[Intro: Thomas ‘TNT’ Todd ]
"Yet our best trained, best educated, best equipped, best prepared troops refuse to fight. Matter of fact, it’s safe to say that they would rather switch than fight"

[Alternate Intro]
W-E-L-O-V-E 108 FM

[Verse 1: Chuck D, Flavor Flav, Chuck D & Flavor Flav]
19—
—89 the number, another summer (Get down)
Sound of the funky drummer
Music hittin' your heart 'cause I know you got soul!
(Brothers and sisters!) (Hey, hey!)
Listen if you're missin', y'all, swingin'
While I'm singin' (Hey!), givin' whatcha gettin'
Knowin' what I know and while the Black band's
Sweatin' and the rhythm-rhyme rollin'!
Got to give us what we want (Uh!)
Gotta give us what we need (Hey! Haha, hey)
Our freedom of speech is freedom of death
We've got to fight the powers that be ("Lemme hear you say—")

[Chorus: Chuck D & Flavor Flav + Chuck D + Flavor Flav]
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
We've got to fight the powers that be

[Verse 2: Chuck D + Flavor Flav + Chuck D & Flavor Flav]
As the rhythm's designed to bounce, what counts is that the
Rhyme's designed to fill your mind, now that you've
Realized the pride's arrived, we got to
Pump the stuff to make ya tough, from the heart
It's a start, a work of art
To revolutionize, make a change, nothin'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, let's get down
To business, mental self-defensive fitness
Bum-rush the show!
You gotta go for what you know
To make everybody see! In order to
Fight the powers that be ("Lemme hear you say—")

[Chorus: Chuck D & Flavor Flav + Chuck D + Flavor Flav]
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
We've got to fight the powers that be

[Post-Chorus instrumental]

[Chorus: Chuck D & Flavor Flav + Chuck D + Flavor Flav]
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")

Fight the power!
Fight the power! ("Lemme hear you say—")
Fight the power!
We've got to fight the powers that be

[Verse 3: Chuck D + Flavor Flav + Chuck D & Flavor Flav]
Elvis was a hero to most, but he—
Elvis was a hero to most—
Elvis was a hero to most, but he
Never meant shit to me, you see, straight out
Racist—that sucker was simple and plain
Motherfuck him and John Wayne! 'Cause I'm Black and
I'm proud, I'm ready, I'm 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—let's 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
[Chorus: Chuck D & Flavor Flav + Chuck D + Flavor Flav]
Fight the power!
Fight the power!

Fight the power!
Fight the power!
We've got to fight the powers that be

[Post-Chorus instrumental]

[Bridge: Chuck D & Flavor Flav + Chuck D + Flavor Flav]
What we got to say?
Fight the power!
What we got to say?
Fight the power! C'mon!
What we got to say?
Fight the power!
What we got to say?
Fight the power! C'mon!

[Outro: Flavor Flav + ? + Chuck D]
Yo, check this out, man
Ok, talk to me about the future of Public Enemy
The future of Public Enemy got a—

[Produced by The Bomb Squad]