That our Jam! Common: "The Dreamer"
We love this song! It's so inspirational, dreamy and puts you in a good summer mood. One of our favorite parts on the track is Maya Angelou who wrote this poem specifically for the song. However, Mrs. Angelou was not to pleased about Commons choice in lyrics. According to AllHipHop News "she was especially offended at Common’s usage of the “N-word.” “I had no idea that Common was using the piece we had done together on [a track] in which he also used the ‘N’ word numerous times,” Maya Angelou told The New York Post." In response "Common told The Post that the N word was “a part” of him, but he admitted that he never warned Maya Angelou about his lyrical content. “I told her what "The Dreamer’ was about and what I wanted to get across to people,” Common said. “I wanted young people to hear this and feel like they could really accomplish their dreams.”
Even though Mrs. Angelou was upset with Common she still rocks with him. During Commons guest apperance at 106 Park Maya Angelou phoned in to clear up everything. “I don’t think the word disappointment quite makes it, I was surprised,” Dr. Angelou began. “I know that Common is brilliant. He may in fact be close enough to be called a genius—I’m not sure—I know that we are all in process, and young artists are in process.” There was a statement made by Machiavelli in the 15th century,” she explained. “He said if you want to control the people, separate them, and you can rule them, divide them and you conquer them. I will not be divided from Common by anybody’s machinations.”
“He is brilliant, he’s a genius maybe but he’s certainly smart enough to know that he’s in process,” she continued. “And next week he might not use the N-word or the B-word. It maybe even take two, or three weeks or a month but I’m not going to be separated from him.” (MTV RAPFIX)
COMMON
The Dreamer
Ft. Maya Angelou
“He is brilliant, he’s a genius maybe but he’s certainly smart enough to know that he’s in process,” she continued. “And next week he might not use the N-word or the B-word. It maybe even take two, or three weeks or a month but I’m not going to be separated from him.” (MTV RAPFIX)
COMMON
Lyrics
provided by Rap Genius
For the world world world
My name is Common, No I.D
[Verse 1]
Ferrari testers, Armani dressers
Exquisite thick bitches that body bless us
Rest assured, we getting festive in Miami now
Told my nigga ‘Ye I’m about to win the Grammys now
Getting Johnny Cash old white folks know me now
Standing close to the mic like I’m Kobe now
We celebrate the [?], they hate because we got love
It’s the pop life, a lot of faces pop up
Known to tear the club and the block up
Going through the airport with more lie than an opera
New crooks who move books like Harry Potter
Get cleaners to get it cleaner
A legend like John, Lennon, I’m a dreamer
Tried to fuck the world she only let me finger
Mind trips to Medina to visit the redeemer
A hero, I’ll drop out like Hiroshima
Off Sangria with two broads
Still opening roads for
I’m a dreamer
[Hook]
It’s for the world world world world world
Dream on
[Verse 2]
We take, uh, we make, uh, paper
And build skyscrapers
Walking on water, building my faith up
Niggas with no heart, I’m the pace maker
Get the beat from No I, feel the pulse of the Chi
Survival of the fit with hope in they eye
Taking notes from the sky to fly above understanding
They notes from the most high, so I gotta land them
Career ain’t random, make anthems, streets chant them
Rock rolls like a phantom
Mad hoes like they throwing tantrums
I tell them I need space like Richard Branson
Dancing, with wolves and stars getting full at bars
And then pass out like a pamphlet
Never taking Grants for granted
It’s Common, I’m high above standard
Fly nigga, keep my feet planted
To rock the planet, I don’t stop for panic
Maybe I’m a hopeless hip-hop romantic
I’m a dreamer
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
He introduced me, I stepped to the podium
Said peace, gave thanks to the holy one
Put my water up, thought about my daughter for a second
The youth, the living resurrection
Reflections of the sun glaring through the window
Now the audience staring at my mental
Feeling like the world, the world is at my fingers
‘Bout to speak to an auditorium full of dreamers
Kinda took me back to when I first had a dream
To be like the king that sang Billie Jean
