Tha Payroll (Stay Strong)
Michael Franti & Spearhead

Gramma, this one's for you

(Stay strong)


He's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' brothers being treated ill

He's strong


They say to chill

They say my homey's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got him working on tha payroll


She's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' sistas being created ill

She's strong


They say to chill

They say my homegirl's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got her workin' on tha payroll


At twenty one, the brother Smooth, he got a record deal

Been working hard, been writin' songs about the things he feels

He says it's real 'cause I got skills but I got bills

My deck is stacked if I could only get my shit on wax


When it was ripe he took his tape up to the rec execs

They smoked cigars and rolled their eye's at him behind their specs

Your shit is phat but I don't hear it in the format Jack

What's all this black crap? Check page twenty one of your contract


He's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' brothers being treated ill

He's strong


They say to chill

They say my homey's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got him working on tha payroll


She's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' sistas being created ill

She's strong


They say to chill

They say my homegirl's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got her workin' on tha payroll


A friend of mine Roberta, she got a job at the post office

She was college edjamacated but got fired up at the law office

I'm all alone two kids at home, I need a job, just any job

So I can get back on my feet like Tina Turner


The boss came up to her said, Why don't you come home with me?

I'd like to see you take off your clothes for me

She said, No way, man

He said, You don't understand

You lose your life, you lose your job if you don't do this shift



He's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' brothers being treated ill

He's strong


They say to chill

They say my homey's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got him working on tha payroll


She's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' sistas being created ill

She's strong


They say to chill

They say my homegirl's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got her workin' on tha payroll


I met a black man who became a police officer

Officer, officer, officer, officer, officer, overseer

He tried to tell me it was the only job available

Either rob or join the mob 'cause I'm not salable


One night he went out on an undercover stinging

Bought some smack tried to break the heroin ring, ring

Two cops, white cops saw juggling goin' down

They spilled his brain like homey the fuckin' clown

He's gone


Mama, mama, mama, mama, I couldn't say no

Got sick and tired of seein' people bein' treated ill

Picked up my nines, walked up from behind

Tapped two of them on the neck

So I could meet their eyes direct


Pom, pom

I didn't do it for tha payroll


He's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' brothers being treated ill

He's strong


They say to chill

They say my homey's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got him working on tha payroll


She's strong

Mama, mama, mama

Mama, I couldn't say no

So strong


Got sick and tired

Of seein' sistas being created ill

She's strong


They say to chill

They say my homegirl's not available

Stay strong

I hear, mama, they got her workin' on tha payroll


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Lyrics by Michael Franti & Spearhead

  100,000 Miles   100.000 Miles   11:59   A Little Bit Of Riddim   All I Want Is You   All People   Anybody Seen My Mind?   Anytime You Need Me   Bomb the World   Caught Without An Umbrella   Closer To You   Crazy For You   Crazy, Crazy, Crazy   Crime To Be Broke In America   Do It For the Love   Do Ya Love   Do You Feel The Way That I Do?   Dream Team   Earth From Outer Space   East To The West   Every Single Soul   Every Single Soul Remix   Everybody Ona Move   Everyone Deserves Music   Feelin' Free   Food For Tha Masses   Gangsta Girl   Ganja Babe   Gas Gauge (Tha World's In Your Hands)   Get Myself To Saturday   Gloria   Good To Be Alive Today   Have a Little Faith   Have A Little Faith   Headphones   Hello Bonjour   Hey Hey Hey   Hey Now Now   Hey World   Hey World (Don't Give Up Version)   Hey World (Remote Control Version)   Hey World [Remote Control Version]   Hey World [Remote Control Version]   High Low   Hole In The Bucket   Home   I Don't Wanna Go   I Got Love For Ya   I Got Love for You   I Got Love For You   I Know I'M Not Alone   I'll Be Waiting   I'm Alive   I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)   Is Love Enough?   Keepin' It Natural   Let It Go   Life in the City   Life In The City   Life Is Better With You   Life Is Better With You (Acoustic Mix)   Light Up Ya Lighter   Long Ride Home   Love Don't Wait   Love Invincible   Love Is Da Shit   Love Kamikaze   Love Me Unique   Love Will Find A Way   My Favorite Wine Is Tequila   My Lord   Never Too Late   Nobody Right Nobody Wrong   Nobody Right Nobody Wrong   Oh My God   On And On   Once A Day   Once A Day [feat. Sonna Rele]   One Minute's All I Need   One Steop Closer to You   One Step Closer To You   People In Tha Middle   Piece O' Peace   Positive   Pray for Grace   Red Beans & Rice   Rude Boys Back In Town   Runfayalife   Say Goodbye   Say Hey   Say Hey (I Love You)   Say Hey (I Love You) Radio Disney Edit   See You In The Light   Shake It   Show Me A Sign   Sometimes   Soulshine   Soundsystem   Stay Human (All the Freaky People)   Stay Human Remix   Still Standing   Summertime Is In Our Hands   Sweet Little Lies   Thank You   The Future   The Future   The Only Thing Missing Was You   The Sound Of Sunshine   The Sound Of Sunshine Going Down   The Thing That Makes Me Get Through   Time To Go Home   Tolerance   Water Pistol Man (Chocolate Remix)   We Are All Earthlings   We Do This Every Day   We Don't Stop   What Happens Next   What I Be   What I've Seen   Wherever You Are   Yell Fire   Yell Fire!   Yes I Will

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