Message II (Survival)

(album: The Message - 1982)

Survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
They smile in your face and they talk behind your back
And when you get the story, it's never exact
Some say, they're your friends but they really are not because they are only out to try and get what you've got
Survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
In jail they got a game and they call it survival
They run it down to you on your first arrival
They tell you what you can and what you cannot do, so if you ever go to jail, watch your "mm-mm"
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival

I went looking for a job, every day last week but it turned into a crazy game of "hide and seek"
Because every place that I seemed to look, a job wasn't there
I might as well apply for food-stamps or welfare
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
Like Hercules, you body is strong but your mind is like the Devil, your ideals are wrong
You hurt people's feelings and mess with their minds
Didn't have the nerve to call me brother and wave the peace sign
The young and the old, they all hate your sight because of people like you, they're scared to walk in the night
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
The problems of the world today are bigger than life
You have recessions and depressions, men are cheating on their wives
Babies born each morn' with parts of their bodies gone because of some crazy drug that their mothers was on
This country is fighting not uniting, always putting each other down
Blacks and whites don't realize that they're really pink and brown
You got; gun tooting cut-throats, stress and strife and looking out for number one is a way of live
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival

You've got to lock all your windows, chain up all your doors to protect what's inside of your houses' stores
Beware of the food, it might be no good cause there's someone trying to poison the whole neighbourhood
Today they found something in somebody's store
They said, "killed ten people and hurt four more"
You can't even trust a pill to make life easier when there's sudden death on your grocer's freezer
Survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
About to lose your mind because life is hard and yet you believe in everything but God
Those pretty women lost of money, yeah, that's alright but don't you ever forget the man with the might
Now get a hold of yourself man, think positive because that's definitely the only way to live
Don't let you mind flow, like water from a cup and don't you ever let me hear you say that you're giving up
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival
Remember: a child is born with no state of mind
He was blind to the ways of mankind
God is smiling on you but he's frowning too because only god knows what you'll go through
Survival, only the strong can survive
It's called survival and only the strong can survive
It's called survival in order to stay alive
It's called survival, survival, survival, survival