John Legend, The Roots - Hard Times (Live In Studio)

Yeah ohhhSo many hard timesCold, cold eyes upon me they starePeople all around me and they're all in fearThey don't seem to want me but they won't admitI must be some kind of creature up here having fits
From my party house, I'm afraid to come outsideAlthough I'm filled with love I'm afraid they'll hurt my prideSo i play the part I feel they want of meAnd i pull the shades so i won't see them seein me
Having hard times in this crazy townHavin hard times, there's no love to be found(repeat)
From my party house I feel like meetin othersFamiliar faces, creed and race, a brotherBut to my surprise I find a man corruptAlthough he be my brother, he wants to hold me up
Havin' hard times, in this crazy townHavin' hard times, there's no love to be foundHavin' hard times, in this crazy townHavin' hard times , there's no love to be found
(Rap)[Black Thought]
Check it out, seventeen years and counting
I'm tryna climb up the rough side of the mountain
Friends warned me I'ma have to do it without them
No problem really, it was never about them
So my house, I never come out from
cause every day a drought, then a shadow of doubt come
I'm down to do whatever if it betters my outcome
The city's like the Audubon Ballroom waiting on Malcolm
Cause people wanna see my blood flow like fountains
I got nowhere to go and still feel like bouncing
I'm looking for the closest window I can rap from
or for the highest speaker-box that I can shout from
And I'm hoping to feel like something is real
But it's no hope when you are but a spoke in a wheel
A brick in a wall, tryna find an opening still
Having hard times, tryna climb over the hill

[John Legend]
Yeah, so many hard times, yeah, yeah
Sleeping on motel floors, yeah, yeah
Knocking on my brother's door
Eating Spam, Oreos
Drinking Thunderbird baby, yeaaaaaaahhhh

[Chorus: John Legend - 4X]

[John Legend]
Yea-yeah, yea-yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeaaaahhh, yeah
Yeah, mmmmm, yeah, yeaaah
So many hard times, yeah, yeah
Sleeping on motel floors, yeah, yeah
Knocking on my brother's door
Eating Spam and Oreos
Drinking Thunderbird baby, ohhhhhhhhh, yeah
I don't wanna do it no more
No-no-no, no-no
I don't wanna go back there no more
No-ohhhhhh
I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna, I don't wanna..