1. |
Black By Name Only
04:23
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Verse 1
I remember now:
The color of the void is the color of my people
The color of the clouds, always out of reach
From the dirt I look upward
I thought the power of the light could satisfy
Could erase all the history
Spent my whole life showing how safe I was
I’d been tearing myself from the arms of love
But time after time, line after line
Trying to zip my lips so that I can be inclined
To ride the coattails of privilege and try to get ahead
To show I was a good boy
The only thing Black about me was my skin
I’d forsaken my family and Blackity Black friends
Now I’m reaching out and I'll reach within
And try to get back to my Black confidence
Chorus
You don’t have to prove yourself
You don’t have to show your wealth
You don’t have to switch it up and lose yourself
You don’t have to give up
You just have to live it up
No matter what they say
Keep on being Black, AY!
Verse 2
I can’t believe I didn’t see the bigger image in front of me
I could’ve sworn that if I died to self I’d be accepted here
All that I’d hoped to gain, all that I’d hoped to win
Hoping that I’d climb the ladder and matter more to the powers that be.
The white saviors. All wanting favors. Dance little monkey. You don’t make enough to be my neighbor.
I’ve always known color, ever since I was a baby
When was the moment it became unsafe for people like me? Huh?
When was the moment when I’d gone from cute to scary?
Miles will go through the same thing, just trust me
It doesn’t matter your ethnicity, your race, your family history, one drop is all it took
But I’m finally proud to be Black.
Verse 3
It’s always been around, you just couldn’t see it
It’s always been in plain sight, you just won’t believe it
You probably don’t even shake when you hear the sirens
Even though you did nothing to feel the heat behind you
Some would say that I’ve come from a long line of servants
Long line of "yes ma’am, no ma’am" just smiling on the surface
Get the scraps or get the strap, we’re just surviving
Just to work and work again, just to sit and be silent
All these parents going to school board meetings to show their privilege
To take the story back and rewrite history for their benefit
All these years of suffering as the result of slavery
The songs that were written were the songs that made me
The sound of chains turning into shouts of praise
Raising my prayers of lament until my pain’s erased
If you can’t understand why we keep pushing through the dark
Stop trying to change the narrative or change who we really are 'cause Black is beautiful.
Chorus
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2. |
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You remind me of my friend from Pennsylvania
You have the same afro hair
You have the same gospel-singin’ voice
You have the same smile
He always talked about hair grease
Brother, you’re just alike
What are those things in your hair though?
Looks like someone cut your hair with a knife
Those are Cornrows? Braids? What are those?
I just don’t understand
I think you need to take them out
And cut your hair like a man
I absolutely love MLK
‘cause he opposed Communism
We got you here at this church now.
There’s no such thing as racism
No need to talk about what you Black and Brown people need
Ain’t no other truth but the Bible that we read
There’s no need to share your thoughts because I know I’m right
I know every single thing about Black people
You got your Gospel music, your hip hop, and your rap
There’s only one good Genre out of that
I read the Christian Post and they say CRT
Is the poison that the “culture” feeds our children everyday
You know, CRT and the Gospel don’t go together
And we don’t need Equality
Black people don’t experience discrimination
Because you know what, Moses? You are friends with me!
You’re one of the good ones, Moses, I hope you know
You are so articulate
When I told you to take that post down about your run-in with the cops
You took it down like the “good boy” I knew you could be.
Every time I think of you, I don’t see no Black
Until you tell me that I’m wrong about everything
But you’re wrong, you don’t know what you’re talkin’ ‘bout,
I have a Doctorate in Ministry, And I’m so many levels smarter than you
No need to talk about what you Black and Brown people need
Ain’t no other truth but the Bible that we read
There’s no need to share your thoughts because I know I’m right
I know every single thing about Black people
I believe if we tried to just be colorblind
We would all see the world differently
MLK would’ve have wanted us to all be the same
So let’s just forget about race and whatever ethnicity is
No need to talk about what you Black and Brown people need
Ain’t no other truth but the Bible that we read
There’s no need to share your thoughts because I know I’m right
I know every single thing about Black people
My friend, if you could see that Black don’t mean that much to me
But I still know every single thing about Black people
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3. |
Mosaic
05:34
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I remember your voice on the phone
Talked ’til the cross came home
Snoring all night
Just felt right
I see the door to your home
Covered in lamb’s blood
Do they really want me over?
Do you want to be over?
Do you want my love to pass over you?
I still remember that call
Yelling, but still so sweet
Breaking my heart
So I pick up the pieces and glue them back together
A love mosaic (I don’t hate it)
‘Cause broken doesn’t mean “you’re not beautiful”
Broken’s still beautiful
I still feel the memories now
I can’t seem to shake them somehow
Every jagged edge cuts a few
Guess I can’t let go, guess I can’t let go
Guess I still hold on to you
I open my eyes and forget
Until I fall asleep again
Then I remember when
You say let’s try to be friends
Hoping this fling never ends
Then I remember again, then I remember again
The glue still holding on strong
‘Til another comes along
They see the cuts on my fingers
From picking all the glass out my hands….
Is the pain worth it, though?
This love don’t have to go
Call me back when you need some more
Back and forth through this revolving door
I’ll revolve around you some more
Guess that’s what I’m living for
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4. |
Mosaic (Reprise)
01:51
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5. |
Happy?
