[hook: john legend]
i believe in the light that shines and will never die

oh i believe the fire burns, we stay alive
they will talk about us
like they talked about the kings before us

they will talk about us
[verse 1]
these are the words of a believer

achiever, leader of the globe
feeding souls of those in need
i bleed the blood of the struggle

walking over troubled puddles
hustles in my chest, no hustle no progress
extremities of life and it's process

birth of a son, death of another
with love i can rest both mothers
and told 'em, who's in control is the one thats above us

i walk where money talks and love stutters
body language of a nation going through changes
the young become dangerous, pain gets spent into anger

anger gets sent through the chamber
it's tough when your own look like strangers
we are the sons of gangsters and stone rangers

if he could how would ernie barnes paint us?
look at the picture, hard not to blame us
but time forgives in the chi where the young die often

do they end up in a coffin because we haven't taught them?
is it what we talking we really ain't walking?
dudes, hustlers pay, how much did it cost 'em?

find myself on the same corner that we lost 'em
real talking, in they ear like a walkman
thoughts spin around the corner to the world

when i see them, i see my baby girl
believe!


[hook]
[common]
the lord lives among us

the young uns hunger become a means to get it
by any ways necessary, under pressure
children feeling lesser, with the steel up on the dresser

killin' will aggressors, destiny's children
survivors, soldiers, in front of buildings they eyes look older
hard to see blessings in the violent culture

face against weapons, sirens, holsters
that ain't the way that langston hughes wrote us
soul controllers on the shoulders of moses and noah

we go from being precious to oprah
cultivated to overcome ever since we came overseas
today and the way that you can see we determined

solar keeps burning, shawty's know to keep learning
lesson's in our life, but life stripes that we earning
took gramps' advice that christ is returning

like a thief in the night, i write the beacons of light
for those of us in dark alleys and parched valleys
street kids spark rallies of the conscience conquerors of a contest

that seems beyond us, even through the unseen
i know that god watches
from one king's dream, he was able to barack us

the prophets, nothing can stop us
believe!
[hook]