Yeah, I was born in Stoke Newington, Stokey from old city Where concrete is over trees and all dreams get cut and bleed Walking free, when I was young I used to duck and weave Playing up in Clissold Park and laughing in that London breeze '93, I was a three year old with many schemes Junior playing football skills with Arsenal just like Henry Sticker books remember wrestling the young'n takin' I was phased Used to idolize when he gave you a break-up I was in a nursery making story cakes, feeling love For the first time I remember days
When I was bullied, beat up, then kicked and slapped away Clutching on the monkey bars and hoping they'd all go away Loved them city sounds and sirens in the dark at night Helicopters fly above my head, I'd never get afraid I loved them early days, living in that constant noise Bustle in my ear was like music to this little boy
Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Yeah, we don't know
July '94, we packed up and closed the door Every note was now just some image I'm returning to What we left behind, my friends, my cousins, relatives My birthplace, my first taste of how to live and how to give Hackney down's playin' fuses the memories Sittin' on the boat, crying that was all that's meant to be I was scared of startin' school again; will some be all rude again? Beat me up and treat me like a fool again. The green emerald a thousand welcomes negative, Growin' up a constant outsider never settled quick Settling was hard when you're treated like a lump of sh*t Saying you were black and tan, account for what you f*cking did But I never did nothing, told 'em that so many times Got in scuffles screamed out loud sayin' sh*t like they were right I hate that history, I hate that Union Jack I'll never speak for any man or any flag
Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Yeah, we don't know
Sittin' back, staring through the haze of that road on that beaten track Sittin' back, staring through the haze of that road on that beaten track It was like I'm in a beast of a lion and me peacefully dying But I had no friends I could ever rely on I was sittin' back, watchin' through the haze of that Road on that beaten track But keeping that evil intact I put the beat to track Found freedom, found out I could be myself, and find my world through my roots back I never wanted to adapt or in fact take an action or an act That for years they told me "F*ck facts"
Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Sometimes we go and forget where we came from And we don't know Yeah, we don't know [repeat]