1989 the number another summer, get down   Sound of the funky drummer   Music hittin? your heart, 'cause I know you got soul   Brothers and sisters      Listen if you?re missin? y?all   Swingin? while I?m singin?   Givin? whatcha gettin?   Knowin? what I know and      While the black bands sweatin?   And the rhythm rhymes rollin?   Got to give us what we want   Gotta give us what we need      Our freedom of speech is freedom or death   We've got to fight the powers that be      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   We've got to fight the powers that be      As the rhythm designed to bounce   What counts is that the rhymes designed to fill your mind   Now that you?ve realized the prides arrived   We got to pump the stuff to make us tough      From the heart, it?s a start, a work of art   To revolutionize, make a change, nothin?s strange   People, people, we are the same   No, we?re not the same, 'cause we don?t know the game      What we need is awareness, we can?t get careless   You say what is this?   My beloved, let's get down to business   Mental self defensive fitness      Yo, bum rush the show   You gotta go for what you know   To make everybody see   In order to fight the powers that be      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   We've got to fight the powers that be      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power      Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power      Lemme hear you   Fight the power   Lemme hear you say   Fight the power   We've got to fight the powers that be      Elvis was a hero to most   But he never meant shit to me you see   Straight up racist that sucker was   Simple and plain      Mother fuck him and John Wayne   'Cause I?m black and I?m proud   I?m ready and hyped plus I?m amped   Most of my heroes don?t appear on no stamps      Sample a look back you look and find   Nothing but rednecks for four hundred years if you check   Don?t worry be happy was a number one jam   Damn, if I say it you can slap me right here      Let's get this party started right   Right on, c?mon, what we got to say   Power to the people, no delay   Make everybody see in order to fight the powers that be      Fight the power   Fight the power   Fight the power   Fight the power   We've got to fight the powers that be