Pulled into the parking lot (parked it)
D
Zipped up my parka
Em
Joined the procession of marchers
C
In my head like, “Is this awkward,
should I even be here marching?”
G
Thinking if they can’t, how can I breathe?
D
Thinking that they chant, what Do I sing?
Em
I want to take a stance cause we are not free
C
And then I thought about it, we are not we
G
Am I in the outside lookin’ in, or Am I in the inside looking out?
D
Is it my place to give my two cents
Em
Or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth for justice?
No peace
C
Okay, I’m saying that they’re chanting out,
“Black lives matter”, but I don’t say it back
G
Is it okay for me to say? I don’t know, so I watch and stand
D
In front of a line of police that look the same as me
Em
Only separated by a badge, a baton, a can of Mace, a mask
C
A shield, a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibi
G D
In case somebody dies behind a bullet that flies out of the nine
Em C
Takes another child’s life on sight
G
Blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
D
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
Em
There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
C
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
G
Blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
D
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
Em
There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
C
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
(Ben, think about it)
G
You’ve exploited and stolen the music, the moment
D
The magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with
Em
The culture was never yours to make better
C
You’re Miley, you’re Elvis, you’re Iggy Azalea
G
Fake and so plastic, you’ve heisted the magic
D
You’ve taken the drums and the accent you rapped in
Em
You’re branded “hip-hop”, it’s so fascist and backwards
C
That Grandmaster Flash’d Go slap it, you bastard
G
All the money that you made
D
All the watered down pop bullshit version of the culture, pal
Em
Go buy a big-ass lawn, Go with your big-ass house
C
Get a big-ass fence, keep people out
G
It’s all stubborn, anyway, can’t you see that now?
D
There’s no way for you to even that out
Em
You can join the march, protest, scream and shout
C
Get on Twitter, hashtag and seem like you’re down
G
But they see through it all, people believe you now
D
You said publicly, “Rest in peace, Mike Brown”
Em
You speak about equality, but Do you really mean it?
C
Are you marching for freedom, or when it’s convenient?
G
Want people to like you, want to be accepted
D
That’s probably why you are out here protesting
Em
Don’t think for a second you don’t have incentive
C
Is this about you, well, then what’s your intention?
What’s the intention? What’s the intention?
G
Psst, I totally get it, you’re by yourself
D
And the last thing you want to Do is take a picture
Em
But seriously, my little girl loves you
C
She’s always singing, “I’m gonna pop some tags”
G
I’m not kidding, my oldest, you even got him to Go thrifting
D
And “One Love”, oh, my God, that song – brilliant
Em
Their aunt is gay, when that song came out
C
My son told his whole class he was actually proud
G
That’s so cool, look what you’re accomplishing
D
Even an old mom like me likes it cause it’s positive
Em
You’re the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to
C
Cause you get it, all that negative stuff isn’t cool
G
Yeah, like all the guns and the drugs
D
The bitches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs
Em
Even the protest outside – so sad and so dumb
C
If a cop pulls you over, it’s your fault if you run
Huh?
G
So, they feel that the police are discriminating against the,
D
the black people? I have an advantage? Why?
Em
Cause I’m white? What? Haha. No.
C
People nowadays are just pussies. Like,
G
this is the generation to be offended by everything.
D
Black Lives Matter thing is a reason to take arms
Em
up over perceived slights. I’m not prejudiced,
C
I just–. 99% of the time across this country,
the police are doing their job properly
G
Damn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentment
D
Some of us scared, some of us defensive and most
of us aren’t even paying attention
Em
It seems like we’re more concerned with being
called racist than we actually are with racism
C
I’ve heard that silences are action and
God knows that I’ve been passive
G
What if I actually read a article, actually had a dialogue
D
Actually looked at myself, actually got involved?
Em
If I’m aware of my privilege and Do nothing at all, I don’t know
C
Hip-hop has always been political, yes,
it’s the reason why this music connects
G
So what the fuck has happened to my voice
if I stay silent when black people are dying
D
Then I’m trying to be politically correct?
Em
I can book a whole tour, sell out the tickets
C
Rap entrepreneur, built his own business
G
If I’m only in this for my own self-interest
not the culture that gave me a voice to begin with
D
Then this isn’t authentic, it is just a gimmick
Em
The DIY underdog, so independent
C
But the one thing the American dream fails
to mention is I was many steps ahead to begin with
G
My skin matches the hero, likeness, the image
D
America feels safe with my music in their systems
Em
And it’s suited me perfect, the role, I’ve fulfilled it
C
And if I’m the hero, you know who gets cast as the villain
G
White supremacy isn’t just a white dude in Idaho
D
White supremacy protects the privilege I hold
Em
White supremacy is the soil, the foundation,
the cement and the flag that flies outside of my home
C
White supremacy is our country’s lineage,
designed for us to be indifferent
G
My success is the product of the same system
that let off Darren Wilson guilty
D
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like,
dance like, yet we just stand by
Em
We take all we want from black culture,
but will we show up for black lives?
C
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like,
G
dance like, yet we just stand by
D
We take all we want from black culture,
Em C
but will we show up for black lives?
G
Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy,
D
is like if there was a subdivision and a house was on fire.
Em
The fire department wouldn’t show up and start
C
putting water on all the houses because all houses matter.
G
They would show up and they would turn their water
D
on the house that is burning because that’s
Em
the house that needs it the most.
C
My generation has taken on the torch of a
G
very age-old fight for black liberation,
D
but also liberation for anyone, and injustice
Em
anywhere is still injustice everywhere.
C
The best thing white people can Do is talk to each other.
G
And having those very difficult, very painful conversations
D
with your parents, with your family members.
Em
I think one of the critical questions for white people
C
in this society is what are you willing to risk,
what are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society?
G
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
D
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
Em
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
C
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
G
What I got for me, it is for me
D
Why we may, we may to set us free
Em
What I got for me, it is for me
C
Why we may, we may to set us free
G D
What I got for me, it is for me
Em C
Why we may, we may to set us free
