Look at the rage of the man with the gun in his hand
as he stroll past your Momma in the mini van.
Dam where he goin? (uh)
Now what’s his motive? (uh)
Call it vengeance, dissolution, abuse and god complex, victimhood,
What’s it matter motherfucker he’s shootin’.
And he dressed in blue. No, he dressed like a frat boy, no he killer-killer cop,
No, he rich-rich like Tommy Hilifiger was his pops
And he keeps on shootin’.
And they say it ain’t about race
but the fact is it’s as much about race as it is about class
as it is about power, as it is about the power we lack.
And where we at?
Colorado, Oregon, California.
St Louise, Ferguson, Arizona
Staten Island
Wounded Knee
Sandy Hook
Sand Creek
Virginia Tech
Tuskegee, syringe stuck in your neck
and you still can’t feel a thing
cuz you comatose with your apathy
and we still can’t breathe.
(Chorus)
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
Please Don’t Shoot, Please Don’t Shoot, Please Don’t Shoot
(Verse Two)
They teach us that boys are biologically engineered for violence
that women are naturally emotional, illogical, and mindless.
They say that its science
and we follow the script according to how we are guided.
We teach boys that their value is dependent on their will to do violence.
“Little Johnny better man up! Better man up! Better stop cryin!’
Take this toy gun, go run, fantasize about somebody dying!
And that’s the guidance.
So when Johnny take his gat and rat-a-tat the whole class, bullets flying.
We act shocked like “what was goin on in his mind at time, why
Johnny commit homicide?”
Cuz he thought what he was taught,
like a killer Cop when he on the block screamin,
“who the boss-boss? who the boss-boss? I ain’t soft-soft!
I can take a life without cryin!”
But the difference is Johnny go penitentiary,
Johnny go penitentiary, Johnny go penitentiary,
Killer Cop walks free.
(Bridge)
Here I am in the land of the free and the home of slaves where they take pistol straight to your face
What you got what you give how much blood do you bleed until you
Break those chains?
(Verse Three Sean Avery)
Try to be bourgeoisie
Shiny watch and Wisco-T
Hating men who look like me on BET and twitter feeds
Loving my body is hardly easy, I'm sorry Momma,
my school cannot save me cuz boys who look like me dieing
on backstreets like roadkill
I pray but shots still, steal souls from earth
I hope a heaven above us
five minutes from my house
cops shot Tony Robbinson
Say his name Tony Robbinson
All these men look like Zimmerman
trying to murder Emmitt again
so much power in mortal hands
but no justice for citizens
who are people of color
casualties in the slaughter
each bullet is telling our children killing is normal
and I don't want to be equal
I just want safety
(Chorus and Outro)
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
It’s an old story, they sayin’ “please don’t shoot”
Please Don’t Shoot, Please Don’t Shoot, Please Don’t Shoot
[Verse Three]
Try to be bourgeois,
Shinny watch and Wisco-T.
Hating men who look like me
On B.E.T. and Twitter Feeds.
Loving my body is hardly easy,
I’m sorry, Mama my school can not save me.
Cuz boys who look like me dieing on back streets,
Like road kill, I pray but shots still,
steal souls from earth.
I hope a heaven above us.
Five minutes from my house cops shot Tony Robinson.
Say his name, “Tony Robinson.”
All these men are like Zimmerman
Trying to murder Emmitt again.
So much power in mortal hands.
And no justice for citizens who are people of color.
Casualties in the slaughter. Every bullet is telling
our children killing is normal. And I don’t want to be equal
I just want safety.
credits
from Eulogy in Blue,
released March 11, 2016
Instrumental: Myrlin, Mic Maven
Recorded and Mixed: Mic Maven
Poet, emcee and teaching artist Myrlin Hepworth has written and performed across the United States. In addition to visiting
nearly 30 high schools each year, he makes a living with his art by performing at universities, youth centers, group homes, museums, and theaters. Hepworth has competed in 3 National Poetry Slams and coaches the Phoenix team at Brave New Voices International Youth Poetry Slam...more
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