rock & CL, well set to spark it}
C'mon yeah! Our generation - let's straighten it out {Straighten it out, so everybody know}
New York City, better straighten it out {Pete Rock & CL, well set to spark it}
Atlanta, better straighten it out {Every time we sample all the past-time greats}
In Los Angeles, you better straighten it out {Pete Rock & CL, well set to spark it}
We can straighten it out, we can straighten it out {Straighten it out, so everybody know}
 
[Pete Rock talks over background singers + CL sample]
Yeah, John Legend & The Roots crew, J. Period
Pete Rock & CL, we gotta straighten it out
What? Uh... Yeah... Yeah...
 
(CL...Smooth...)
(The Legendary Roots Crew, the official)
{"Pete Rock bang your head, break the drumsticks" <- Inspectah Deck}
(J. Period...)
 
[John Legend - Outro]
Thank you for tuning in to Wake Up! Radio
Hope you have enjoyed the SHOW!
This is your host John Legend signing off