Now it’s gold records, and I’m on silver screens
At the mountaintop, you still gotta dream
To the dreamers
[Bridge]
If I dream you’re here
Angel dreaming there
You should just come here
If I wake you up
Only difference is
You can live the dream
Just believe in it
[Maya Angelou]
Once you find your shoulders dropping
And your speech gets slow and hazy
You better change your way of being
Before you found your brain got lazy
You can build a better future when you join the winning team
If you desire a bright tomorrow, you must build a brighter dream
Dare to let your dreams reach beyond you
Know that history holds more than it seems
We are here alive today because our ancestors dared to dream
From Africa they lay in the bilge of slave ships
And stood half naked on auction blocks
From eastern-Europe they crowded in vessels overloaded with immigrants
And were mis-named on Ellis island
From South America and Mexico, from Asia, they labored in sweat shops
From all over the world, they came to America
Many shivering in rags, and still they dared to dream
Let us dream for today and for tomorrow
Let us dare to dream
My name is Common, No I.D
[Verse 1]
Ferrari testers, Armani dressers
Exquisite thick bitches that body bless us
Rest assured, we getting festive in Miami now
Told my nigga ‘Ye I’m about to win the Grammys now
Getting Johnny Cash old white folks know me now
Standing close to the mic like I’m Kobe now
We celebrate the [?], they hate because we got love
It’s the pop life, a lot of faces pop up
Known to tear the club and the block up
Going through the airport with more lie than an opera
New crooks who move books like Harry Potter
Get cleaners to get it cleaner
A legend like John, Lennon, I’m a dreamer
Tried to fuck the world she only let me finger
Mind trips to Medina to visit the redeemer
A hero, I’ll drop out like Hiroshima
Off Sangria with two broads
Still opening roads for
I’m a dreamer
[Hook]
It’s for the world world world world world
Dream on
[Verse 2]
We take, uh, we make, uh, paper
And build skyscrapers
Walking on water, building my faith up
Niggas with no heart, I’m the pace maker
Get the beat from No I, feel the pulse of the Chi
Survival of the fit with hope in they eye
Taking notes from the sky to fly above understanding
They notes from the most high, so I gotta land them
Career ain’t random, make anthems, streets chant them
Rock rolls like a phantom
Mad hoes like they throwing tantrums
I tell them I need space like Richard Branson
Dancing, with wolves and stars getting full at bars
And then pass out like a pamphlet
Never taking Grants for granted
It’s Common, I’m high above standard
Fly nigga, keep my feet planted
To rock the planet, I don’t stop for panic
Maybe I’m a hopeless hip-hop romantic
I’m a dreamer
[Hook]
[Verse 3]
He introduced me, I stepped to the podium
Said peace, gave thanks to the holy one
Put my water up, thought about my daughter for a second
The youth, the living resurrection
Reflections of the sun glaring through the window
Now the audience staring at my mental
Feeling like the world, the world is at my fingers
‘Bout to speak to an auditorium full of dreamers
Kinda took me back to when I first had a dream
To be like the king that sang Billie Jean
Now it’s gold records, and I’m on silver screens
At the mountaintop, you still gotta dream
To the dreamers
[Bridge]
If I dream you’re here
Angel dreaming there
You should just come here
If I wake you up
Only difference is
You can live the dream
Just believe in it
[Maya Angelou]
Once you find your shoulders dropping
And your speech gets slow and hazy
You better change your way of being
Before you found your brain got lazy
You can build a better future when you join the winning team
If you desire a bright tomorrow, you must build a brighter dream
Dare to let your dreams reach beyond you
Know that history holds more than it seems
We are here alive today because our ancestors dared to dream
From Africa they lay in the bilge of slave ships
And stood half naked on auction blocks
From eastern-Europe they crowded in vessels overloaded with immigrants
And were mis-named on Ellis island
From South America and Mexico, from Asia, they labored in sweat shops
From all over the world, they came to America
Many shivering in rags, and still they dared to dream
Let us dream for today and for tomorrow
Let us dare to dream
