- published: 22 Aug 2014
- views: 86751
Michael Franti (born April 21, 1966) is an American poet, musician, and composer. He is the creator and lead vocalist of Michael Franti & Spearhead, a band that blends hip hop with a variety of other styles including funk, reggae, jazz, folk, and rock. He is also an outspoken supporter for a wide spectrum of peace and social justice issues.
Michael Franti was born in Oakland, California to an Irish-German-French mother and an African-American and Native American father. However, his mother made an adoption plan for him because she was afraid her family would not accept him. He was adopted by Carole Wisti and Charles Franti, a Finnish-American couple in Oakland, who had three biological children and two adopted African American sons. Charles Franti was a professor in the department of epidemiology and preventive medicine of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine and died in 2003. Michael's four siblings are named Rebecca, Sara, Dan, and Matthew. Michael attended Davis Senior High School and graduated from the University of San Francisco. During his time at school there he met a priest who taught him how to tell a story on paper, and soon he was writing poetry. He purchased a bass at a pawn shop and started creating music inspired by hip hop, punk, and reggae that was being played on the campus radio station. He has two sons: Ade with his wife Tara Franti-Rye, and Cappy from a previous relationship.
A revolution never come with a warnin'
A revolution never sends you an omen
A revolution just arrived like the mornin'
Ring the alarm, we come to wake up the snorin'
They tellin' you to never worry about the future
They tellin' you to never worry about the torture
They tellin you that you'll never see the horror
Spend it all today and we will bill you tomorrow
Three piece suits and bank accounts in Bahamas
Wall Street crime will never send you to the slammer
Tell all the children in the arms of their mommas
The F-15 is a homicide bomber
TV commercials for a popping pill culture
Drug companies circling like a vulture
An Iraqi babies with a G.I. Joe father
Ten years from now is anybody gonna bother?
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
A revolution never come with a warnin'
A revolution never sends you an omen
A revolution never come with a warnin'
A revolution
Everyone addicted to the same nicotine
Everyone addicted to the same gasoline
Everyone addicted to a Technicolor scream
Everybody trying to get their hands on same green
From the banks of the river to the banks of the greedy
All of the riches taken back by needy
We come from the country and we come from the city
You play us on the record, you can play us on the CD
All the shit you given us is fertilizer
The seeds that you planted you can never brutalize them
Tell the corporation you can never globalize it
Like Peter Tosh said, 'Legalize It'
Girls and boys hear the bass and treble
Rumble in the speakers and it make you wanna rebel
Throw your hands up, take it to another level
And you can never, ever, ever make a deal with the devil
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Throw your hands up
Throw your hands up
Just throw your hands up
Throw your hands up
A revolution never come with a warnin'
A revolution never sends you an omen
A revolution never come with a warnin'
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo, yo
A revolution never come with a warnin'
A revolution never sends you an omen
A revolution just arrives like the mornin'
Ring the alarm, we come to wake up the snorin'
Yell fire, yo, yo, yo
Here we come, here we come
A revoution'll come