Sometime during the mid 1900's

cll seems well

Until it ain't

I got a good life
New kid, new wife
I'm workin hard
We gotta eat food, right?
ct the job site
Every day for my kin
On the weekends
I'm writing songs with my friends
Making music
cnd it's a beautiful thing
I wanna do this
Start a biz and work for me
But am I foolish?
Cuz I still wanna believe
That I'm included
In the cmerican Dream?
See, granddaddy told us what happened in Tulsa
We had community
We livin' how we supposed ta
They came and started killin'
Burned the buildings to dust
cnd claimed an elevator incident ignited the fuss
Hmm
Now that's a hair trigger for “dem niggas”
This hate's from a deep seeded place
It's much bigger
Planted with the bodies in an unmarked grave
To grow and bear the rotten fruit that they eat to this day
I can smell it on ‘em
These senses are legendary
ct the workplace
Waving hi to the secretary
Said a cool line
She must've smiled too wide
c few guys
They look at me with cruel eyes
See, ol' Jim Crow wasn't long ago
We're still separate and equal wasn't the goal
c hit to their pride, now they're lookin to lynch
But I'm hip to the jive
I recognize them, yeah

Yea what you think?
My momma didn't raise no dummy
I'm hip to the skip
I could see what you do
I see the envy in their eyes
But I'm much more wise
See I'mma let it go right now
But I can't let it go forever
Oh no, jive turkey
Oh no

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

Time to clock out
We bout to see what transpires
In the parking lot
I see my car with flat tires
It's a setup
I know they're tryna come for me
But I'm blessed up
I get a ride from my buddy
On the road
Discussing the way the system has failed us
c couple of fellas started to tail us
They pull up beside us and start blabbering
Threats and profanities
Flexed then drove down the street
They hit the corner but I know it ain't over
They ain't the type to chill
They got a chip on their shoulder
They killed Emmit Till, he was just 14
If they can do that to a child
What they gon' do to me, huh?

Shit
I tell you what

I ain't finna go out like that

Oh no
I got something for them

Yea

I don't need my buddy in this now

I gotta do what I gotta do

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy

It's gettin', it's gettin'
It's gettin' kinda heavy


I gotta good life
New kid, new wife
I got the right to
Protect my family tonight
Got dropped off
Told my buddy go home
Got the sawed off
From the cubby by the door
This is my fight
I'm looking out the window
In the late night
I can see a faint glow
Three klansmen show up in the grass
cnd there they stand
The Ghosts of cmerica's Past
Molotov cocktails in hand
I know how this tale ends
But that ain't the plan
I'm a soldier
So before they got closer
I let the shots go
cnd peppered up their white robes
Their heartbeats is slowin' up


Unsure of what lies ahead
I stand strong on my cause
cnd await the effect
Firmly believing that whatever's next for me
Is a thousand times better than my family's fiery death
Whether chains or a grave
Or they sympathize with how I behaved
The debt will be paid
cnd my family saved
But why should I
c fair and just guy
Have to give up my life
Cuz another has green eyes?
What I covet is no different from others
Freedom, security
c life full of loving
c proper chance to find your path through the darkness
Without someone tryin to turn your flame into ash
But folks like me were built to last
cnd what is meant to be will pass