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Book of Life Lyrics by Common

Resurrection

1994

[Hook]
{Here's a little that must be told
(*beat scratches*)
From beginning to end (*beat scratches*)
Here's a little story that must be told (*beat scratches*)
From beginning to end}
[Verse 1]
I got so much trouble on my mind
So I take time out my day
To pray and I say, now lay me down to sleep
Hopin' that I keep my soul
Peep, I'm gettin' old and this a cold, cold world
And I ain't even got a bomber
Livin' with my momma, it's the same routine
Keep my room clean, I'm lookin' to do some new things
But ain't shit to do
I'm twenty-two, catch
In the prime of my life, I have no time for a wife
I funnel through the tunnel, disgruntled
Tryin' to find me some light
In the rim of darkness, I too sing
I may not be the darkest, brother
But I was always told to act my age, not my color
Not knowin' that my color, was out of the original
So now I sing the new negro spiritual
It goes, 'get up, stand up
Stand up for your rights
Get up, stand up
Don't give up the fight
It's like, how can you understand the pain
When you never had to stand under the rain?
When it rains, it pours
And it's about to come down hard, thank God
I found you
[Hook 2]
{here's a little story that must be told} (*beat scratches*)
{sample: my life, my life, my life, my life}
{Double Trouble: here's a little story that must be told}
{sample: my life, my life}
{Double Trouble: from beginning to end}
[Verse 2]
As I walk down the road of existence
I get resistance from all angles
I tangle for cash
Hopin' it'll last 'til the end of the week
But all I eat is fast food
And you know how junk food goes right through ya
So I return *to* the a-rab, then on the way back
I stop- at the liquor store, grab me a six pack
Knowin' that once I'm done with that I'll be back
To get some more
Once I get started I don't wanna stop (ahh...)
And I can't turn around, brew- I can't turn it down
Ironically I turn it up, my liver I burn it up
It's my life I live it up, the cup I gotta give it up
One day
I'm cruisin' down a one-way street
And I done passed *fun* day- three blocks ago
It itself, life is an obstacle
As I maneuver through the manure I try to be responsible
I want a job but I ain't lookin' (how come?)
I ain't tryin' to degrade myself, bein' nobody's Calvin I'm a couch bum
What makes it bad, I had incentive
But that disintegrated to a state that stagnated
I procrastinated
I can't recall a day without bein' intoxicated, or blowed
I'm dealin' with a full deck, at any day I can fold
What makes it bad, I wasn't dealt that bad a hand
And I had a plan
But things didn't go through
The way they were supposed to
Thank God I found you
[Hook 3/Beat-Break]
(*scratch*) {here's a little story that must be told}
{my life, my life, my life, my life (*scratches*)}
{here's a little story that must be told} (*scratches*)
{my life, my life} { from beginning to end
Here's a li-little, sto-story that must be told} (*scratches*)
{my life, my life, my life, my life} (*scratches*)
{here's a li-little, sto-story that must be told (*scratches*)
{my life, my life, my life, my li-(*distorted*)}
[Verse 3]
It's like a jungle, sometimes
It makes me wonder how I keep from goin' under, I ponder
And try to keep my
Concentration In this idiotic nation
They say become a doctor, but I don't have the patience
Adjacent to that situation
I want an occupation that I'm into
Cause yet have I begin to
Live to my potential, I went to
School for fourteen years and my best teacher was experience, I reminisce
And wish, I could go back in time to eighty-nine
When there was just' 'sunshine'
But now it's like, I'm gettin' older there's so much strain and stress
I don't think I'll ever be happy until I rest in peace
Of mind, and find who I am
But thank God I found you
[Hook 3/Beat-Break]
(*scratches*)
{here's a little story that must be told} (*scratches*)
{my life, my life, my life, my life} (*scratches*)
{here's a little story that must be told (*scratches*)
{my life, my life {from beginning to end}, my life, my life}
{here's a little story that must be told} (*scratches*)
{sample: my life, my life, my life {here's a little, little} my life, my life}
{sto, sto-story that must, must, must, must
(*rewind*) mu-must (*distortion*) must be told
Mu-mu-mu- (*distortion*) mu-mu- (*scratches*) must be told
Mu-mu- (*distortion, scratches*) mu- (*scratches*)
Mu-mu- (*distortion, scratches*) mu- (*scratches*)
Must be told (yeah...)
(*scratches*) must be told
(*scratches*) must be to- (*distortion*)
[Outro]
{trouble, down, the drain... (*echo*)
Trouble...
Trouble, down, the drain... (*echo*)
Trouble...
Trouble, down, the drain...(*echo*)
{*repeat*}
Credits

About “Book of Life” by Common

Read the complete lyrics to "Book of Life" by Common from the album "Resurrection" in 1994. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Hip-Hop, Rap.

"Book of Life" is performed by Common. from the album "Resurrection" in 1994 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Book of Life", explore more songs by Common using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Book of Life" is credited to Common. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Book of Life" appears on "Resurrection" in 1994.

Visit the Common artist page at /artist/common for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.