NOTE: This song has a secret: it began as a sample from "Been So Long" by Anita Baker, which my then-DJ J. Love (Jeff Love, another USC alumni) was working into something. I just grabbed it for my own, replayed all the relevant parts, and was gonna do a rap song on the track. As the years went along, I've since revamped it from its 1995 original version, adding a staccato singing delivery and a rap bridge. I really like the harmony part I do on the choruses and post-bridge, but that's my own vanity.

First Verse:

pushin' the Carlo while I'm out in the streets and (white Chevrolet)
rockin' the rhythm while I'm down for some eats then
see them creepin on the side
now they checkin' out the ride
never satisfied til I'm caught in a homicide (damn)
man I ain't trippin' doesn't matter, I'm cool
got insurance and my registration, i went to school
i'm not the type that's out here committin' crimes
doesn't matter bottom line
skin color wrong place wrong time (say word?)

the lights are flashin, no sense in me run-nin'
here comes the helicopter, they pullin' guns and
i fit the description
six foot, black, my intuition
that they wanna get me wrapped up like Egyptians (hotep)
answer them calm, don't speak in no slang
I'm a journalist, no sir, never been in no gang
still claim probable cause
but they ain't findin' no laws
that I broke, but i'm locked in the jaws of ...

Chorus: (repeated twice)

lights and sirens (lights and sirens)
pullin' me under (pullin' me under)
rabid watchdogs (rabid watchdogs)
criminal thunder (criminal thunder)

Second Verse:

back of the cruiser and the seats are hard
find a pocket knife and suddenly I'm ready to charge
cold eyes under close cropped cuts sizing me up
enough, I'm really innocent, at least of this stuff (but don't ask)
gave no consent for the search to commence
got me boxed in like da cops was a chain link fence
and the metal's hella electrified (zzzt!)
they got guns on they side
pistoliers wanna get me on a train ride (choo choo)

a bad feelin' rollin' up in my gut
I'm tryin' to stay calm and not be like "what what?"
my daddy said never argue with a bigger piece of metal
I'm so hot about this givin' me a cause makes me rebel
they won-der why my neighborhood rejects
because every black and white is like a boot on my neck
so what the heck am i to do, these fools got the nerve
to occupy and terrify, never protect and serve

Chorus: (repeated twice)

lights and sirens (lights and sirens)
pullin' me under (pullin' me under)
rabid watchdogs (rabid watchdogs)
criminal thunder (criminal thunder)

Rap Bridge:

don't stop to listen the ignition is gunnin' (vroom)
got to exit from this position cause they fixin' to come in (open up, it's the police!)
it's a mission to make us done in, and the safeties are off
with infrared laser sights on their guns and even a cough
can be detected on the parabolic mics, it's like
big brother is watching, can you hear me now? They sh*t is tight,
but it's still workin' for enemies, they down to ride deep
to make sure we cuddled up in graves with cousin to sleep
and that's real, potna, we ain't ret to fight no feds (FBI!)
like West Bank inhabitants with missiles pointed at our heads, (fsssssshhhhh!)
man, dead is how they want us, that's for a long time
so let's not stick around to find out just who dropped that dime
it's time to go

After Bridge: (repeated twice)

lights and sirens
lights and sirens

Outro: (spoken, repeated twice)

lights and sirens
pullin me under
rabid watchdogs
criminal thunder