Common - G.O.D. (Gaining One's Definition) Lyrics

People of the venom, try to trim them and use religion as an emblem

Only 144000 are going to make it home ,we need to try very harder,this touches me deeply

The first time I heard CeeLo rapping was on this track. I was 13/14 back then. Sparking my "Knowledge of Self Determination"

I got alot of inspiration from this song.

Genius 😍

Had this CD.

Spoken like a true prodigy, thanks Common

One of my favorite albums of all time.. Chuck thank you so much for having the ear for this.

God ain't black, God ain't white, God ain't a gal, nor is God a mate.

A Beautiful Song created by two highly intelligent Black Men

After bein' 25 you know just trying to survive in the world 
Bout to have a little boy or baby girl. Who knows? 
Anyway just when you start getting that little age and experience to you 
You start thinking about stuff, trying to make the right moves 
So bust it out this is what I was thinking check it

Yo the education of the Lon chicka Lonnie Lynn 
Began, began with time 
Being my bloodline is one with the divine 
In time brother, you will discover the light 
Some say that God is Black and the Devil's White 
Well, the Devil is wrong and God is what's right 
I fight, with myself in the ring of doubt and fear 
The rain ain't gone, but I can still see clear 
As a child, given religion with no answer to why 
Just told believe in Jesus 'cause for me he did die 
Curiosity killed the catechism 
Understanding and wisdom became the rhythm that I played to 
And became a slave to master self 
A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and his health 
My mind had dealt with the books of Zen, Tao the lessons 
Koran and the Bible, to me they all vital 
And got truth within 'em, gotta read them boys 
You just can't skim 'em, different branches of belief 
But one root that stem 'em, but people of the venom try to trim 'em 
And use religion as an emblem 
When it should be a natural way of life 
Who am I or they to say to whom you pray ain't right 
That's who got you doing right and got you this far 
Whether you say "in Jesus name" or Hum do Allah 
Long as you know it's a bein' that's supreme to you 
You let that show towards others in the things you do 
'cause when the trumpets blowing, 24 elders surround the throne 
Only 144, 000 goin' get home 
Only 144, 000 goin' get home 
Only 144, 000 goin' get it baby

I've lived and I've learned 
I have taken and I've earned 
I have laughed, I've cried 
I have failed and I have tried 
Sunshine, pouring rain 
Found joy through all my pain 
I just want to be happy with being me

Let me voice my concern 
So many of my fellow brothers have given themselves a title 
That their actions didn't earn 
Our ignorance is in the same breath as our innocence 
Subconsciously, seeking to find an impressionable mind to convince 
I've finally come to the realization why Black people in the worse place 
Cause it's hard to correct yourself when you don't know 
Who you are in the first place 
So I try to find the clue in you 
But evidently, White folks know more Black history than we do 
Why're we bein' lied to? I ain't know our history was purposely hidden 
Damn, somethin' in me want to know who I am 
So I began my search, my journey started in church 
It gave my heartache relief when I started to understand belief 
Hustling was like a gift spent my share of time in the streets 
Taught me survival from this evil I'm just gonna have to deal with 
And I felt like a fool when I tried to learn it in school 
It almost seemed like a rehearsal when the only 
Science and math are universal 
Taking elder advice, read the Bible, the Koran 
Searched scrolls from the Hebrew Israelites 
Hold on, this ain't right, Jesus wasn't White 
Some leads were granted with insight 
And it's all in the plan, but it took me some time to over stand 
He still created with the imperfection of man 
So, with followin' I disagree 
By no means have I forgotten or forgiven what's been done to me but 
I do know the Devil ain't no White man, the Devil's a spiritual mind 
That's color blind, there's evil White folk and evil niggas 
You goin' surely find there's no positivity without negativity 
But one side you gonna have to choose 
Any chance to speak I refuse to misuse 
So how can you call yourself God when you let a worldly possession 
Become an obsession and the way you write your rhymes and 
Can't follow your lesson 
If a seed's sown, you make sure it's known, you make sure it's grown 
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own 
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own 
If you God, then save your own, don't mentally enslave your own

Well, I've lived and I've learned 
I've taken and I've earned 
I have laughed, I have cried 
I failed and I have tried 
Sunshine, pouring rain 
I found joy through my pain 
Just want to be happy, being me 
Being me

Thanks!

Blessing

Evidently white people know more Black history than we do...

Inspiring n inspired me to seek Knowledge of Self

I need the instrumental to this !!

brilliant lyrics and good sound

Truest form of some G shit. Literally miggas.
If ya God then save ya own don't mentally enslave ya own miggas.

