Held Down Songtext
von De La Soul feat. Cee‐Lo

Allow me, to break it down. ah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Life, hmm, hmm, hmm

This is dedicated to all my folks
Diagnosed with a bad case of that proper upbringin′
And never took the time to fall in line or follow
Or swallow the thoughts
Of the recognized committees who lurk throughout ya cities
Ya hood, ya town, no matter which type

You from the same type of people try to hold you down
Just because you tailor-made for bigger and better things
Never missed a chance to move ahead of things
And what does it bring? I tell you for me
It brought jealousy in back wounds from all the stabbin'
Cats posin′ as my fan just to get grabbin' what's mine

I′m livin′ in times where my daughters are found around
Kids who can't afford thinkin′ caps
But always found drinkin' raps and eatin′ off beats
Claimin' laws of the streets - but who made the laws?
Everybody playin′ rebel with no sign of a cause


Well I, feel the world around me
I've found, that others, will bring you down, just to be down
You've got to make up your mind, where you wanna be
Where you wanna go with your life
With your life

Yo, I′m never singin′ the blues but findin' the clues to maintain
And I been blessed to reign supreme over nearly every dream
I had, and I made it come true
I′m an imperfect man and I'm holdin′ the clue
To perfection, it doesn't seem to matter what direction I look
I find people settin′ traps
Tryin' to find the goal - without havin' any maps

Even friends of mine, jumped online, just to become my adversary
They felt they were entitled to the dairy I made
They don′t come to chill or behave
And they got, toast ready to burn
Not learnin′ to live, but they yeah,rnin' to take what you earn

Well I, feel the world around me
I′ve found, that others, will bring you down, just to be down
You see, you've got to make up your mind
Where you wanna be
And where you wanna go with your life
With your life, yeah, yeah


So quick to place blame
And deny the shame we bring upon ourselves
So many names held accountable for my own account
When a large amount was weight, that I made and shaped
When I climbed I found
It was hard to find others around to point my fingers at

Which made me realize the truth
The biggest suppressor could be your own ego
Lookin′ for an excuse
To plant roots, in a field of self-sorrow
To sprout and follow the first thing you feel
Nourishes your hunger to be respected, it gets hectic

And when I'm watchin′ the news, and my daughter walks in
And choose to ask, "Why were all those people on the floor
Sleepin', covered in red?" I told her
That they were lookin' for God
But found religion instead

Well I, feel the world around me
I′ve found, that others, will bring you down
Just to be down
You see, you′ve got to make up yo' mind
Where you wanna be
And where you wanna go with yo′ life
With your life, with your life, ohh

Sometimes (sometimes), I walk alone, alone, oh yeah
I need ohh, to breathe, yeah
I need my space to, to live

Well I, feel the world around me
I've found, that others, will bring you down
Just to be down
You see, you′ve got to make up yo' mind
Where you wanna be
And where you wanna go with yo′ life
With your life, with your life