It Was Written

[Intro]
 
Em
 
[Chorus 1]
 
N.C.
And it was written, up in the book of life,
That a man shall, endure forevermore.
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
 
[Verse 1]
 
                       Em
Well, did you know the pen is stronger than the knife?
                      Am                           B7
And they can kill you once But they can't kill you twice?
                Em
Did you know de-struction of the flesh is not the ending to life?
Am                    B7
 Fear not of the anti-christ.
                  Em
Did you know that I exist before the earth?
                    Am                      B7
And did you know my eyes are windows to the world?
                 Em
Did you know you can't go to Zion and a-wear jheri curls?
Am                            B7
 Can't tell the boys from the girls.
 
                   Em
Your body’s just a vehicle transporting your soul;
                      Am                     B7
It's what's inside of people is beauty to be-hold.
            Em
Fear not of evil; everyday dem flesh, it grow old;
Am                             B7
 Changes of the times take the toll.
 
[Chorus 2]
 
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
 
[Bridge 1]
 
                Em
The one ya name fear is in the eyes of the beholder,
    Am                             B7
And love is in the presence of the love maker.
Em
 Life is in the words of the comforter;
   Am                B7
En-dure much longer, live much longer.
 
Em
 Fear is in the eyes of the beholder,
    Am                             B7
And love is in the presence of the love maker.
Em
 Life is in the words of the comforter;
   Am                B7
En-dure much longer, live much longer.
 
[Break]
 
  Em
A vest around his chest and Rastafari is his name,
The gift of everlasting life for us to all sustain.
Blessing that you all begot, lessons that you all forgot,
Rasta call it shit you not.
N.C.
Do you remember E-lijah and his chariot of flames?
Same blood that runs through my veins.
 
[Bridge 2]
 
N.C.
The one ya name fear is in the eyes of the beholder,
And love is in the presence of the love maker.
Life is in the words of the comforter;
Endure much longer, live much longer.
Fear is in the eyes of di beholder,
And love is in the presence of the love maker.
Life is in the words of the comforter;
Endure much longer, live much longer.
 
N.C.
 Careful how you entertain stranger, Selassie never born in-a nuh manger.
And I'm never crucify as nuh savior, Elect off himself in-a the ruler.
 
        Em
Babylon ah nah malfunction well; dem-a failure,
      Am                          B7
So be careful of dem cellular and pager.
     Em                                   Am                   B7
'Cos I sign see dem, I see danger, so dem great but Selaisse I greater, yo.
 
[Chorus 3]
 
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
 
[Verse 2]
 
Em                                      Am
 Mi think mi wan lick upon shots upon a blood clot,
             B7
And fill the block with bummer ass cops.
Em
 Cops, mi nah tal;k mi know you watch me walks and,
Am                            B7
 While black woman is getting raped across New York and,
Em
 Before little brothers and chalks and,
        Am                            B7
Imagine somebody say "that's your son dead; see him?"
    Em                                                Am
See us; We do the crime, we do the time; you get away scott free,
                         B7
So the police, they gon' pop you 'fore they pop me.
 
Em
 'Cos if you get me, you got me, you shot me, no lock me,
Am                        B7
 Carry shotty's since Mom slapped me, 'cos mi room sloppy.
Em
 The youngest nigga out the camp; it's me,
           Am                               B7
But nobody pampered me, so you better don't ran with me, for semi.
Em
 Mi a player; plenty chicks, mi blaze many,
      Am                                B7
Raise plenty a few dollars Storm out mi Prada, watch a bum holla.
Em
 Watch em run, hit the floor; told em "come, come",
Am                             B7
 No, Throw your guns up pon di air. Blow!
 
[Chorus 4]
 
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
 
[Verse 3]
 
                        Em
So watch for sticks and stones, stumbling blocks in piles,
                Am                    B7
Life is one big road; miles on top of miles.
   Em
So blessed be the soul that always remains a child,
     Am                     B7
When most people don't even smile.
                  Em
There's a natural mystic blowing through the air,
               Am                     B7
So keep it rea-listic and always be a-ware.
    Em
The truth is crying out and it's so loud and so clear,
    Am                     B7
But most people won't even hear.
              Em
Spiritual pol-lution is in the atmosphere,
                     Am                       B7
And with so much con-fusion, can one be happy here?
    Em
The gift of Rastafari is for all man to share,
    Am                            B7
But some would rather to be so un-fair.
 
[Chorus 5]
 
           Em                 Am      B7
And it was written, up in the book of life,
       Em                    Am   B7
That a man shall, endure for-ever-more.
 
(Repeat to Fade)