02:08
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There’s no juice in the refrigerator
There’s bugs on the floor
There’s tall grass in my front yard and
There’s lost time in my head
Through all the dark
I still can see
Through all the smoke
I can still breathe
Everything is so expensive
Everything is temporary
You cannot take it you fake it
And die
Through all the dark
I still can see
Through all the smoke
I can still breathe
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6. |
Do Ya Love Me?
05:40
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Babygirl, you know this ain't that simple, baby
I've been feeling this thing for a while
I know we've drifted apart as time as gone
Let me ask you, let me ask you this question now
Do you still love me, baby?
Do you still love me, baby?
Do you still love me, baby?
Do you still love me?
I know we've had some hard time
Tell me, baby, can we get back on this road
I know you don't feel like making that trip back home
Tell me, baby. I got a question, I know it's been a while since you've heard it
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Tell me how I've done wrong over and over again
I'm on my knees, I'm begging, I'm pleading, let me try to fix this
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Do you still love me?
Maybe we do need some therapy.
I'm trying to make it right.
Let's get back to where we were.
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7. |
IOU
08:37
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I’m feeling like I owe everybody something? I barely have enough to give
Why do I always end up empty? That’s no good way to live
Sick and tired of not receiving, I’ve given everything
Is this the end
Pouring myself out, Lord have mercy
I don’t deserve any good
The way I’ve lived this life, I’ve given all I could
Can you hear me? Are you listening?
Well, there’s no use anyway.
I’m here for you
But not for me
I’m only good enough for work
I’m not good enough for love
Late nights for another week
Can’t sleep more than five hours
Wake up disappointing everybody (No love, no power)
Feel the heat from the embers
My dumpster fire
Am I an imposter? I feel like an imposter.
Pouring myself out, Lord have mercy
I don’t deserve any good
The way I’ve lived this life
I’ve given what I could
Can you hear me? Are you listening?
Can you hear me calling out to you?
I’m here for you
But not for me
I’m only good enough for work
I’m not good enough for love.
Can’t get free from this prison
Can’t get free from the gaze
Work more to prove my worth
Work more just to gain more weight
The fattened calf getting heavier
All this stress just can't be healthy
Send me out to pasture and forget my name
I’ve given everything
I’ve given you everything
My culture, my talent, my energy
My money, my time, my everything
What’s left?
What’s left of me but a shell?
Pouring myself out, Lord have mercy
I don’t deserve any good
The way I’ve lived this life, I’ve given what I could
Can you hear me? Are you listening?
I’m here for you
But not for me
I’m only good enough for work
I’m not good enough for love
I’m here for you
But not for me
I’m only good enough for work
I’m not good enough for love
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8. |
The War Continues
04:41
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USA, USA
There is no better country than the USA
Only problem is you can't kneel, can't march, can't speak, but you can stay silent
You want us to sit, do nothing, get blown up like other countries want to do us?
Because YOUR celebrity president wants to blow up.
'Cause we're the best, right?
We elect reality stars while we're living in reality
They're living in dream world while we're trying to live our dreams
Instead of addressing injustice, they slam on teams
Being Black in America's the funniest thing
Like, why do we still celebrate division
Confederate flags still wave right here in the South
While bullets and N-bombs still fly through the air,
Dropping people of color like they just don't care
Gotta keep on pushing to see another day
Gotta build up myself in other ways
We got a reason to live, we got more love to share
Why do we keep everybody down like we don't care?
Talk down to me like I don’t know things, treat me like I can’t feel pain
They call me snowflake and call me wussy, appeal to the masses by typing up tweet storms like a hurricane
How do we protest? Do we just shut up, sit down, pretend it doesn’t exist? We've been trying that!
But we realized how much value a flag or a song had over Black lives, but nevermind that.
If all lives matter, why does the list keep getting longer? If the constant battles only serve to make us stronger
We shall overcome, we shall overcome, like our fathers did before us
After so many years and more, see the state of this world burns me to the core, it just leaves me sore
Black and Brown bodies falling to the floor. If life is precious, why aren't we living longer?
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9. |
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Hair down to your shoulders, unibrow and brown eyes
Everything you’ll encounter will make you want to hide
The voice is something that you learn to use
Your mind is something that’ll get abused
The endless hands and fingers touching your hair
The fearful people, as you walk, they stare
That never goes away, that never goes away
There’s no amount of switching you can do
To make sure people understand you
There’s no amount of switching you can do
To make sure people aren’t afraid of you
Even though you can’t see it, you are enough
No amount of broken promises can buy your trust
Even though no one will fight for us
You keep living, because you are enough.
As you keep pushing forward, you’ll be someone’s safe Black friend
They still won’t see you as a person that they’ll need to defend
Doesn’t matter your accomplishments or ones you’ve loved
They’ll still think your heart’s as dark as the color of your face
You have nothing to prove to anyone
Make sure you’re happy, too
Even the “path of least resistance” can lead to darkness
Keep being the light you were made to be.
Even though you can’t see it, you are enough
No amount of broken promises can buy your trust
Even though no one will fight for us
You keep living, because you are enough.
Rejection will become normal for you
Being questioned will become normal, too
Focus on being loved
You’re worth more than you know, or can feel, or can see. You are enough.
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Moses Andrews III Irmo, South Carolina
As a live performer and session musician Moses Andrews III is a mainstay in Columbia SC’s music scene, bringing soul and wit to any genre.
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