Mos Def
(Intro)
Yo, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Cocoa Brovaz, yo (check it)
Uh-huh, uh-huh, yo (check, check it out)
Come on, come on, come on, bring it to me one time
Uh-huh, yo, yo (check it)
(Verse 1: Talib Kweli)
I am an optimist, I believe in a brighter way
I see a different future, a different day
But if we don't change our thoughts and our actions, we'll stay the same (same)
The same old broken record, stuck in the same old frame (frame)
We gotta be the change we wanna see (yes, sir, indeed), in the whole wide world (world)
We gotta wake up, get up, stand up (wake up), for the whole wide world (world)
(Chorus)
'Cause it's a close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
Close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
(Verse 2: Mos Def)
Yo, I'm from a land where life is hard (hard), but we made it so
(Made it so)
Now I'm trying to take it back, take it slow
(Take it slow)
Trying to build a better world (better world), with this mic and my pen
(My pen)
And if I can do it, you can do it too, my fellow men (men)
We gotta be the change we wanna see (yes, sir, indeed)
In the whole wide world (world), we gotta wake up, get up, stand up
For the whole wide world (world)
(Chorus)
'Cause it's a close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
Close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
(Bridge: Cocoa Brovaz)
Yo, it's the Cocoa Brovaz, comin' at you live
Representing Brooklyn, New York, to the fullest
We want y'all to know that it ain't easy out here
But we keep our head up and stay positive (positive)
We know that change is coming, we just gotta keep pushing
We gotta be the change we wanna see (yes, sir, indeed)
In the whole wide world (world), we gotta wake up, get up, stand up
For the whole wide world (Cocoa Brovaz)
(Verse 3: Talib Kweli)
Yo, we gotta face the truth (face the truth), the world is in pain (world is in pain)
But we can't give up, we gotta keep on going (keep on going)
Together, we can change the world (change the world), with love and compassion
(Love and compassion)
With determination (determination), we can overcome any obstacle (any obstacle)
We gotta be the change we wanna see (yes, sir, indeed)
In the whole wide world (world), we gotta wake up, get up, stand up
For the whole wide world (world)
(Chorus)
'Cause it's a close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
Close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
It's a close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
Close edge (it's a close edge), close edge (it's a close edge)
(Outro)
Yo, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Cocoa Brovaz, yo
We out, peace (peace)