Song Lyrics

What is sacrifice?
(We sacrifice)
Npg in mass attack, Sonny, please
(We sacrifice)
Church if you will, please turn to the book of Victor
We like to start at the top if you don't mind
(We sacrifice)
(Gon' say it, preacher)

I was born on a blood stained table
Cord wrapped around my neck
Epileptic 'til the age of seven
I was sure Heaven marked the deck

(We sacrifice)
I know joy lives 'round the corner
Joy for sale down on the corner (we sacrifice)
One day I'll visit her I'm gonna
Out on my block I'm just a loner (we sacrifice)
When she tell me everything (tell me)
That's when the angels sing (sacrifice)
That's when the victory is sho 'nuff (sho 'nuff down with the sacrifice)
(We sacrifice)
Help me (gon' say it, preacher)

Mama held up her baby for protection
From a man with a strap in his hand
Ask the victor 'bout pain and rejection
You think he don't when he do understand

(We sacrifice)
I know joy lives 'round the corner
Joy for sale down on the corner (we sacrifice)
One day I'll visit her I'm gonna
Out on my block I'm just a loner (we sacrifice)
When she tell me everything (tell me)
That's when the angels sing (sacrifice)
That's when the victory is sho 'nuff (sho 'nuff down with the sacrifice)
(We sacrifice)
Help me

(S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E)
(We sacrifice)
(Gon' say it preacher)
(Sac-sacrifice)
(We sacrifice)

(We sacrifice) Sacrifice, if you turn the page
(Gon' say it, preacher)

1967 in a bus marked "public schools"
Rode me and a group of unsuspecting political tools
Our parents wondered what it was like to have another color near
So they put their babies together to eliminate the fear
We sacrifice, yes we did
Fighting one another (we sacrifice)
(Gon' say it preacher)
All because of color
The angel of hate, she taught me how to kick her
If she called me anything but Victor (you mean like n*gger?)
If the only thing that tells me is father time
Then sacrifice is the mother sublime, we love it

Listen mother, we sacrifice
(Gon' say it preacher)
(We sacrifice)
Well, well, well, well
(What is sacrifice?)
Hold yo' text, deacon

Never understood my old friends laughing
They got high when everything else got wrong (pass the booze up here)
Dr. King was killed and the streets they started burnin'
When the smoke was cleared, their high was gone
Education got important, so important to Victor
A little more important than ripple and weed
Bernadette's a lady, and she told me (what she say?)
"Whatever you do son, a little discipline is what you need
Is what you need, you need to sacrifice"

(We sacrifice)
I know joy lives 'round the corner
Joy for sale down on the corner (we sacrifice)
One day I'll visit her I'm gonna
Out on my block I'm just a loner (we sacrifice)
When she tell me everything (tell me)
That's when the angels sing (sacrifice)
That's when the victory is sho 'nuff (sho 'nuff down with the sacrifice)
(We sacrifice)

(What is sacrifice?)
(We sacrifice)
(S-A-C-R-I-F-I-C-E)

(We sacrifice) (joy around the corner)
Hey Wendy, how come we? (We sacrifice)
'Scuse me y'all (we sacrifice)
We don't don't mean to take up yo' time (joy around the corner)
But we got something
Heavy on our minds (we sacrifice)
Yes, we do (we sacrifice)
Sometimes, you gotta leave the one you love
Somebody, anybody, everybody wave your hand
Around the corner, there's another sacrifice (joy around the corner)
But you got to do the best you can y'all (we sacrifice)
Say you got to go through it (go through it)
You got to go through it all (go through it all)
High glory, yeah
Sell it, don't tell it, don't tell me and I said (joy around the corner)
Now lay it nice at my feet

Lord I might get tired
But I, I've got to keep on (we sacrifice)
Walkin' down this road, (we sacrifice)
Keep on walkin' down this road (joy around the corner)
When I reach my destination (we sacrifice)
My name will be Victor

Amen

Prince Rogers Nelson

The duration of The Sacrifice of Victor is 5:40 minutes and seconds.