Cee lo on the chorus though

Beautifully perfect

man dis song here deep hearing it now take's me back when it came out album of course this song make me think of all da people I've lost y don't konw just sum bout it an when i here cee lo part especially at da very end he killed dat part an i would rewind dat part an just zone out plus it was on repeat an when dat part of da song come's I'm stuck again classic

Favourite common song of all time. The truth and beauty in this song.

He has classics and this one of them...

I need to learn how to play this on the piano

chi town righteous 👑 well learned.

this song turned me into an atheist @ 16 after being raised in the church lols

hey man i jus wana say, God loves u dude

Iv'e heard a lot of music in my 15 years of life and iv'e never had a feeling like this from a song :') so beautiful <3

Nathaniel Rossi I began listening to this song at 15. I’m 27...

THIS SONG THO! SOUNDS LIKE HEAVEN TO THE EARS!

+cul2cat One of my favorite songs of all time! On tha real!! LOL!!

"A rich man is one with knowledge, happiness and his health."

As We Pharaohs [ELs... ELohims] Prophesied eOns ago... The EThereAL ATLantean & Kemet.eK Sphinx Tribe of 13... are The RoyAL 144,000 Crystallized Bla.eK Light Bringers of Divine BluBla.eK Auras of Isis RA & EL [Israel]... known as the MU.

This song is Number 7 in the playlist of my life. Common is a philosopher 

+Lerato Malimabe absolutely a philosopher! :)

Cee Lo though... Incredible on here. Plus his verse on Soul Food (Goodie Mobb)

What's 1 - 6?

Godammit a perfect song until the last verse where that one dude  raps with complete disregard for the beat.

:/..do u understand that this is poetry set to music and not just a rap song..smh

they shudnt have done it that way. because then it justs sounds like noise...

+dseer13 you are very worng Cee Lo kills the second verse

@sjkelly34
thank u

+dseer13 haha that one dude is Cee Lo Green but yes i tend to agree with you its an off kilter flow

And this is not single from One Day It'll All Make Sense ... damn such a mistake

It goes too deep to be a single. Unfortunately. In 1997 P. Diddy and Jay Z was the kind of hip pop that got a lot of air play.

+Simon Dilling Christiansen How the fuck was Jay-Z's music being on the radio unfortunate???

Its not? its on my CD......must be a bonus song 😐😐😐😐

JiggaJ1979 nah he means that it wasn’t released as a single. It was on the album yeah

TIMELESS ! PHUCKING TIMELESS

I always said no matter what religion you believe in, if it makes you a better person then so be it! Very nice song.

Uploaded 4 years ago on my bday..and im enjoying it again on my bday. Thanks for the gift : )

thanks for this explaination

Love this album!

A classic

listening to this song and saw a familiar face in the comments :) Hey Prince

I've lived and I've learned
I have taken and I've earned
I have laughed, I've cried
I have failed and I have tried
Sunshine, pouring rain
found joy through all my pain
I just wanna be happy with being me

Lonnie lynn and Gnarls Barkley dropping the 48 keys of life!

love it

The number one thing of why I like this song because it's basically the whole "Think before you Talk." Many people from whatever religion believe their way is the right way. Now if anyone wishes to convert it's because they understand the basic concept of living in another person's shoes. Whether you're Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, etc. we are all the same on the outside. It's not the religion or the skin color but it's our actions that make us different.

Preach bruh

Love it

This is music. Its much better than all these stupid songs out today. #real music

I.just heard this song, its so soothing

Ameen brother. And peace be with you. Even Allah in the Qur'an says that Christians and Jews are Ahl-al-kitaab (people of the Scripture) and that they still worship Him. We are all brothers and sisters

A rich man is one with knowledge happiness and his health

144,000 people from Israeli tribesm,
Then I looked, and behold, on Mount Zion stood the Lamb, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father's name written on their foreheads.

So what is the Biblical meaning homie?

it has biblicle meaning

"You've just been blessed with beautiful music"-Rapsody

144,000?

lol, what's your other two favorite then? Retrospective For Life(Featuring Lauryn Hill) and Making Names for Ourselves(Featuring Canibus)?

You mean eternity?
This is one of my top 3 fav songs from the album.

One Day It'll Make Sense is my favorite album by Common. I could listen to this for eternally.

@ old school type soul 144, 000 are not the final numberz...Thatz' z talking about 12,000 from each tribe 0f the 24 tribez ov israel. If that were the case there wouldn't have been a need ov a saviour!!!

