Yet our best trained, best educated, best equipped Best prepared troops refuse to fight As a matter of fact, it's safe to say that they would rather switch Than fight 1989 the number another summer (get down) Sound of the funky drummer Music hitting your heart 'cause I know you got soul (Brothers and sisters, hey) Listen if you're missing y'all Swinging while I'm singing Giving whatcha getting Knowing what I know While the Black bands sweating And the rhythm rhymes rolling Got to give us what we want Gotta give us what we need Our freedom of speech is freedom or death We got to fight the powers that be Lemme hear you say Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power We've got to fight the powers that be As the rhythm designed to bounce What counts is that the rhymes Designed to fill your mind Now that you've realized the pride's arrived We got to pump the stuff to make us tough From the heart It's a start, a work of art To revolutionize make a change nothing's strange People, people we are the same No we're not the same 'Cause we don't know the game What we need is awareness, we can't get careless You say what is this? My beloved lets get down to business Mental self defensive fitness Don't rush the show You gotta go for what you know Make everybody see, in order to fight the powers that be Lemme hear you say Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power We've got to fight the powers that be Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power We've got to fight the powers that be Elvis was a hero to most Elvis was a hero to most Elvis was a hero to most But he never meant s- to me you see Straight up racist that sucker was Simple and plain Mother f- him and John Wayne 'Cause I'm Black and I'm proud I'm ready and hyped plus I'm amped Most of my heroes don't appear on no stamps Sample a look back you look and find Nothing but rednecks for 400 years if you check Don't worry be happy Was a number one jam Damn if I say it you can slap me right here (Get it) lets get this party started right Right on, c'mon What we got to say? Power to the people no delay Make everybody see In order to fight the powers that be Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power Fight the power We've got to fight the powers that be What we got to say? Fight the power What we got to say? Fight the power What we got to say? Fight the power What we got to say? Fight the power Yo, check this out man Ok talk to me 'bout the future of Public Enemy Future of Public Enemy gotta