They assured me I was guilty, but I committed no crime
They said: Confessions bring lenience, so that put me on the line
So I protest the massacres at the Tienanmen Square,
My friends say yo, stay away man, you'd better not go fucking back there. Oh.
Watch this
They wouldn't let me write about my opinions about the state
And the freedom of expression they would never tolerate
And the military secrets that I never did steal
I didn't start no violence, no, and there was nobody that I killed
No.
So I had a clear account of all abusers of power
And the memories of homeland now all gone sour
And I only got one weapon, it's so plain for me to see
My only weapon I call… poetry.
And I don't even know why
The truth seems like a lie
In my cell there is no sky
When I was arrested in Shanghai
Now, into wealth and privilege, huh, I was not born
But, the devotion of freedom and liberty I was sworn
So, every emotion is studied, watched and controlled,
Who gets paid, who gets disciplined, who gets rolled.
So, a transmitter beams my coordinates anywhere on earth
And, as radio waves, surveillance, satellite bursts,
Open up your skull and let some knowledge come in
Crack over the cranium and let awareness begin…
And I don't even know why
The truth seems like a lie
In my cell there is no sky
When I was arrested in Shanghai
When I was arrested in Shanghai
When I was arrested in Shanghai