Today my red white and blue wears black When colors run like they did No one’s coming back Hands up Hands up We wake We make our meaning Come from mothers Check our hearts We love our hometowns Feel a burn in fire Grow apart Brothers I didn’t know you Brothers I didn’t know your names Today, to one more daughter Someone’s son Killed in somebody else’s name Hands up Hands up Hands up How many how many years you gonna gonna Keep on continue to load that thing? How many how many years you gonna gonna Keep on continue to load that thing? How many how many years you gonna gonna Keep on continue to say that thing? That its somebody’s fault, not ours That its nobody’s fault that the rest of us have lost our minds living so long inside a freefall I want to put the top down I want to cruise to the boardwalk I want to dance all night with some pretty girl and suffer in small talk I want to watch the game Hear Miles and Trane and Laugh with the top down I hope I will one day again. I want to go to church I want to sing in my safe place I want to disco with my thang turndt up I want this love I want your love I want to love you for nothing I hope I’m not so scared I stop My country tis of thee, please stop Please Stop (hands up) Please Stop (hands up) Please Stop (hands up) Please Stop (hands up) How many how many years we gonna gonna Keep on continue to load this thing? How many how many years we gonna gonna Keep on continue to load this thing? How many how many years we gonna gonna Keep on continue to say these things? That its nobody’s fault but ours That its nobody’s fault that the rest of us have lost our minds living so long inside a freefall.

Fear is inherited Fear is a frightening disease Fear’s a genetic mutation Fear’s on the flip side of grief I fear the faces I don’t see When I’m looking outward from here Outwards in a fifty mile radius So it’s the outlier you fear. “Come and put your feet on the white line Come and put your back against the wall Just gonna lock the door for a second There’s nothing here to look at here at all” How many ways we gonna teach the kids to lock em out lock em out lock em out lock em out Creep low We gonna show you how. Love might be aching or scorching Depending on whose life was spent Was it some kid who knew he was dying or some tortured and fractured soul bent sideways and sure of destruction and clinging to faith that he’s right in a place we all live in together just trying to survive the night “Baby what you say to a stranger? Baby what we do to a friend? Baby how well do you really know your neighbor? Baby here’s a something to defend?” How many ways we gonna teach the kids to shut em out shut em out shut em out shut em out And so How they gonna grow proud? How’ll they grow feeling strong and loud?

Congress went and killed my brother Way down, one day ago Congress choked and held my sister Way down, one day ago Policeman came and stuck his pistol through my sisters driver’s side window And if we don’t shoot em back I guess we’ll never know if we’re gonna see tomorrow Congress went and took my cousin Way down, one day ago Took my hope and left me cussin Way down, one day ago I’m standing here alone inside a locked apartment, can’t go out no more And if we don’t raise some hell I guess we’ll never feel that freedom they so hot for Congress tied my hands together Way down, one day ago Congress tied my feet together Way down, one day ago Can’t move forward quick enough cuz congress had to barricade door And tragedy is gunshot quick and progress is a tortoise going slow mo Congress says it owns my body Oh Lord, progress is slow Then invites me to his pity party Oh Lord, progress is slow If Congress was my girlfriend I’d suggest calmly “sit DOWN you ratchett ho”. My sex and color aint some number you can crunch for gender biased pro-mos OH But Congress takes my cold cash money Oh Lord what a way to go Feeds me acid, swears its honey Oh Lord what a way to go And Boo, what I got left I use to comfort my poor pissed-off sickened soul And if we don’t raise some hell I guess we’ll never feel that freedom y’all so hot for. Why you wanna sweep me under Why you wanna sweep me under I’m the pirates chest you plunder I’m the pirates chest you plunder Why you wanna sweep me under Why you wanna sweep me under I’m the pirates chest you plunder Freedom born with a heart a thunder Why you wanna sweep me under I got teeth but I ain’t shootin I got teeth but I ain’t shootin You should know whose house you lootin Mad as hell but I ain’t shootin Mad as hell but we ain’t shootin Mad as hell but we ain’t shootin Mad as hell but we ain’t shootin Mad as hell but we ain’t shootin

So you on board with Jesus There you go Jesus said some smart things Like taking care of strangers But not for show Appreciating small things Jesus was a broke man Barefoot and brown With patience and a long ear And called his love “The Gospel” Spread it around And somehow we ended up here. So you don’t like my neighbor Cause he’s poor And struggling with his own thing But Jesus was a broke man Barefoot and brown So would you feel the same thing if he was around? Open up your heart a little We’ve got so very far to go Could you open up your heart a little For the sake of all you hold I’m done fighting with you fighting with you There’s no faith wihout the fold Try to say their names, the martyrs you didn’t like much. So you onboard with action There you go Action is a great thing But action to a like mind Is just for show And anger is the first thing The screaming’s gonna kill you Nice and slow Cause half of us won’t hear you We decided you’re a stranger, there you go We will not hear your second thing. If you on board with change, son There you go Think about your flavor Hope can’t die like they did In one go while you was chewing out your neighbor Open up your heart a little We built a country on a dream Ain’t that worth opening your mouth a little And asking questions ‘stead of screaming And if we fight a little, fight a little That’s just what Democracy means Try to say their names the believers you didn’t like much.

We can ride the river down Follow this thought to its conclusion Live our whole lives in seclusion Never risk the road again We can ride the river down Let the sadness be an anchor Let the anchor sink us further From the possibility of mending Or we can make a raft in rags Soaked through with tears shed over all our brothers And we won’t just float We’ll dance once more Only fiercer now because