[Verse 1]
G D C D G
When I was a much younger man, I went to the university
G D C D G
I tried super hard to understand until I had a big epiphany
G D C D G
I cried “none of you people can really be trusted, you’re not searching for enlightenment”
G D C D G
“All of you people are just running a hustle to try to pay the rent”
G D C D G
And then a genial professor of history took my arm and he took me aside
G D C D G
He said “I guess you’ve seen through the mystery, you must be very clever”, he lied
G D C D G
“But did it ever occur to you, son, in your search for the truth to be spilled”
G D C D G
“If I ever really thought that you could hurt this institution, I would pay someone to have you killed”
[Chorus 1]
G D C D G
Don’t you know it’s nothing personal, you seem like a reasonable man
G D C D G
But if you fuck with my hustle, I will get you if I can
[Verse 2]
G D C D G
I went out into the world to start perusing it with my new hustle glasses on
G D C D G
Suddenly, a whole lot of confusing shit had a clear explanation
G D C D G
I saw a hustle there, a hustle here, everybody seemed to have at least one
G D
But I soon found the people that you’ve really got to fear
C D G
Are the ones who don’t know they’ve a hustle going on
[Chorus 2]
G D C D G
Don’t you know it’s nothing personal, you seem like a reasonable man (seem like a reasonable man)
G D C D G
But if you fuck with my hustle, I will get you if I can
[Bridge]
C G
And Jesus was a hustler, when he walked upon the water
C G
And the money changers looked up at him, in his lonely wooden tower
C G
They said, “when you walked into that temple man, what the fuck were you thinking?
C G
“Don’t you know that money-changing is the way we’re gonna build the future for the children”
N.C.
(For the children now)
C G
But Jesus wasn’t listening, as they worked themselves into a lather
C G
He was busy trying to run a telepathic hustle on his father
D
Who said, “all men shall be hustlers, until I tell you different”
[Chorus 3]
G D C D G
Don’t you know it’s nothing personal, you seem like a reasonable man (seem like a reasonable man)
G D C D G
But if you fuck with my hustle, I will get you if I can
[Verse 3]
G D C D G
So now every now and then, a leader comes along, promising a great big change
G D C D G
He seems so optimistic, he can’t be wrong, with his sunny, sunny ways
G D C D G
But before you wish him “good luck with your career”, please get him to explain
G D C D G
Exactly whose hustle shall be fucked with here, and whose hustle shall remain unchanged
G D C D G
Are you ready to fuck with the Great Hustling Powers, that is the changing test (and if so)
G D C D G
Maybe they are going to greet you with flowers, but you better get yourself a little Kevlar vest
[Chorus 4]
G D C D G
Don’t you know it’s nothing personal, you seem like a reasonable man (seem like a reasonable man)
G D C G
But if you fuck with my hustle, I will get you, get you, get you, if I can