On the streets of old Chicago
black kid playing basket ball
boom-box strangulates the silence
guess he thought he knew it all.

Situation kinda sad
shooter hidden in his schoolbag
but in the hood what matters most
is you shoot first or else you're toast.

Tinted windows rolling down
ghetto-blaster hit the ground
initiation, thought it cool
it's what he saw his brothers do
mamma doesn't understand
up to heaven holds her hands
not my baby Jesus, god
12 years old, gang bang he's dead.

chorus:
Stop and take a look at yourself
stop you've got to turn it around
stop look what you're doing now
stop and let your children live.

On the streets of Belfast city
soldier takes a look around
the crackle of a two way signal
all is quiet on the ground.

Hiding somewhere in the darkness
in the background out of view
ordering the mass destruction
carried out by chosen few.

chorus:
Stop and take a look at yourself
stop you've got to turn it around
stop look what you're doing now
stop and let your children live.

I wish the bullets would stop flying
I wish at night there'd be no crying
I wish i may i wish i might
I wish that i could stop the hate
I wish my daddy was out of jail
I wish my mamma couls pay the bail
I wish my brother was still alive
I wish that i could tunr back time
I wish that there was no religion
I wish that god would only listen
I wish I wish away the pain
I wish the sun would stop the rain.

chorus:
Stop and take a look at yourself
stop you've got to turn it around
stop look what you're doing now
stop and let your children live.