Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man

Public Enemy · Power To The People & The Beats: Greatest Hits [2011]

Oh, runnin' for your life by the knife



You're runnin' from your wife, yipes



You should've stuck with home



'Cause your mind's to blow your dome



It was you that chose your due



You built a maze you can't get through



I tried to help you all I can



Now I can't do nuttin' for you man



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



You got all these people on your back now



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



Flavor flav got problems of his own



I can't do nuttin' for you man



Go lean on shells answer man



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



You jumped out of the jelly into a jam



Make ya love the wrong instead of right



Not a thief cat burglar through the night



Cop told your girl her name was Shirl



About a rooftop crime to steal her pearls



Oozy down the bullets in the gun



But just microwave themselves a ton



The Lord you tried to help them all they can



But they couldn't do nuttin' for ya man



An' I can't do nuttin' for ya man



They couldn't do nuttin' for ya man



Yo childless sin



Flavor flav is the sun



Public Enemy number one



Gotcha runnin' from the gun



Of a brain that weighs a ton



Can't face my facts that's on the shelf



'Cause you want a hand out for your wealth



Eatin' welfare turkey out of the can



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



You want six dollars for what?



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



You better man kiss my butt



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



I'm busy tryin' to do for me



I can't do nuttin' for ya man



That's the way the ball bounces Gee



Oh shit, oh shit

Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man

Public Enemy's 'Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man' stands as a defining track from their 1988 album 'It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.' This recording exemplifies the group's signature blend of aggressive hip-hop, funk, and political activism, delivered with the band's characteristic vocal intensity. The song serves as a powerful anthem of resistance, urging listeners to reject apathy and demand social justice. Produced by the legendary Chuck D and Flavor Flav, it captures the raw energy of the late 1980s hip-hop movement, influencing countless artists who followed. Its enduring relevance lies in its unapologetic message and the seamless fusion of rhythmic complexity with lyrical urgency that became the hallmark of Public Enemy's discography.