Notice how the numbers all give you the numbers that mAke the triangle of vortex maths vault? 3,6 & 9.... Funny how 144 000 does round up to 9, which is the number that governs all the numbers in the numbers system... Very deep

meanwhile, LMFAO has millions of views...

Their verses were soo true. I miss THIS CEE-LO AND COMMON!!! Not no bullcrap ''Lady Killer''!!!

I am so dissapointed in Common & Cee-Lo. I hate the fact they sold out. This song had me in tears it was soooo dang real. They were my NIGGAS, but then they HAD to sell out the people. It's a shame, a crying shame. WHY DID THEY SELL THEIR SOUL?!?!?!! It's a crying shame. And yet Common still makes somewhat positive music, but he is misleading the children. He's promoting Obama, who is the puppet on the strings. Being a politician won't benefit the black community, just create more puppets.

@OldshcoolTypeSoul Thanks, I've got a bible I need to look through now, learn something new everyday... Stay blessed.........

@ChaseGr33n is it in the bible??? thats all that matters...regardless of religion...is it in the book

@OldshcoolTypeSoul don't u think it's funny how only 144, 000 out of the billions or trillions of souls that have been here, and the billions that are here now... get to go to heaven. What about the tribes like bushmen who live so godly, give thanks for every little drop of water and mouthful of food? Never came across a holy book but live so peacefully, grow old, pass on and then what... damnation? Just a question I ask as I watch the "righteous" tear each other apart over god.........

Numerology gives the answer to why 144000 souls... not literal

@Motho Moso i always wondered

Ok that was Cee-Lo on the second verse. Killed the mood of the song completely

I think Common was really confused when he wrote this in 1997. I'm a Christian, and while I don't believe other religions like Islam and Bhuddism an whatnot, nothing is more ridiculous than making the claim that all of them are right when they clearly contradict each other. This really sucks because I love the flow of this song (at least the first half, before whoever fxcks it up), and Cee-Lo singing the chorus was phenomenal, but I don't agree with the message at all

He is saying that it's truth in each religion and that there are valid points in each

Islam recognizes Christ and all the previous prophets... being the last, Prophet Muhammad, peace be upon Him, whom the message of Allah was told by Gabriel. Quran is our last chance of redemption. Is not new, is the real message on how we should live, respect each other and put Allah above all, the only way of salvation. :)

BoxOfOranges84
He not talking about religion listen carefully

Jonathan Henry please explain what he's talking about.

Truly Inspirational.

@tkal17 Amazing song btw :)

"So how can you call yourself God when you let a worldly possession become an obsession and the way you write your rhymes and Can't follow your lesson"
I have been saying this for a long time now. But ppl look at me like I'm on crack. I just think that if God is saying killing is wrong, then it is wrong period. He should practice what he preaches. Lead by example. God should try to follow his/her/its own teachings and not be a hypocrite.

real hip-hop, a poetic conversation between a couple of brothers tryin 2 enlighten the minds of the people

Love this song. I really enjoy Common's songs because you can tell he is a deep thinker. I respect that.

this could be a natural way of life? who am i or they to say to whom you prayin aint right?

Look within for what you need. God is everywhere in everything at all times.

we need more brothers like common...and more Hip Hop LP's with concept and
meaning

I can't count how many times I've leaned on this song for inspiration. Classic in my world

bout the most powerful lyrics ever put down on paper

praise Common Sence you have a gift

thanks for uploading cuz

@dseer13 its poetry

This chorus WILL be tatted on me VERY soon!!!!!

This is 2 dopee!!! Is common a converted muslim or some

GREAT SONG

why is ceelo so off beat. or does that not matter to him anymore?

if ya dig good music checkout my channel

three cheers for Common !!!!
Chicago's man has spoke the truth and this will always live on

Deep song. This is one of those songs that if you listen to it when you are throwed or blazed it can really stimulate thought. Makes you think... that's the power of good music.

Real Music With a Real Message.. people need to start listening to this instead of today rappers that talk about nothing but selfglorification greed and nonsence..

@karanvir93 cee-lo is only half of gnarles barkley

Common was great before he got lame and started making movies with Queen Latifah.

mi canción favorita... la que me pone de buenas siempre =)

esta es clasica

Is that gnarles barkley?

wow....dats the single word to sum up this piece of art

If you love poetry you will love this poem search " Is the cross Christian" IT will blow your mind!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's Deeeeeeeeeeepp!!!

Luv Common, man. He speak the truth. THIS VIDEO NEED TO GET MO VIEWS! INSTANT FAVORITE!