Unforgivable Youth
Lupe Fiasco · Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap [2012]
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 1]
With land on the horizon and passion in their eyes and
What they think are islands are much more in their size and
Bountiful and plentiful and resource to provide them
Supplies slim, morale once so heavily inside them
Now steadily declining
Return is not an option as necessity denies them
With this they choose to dive in
Now along the shore and so aware of their arriving
Are the children of this land prepared to share in their surviving
A pageantry of feathers stands his majesty with treasure
Not the material things of kings that could never last forever
But secrets of the spirit world and how to live in harmony together
Unbeknownst to him his head would be the first that they would sever
And stuck up on a pike up along the beach
Kept up as a warning to the rest to turn away from their beliefs
And so began it here; and for 500 years
Torture, terror, fear 'til they nearly disappear
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 2]
Ways and means from the trade of human beings
A slave labor force provides wealth to the machine
And helps the new regime establish and expand
Using manifest destiny to siphon off the land
From native caretakers who can barely understand
How can land be owned by another man.
Warns "One can not steal what was given as a gift
Is the sky owned by birds and the rivers owned by fish?"
But the lesson went unheeded, for the sake of what's not needed
You kill but do not eat it
The excessive and elitists don't repair it when they leave it
The forests's were cleared, the factories were built
And all mistakes will be repeated by your future generations
Doomed to pay for your mistreatments
Foolishness and flaws, greed and needs and disagreement
And then you rush to have the most, from the day you left your boats
You'll starve but never die in a world of hungry ghosts
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 3]
As archaeologists dig in the deserts of the east
A pit a hundred meters wide and a hundred meters deep
They discover ancient cars on even older streets
And a city well preserved and most likely at its peak
A culture so advanced, and by condition of the teeth
They can tell that they were civil, not barbaric in the least
A society at peace with liberty and justice for all
Neatly carved in what seems to be a wall
They would doubt that there was any starvation at all
That they pretty much had the poverty problem all solved
From the sheer amount of paper, most likely used for trade
Everything's so organized; they had to be well behaved
Assumed they had clean energy, little to no enemies
Very honest leaders with overwhelming sympathies
Religions kinda complex, kinda hard to figure out
And this must be the temple
This White House
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 1]
With land on the horizon and passion in their eyes and
What they think are islands are much more in their size and
Bountiful and plentiful and resource to provide them
Supplies slim, morale once so heavily inside them
Now steadily declining
Return is not an option as necessity denies them
With this they choose to dive in
Now along the shore and so aware of their arriving
Are the children of this land prepared to share in their surviving
A pageantry of feathers stands his majesty with treasure
Not the material things of kings that could never last forever
But secrets of the spirit world and how to live in harmony together
Unbeknownst to him his head would be the first that they would sever
And stuck up on a pike up along the beach
Kept up as a warning to the rest to turn away from their beliefs
And so began it here; and for 500 years
Torture, terror, fear 'til they nearly disappear
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 2]
Ways and means from the trade of human beings
A slave labor force provides wealth to the machine
And helps the new regime establish and expand
Using manifest destiny to siphon off the land
From native caretakers who can barely understand
How can land be owned by another man.
Warns "One can not steal what was given as a gift
Is the sky owned by birds and the rivers owned by fish?"
But the lesson went unheeded, for the sake of what's not needed
You kill but do not eat it
The excessive and elitists don't repair it when they leave it
The forests's were cleared, the factories were built
And all mistakes will be repeated by your future generations
Doomed to pay for your mistreatments
Foolishness and flaws, greed and needs and disagreement
And then you rush to have the most, from the day you left your boats
You'll starve but never die in a world of hungry ghosts
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
[Verse 3]
As archaeologists dig in the deserts of the east
A pit a hundred meters wide and a hundred meters deep
They discover ancient cars on even older streets
And a city well preserved and most likely at its peak
A culture so advanced, and by condition of the teeth
They can tell that they were civil, not barbaric in the least
A society at peace with liberty and justice for all
Neatly carved in what seems to be a wall
They would doubt that there was any starvation at all
That they pretty much had the poverty problem all solved
From the sheer amount of paper, most likely used for trade
Everything's so organized; they had to be well behaved
Assumed they had clean energy, little to no enemies
Very honest leaders with overwhelming sympathies
Religions kinda complex, kinda hard to figure out
And this must be the temple
This White House
[Hook: Jason Evigan]
This world, my heart, my soul
Things that I don't know
The icicles they grow
They never let me go
Scars are left as proof
But tears they soak on through
Things I've done
My young
My unforgivable youth
Unforgivable Youth
Lupe Fiasco's 'Unforgivable Youth' stands as a defining track from his 2012 album Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap. Released during the height of his career, the song exemplifies his signature blend of complex lyricism, jazz-inflected production, and socially conscious themes. The recording captures the artist's evolution as a rapper who prioritizes intellectual depth and narrative storytelling over mainstream radio appeal. With its intricate wordplay and introspective tone, the track reflects the broader cultural discourse on race, identity, and the complexities of growing up in America. It remains a staple of his discography, showcasing his ability to create music that challenges listeners while maintaining a distinct, sophisticated sonic identity within the hip-hop genre.