I asked my mother why do you cry 
she said your brother had... he just died 
Well I told him not to go outside 
he said he had to fight for his country's right 
But don't you know that mo-mother 
don't you know that we can't stop the violence, no 
Because the war is not over 
until you can feel love, peace, and hear silence 
But I smell gunpowder (pow) 
my brother's been dead ever since 
I didn't beleive it, but when I saw him I was convinced 
Two shots to the head he was already dead Lord,  
I headed for revenge in the city of Port Au Prince 
Screaming bro-brother 
don't you know that we can't stop the violence, no 
Because the war is not over  
until you can feel love, peace, and hear silence 
But I smell gunpowder (Pow) 
Zion's gunpowder (pow) 
L.A.'s gunpowder (pow) 
I wanna know why 
Christians pray for a new day 
we don't need no, we don't need no, we don't need no 
But its still the same way 
I wanna know why 
ghetto people pray for a new day 
hey, hey, heeey 
and its still the same way 
But the preacher man told me 
good things come to those who wait 
do good things come to those who wait? 
I wanna know tell me  
good things come to those who wait 
do good things come to those who wait? 
we wanna know, we wanna know, we wanna know [pause] 
Pe-people 
don't you know that we can't stop the violence, no 
because the war is not over  
until you can feel love, peace, and hear the silence 
but I smell gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Brooklyn's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Shaolin's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Uptown's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Jersey's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
even New Zealand's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Australia's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
Brixton's gunpowder (gunpowder) 
even New Haven's gunpowder