"Motives and Thoughts" Poem by Lauryn Hill

On 2006, in the 5th Season of the Def Poetry Jam, Lauryn Hill performed her lyrical poem titled Motives and Thoughts. Does this poem explain the former Fugees vocalist's decade-long hiatus from the musical scene in 1999?

Motives and Thoughts - By Lauryn Hill

Rotating bodies,

Confusion of sound.

Negative imagery holding us down

Social delusion,

Clearly constructed.

Human condition,

Morals corrupted.

Trapped in reaction, lawlessness, war,

Dissatisfaction from bowels to core.

Devil’s technology strategy for,

Human mythologies,

Urban folklore.

Sick of psychology,

Counterfeit cure.

Wicked theology robbing the poor,

Scheme demonology mislead the pure.

Strictly strategically studying war,

Light shown in darkness image exposed.

Few can see through the new emperor’s clothes,

Lustful this hustle turns humans to hoes.

When the blind lead the blind,

Just more trouble and woes.

It’s the mind that they chose,

It’s designed to stay closed.

Standards of jokers,

Court just a logic.

Sick looking cosmics from schoolyards to college,

Primitive man with civilized knowledge.

System collapse and he still won’t acknowledge.

God is the savior,

Studies behavior tryin’ to fix the mixed mind that he gave ‘ya.

Stiff-necked scholars on prescription meds,

Wishin’ their problems was all in their heads.

Moral dilemma,

Pride is the root.

Misguided from youth,

Heart divided from truth.

Egyptians and Grecians,

Spiritually dead.

Empirically led by the gods in their heads.

Motives and thoughts,

Industrial wealth,

Global economy in it for self.

Heart full of madness,

Covered with kind.

Pleasure designed to take over your mind.

Furnished in godliness,

Painted in good.

This tainted priesthood got real saints misunderstood.

While classes in government set up the veil,

And cultivate minds for more mythical tales.

Typical Hollywood follies good girl,

While vice and corruptions take over the world.

Motives and thoughts.

Check your motives and thoughts.

Blind with the wickedness deep in your heart,

Modern-day wickedness is all you’ve been taught.

Lied to your neighbors so you get ahead,

Modern-day trickery is all you’ve been fed.

Motives and thoughts.

Check your motives and thoughts.

For more information:

NPR Interviews Lauryn Hill, June, 2010 http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=128149135#commentBlock

Def Poetry Jam http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Def_Poetry