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Tú Sabes Poplar Trees

from The Funky Autopsy by Myrlin

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lyrics

(Verse One)

Tú sabes how la fruta swings in the southern breeze,
black bodies in the popular trees.
Y tú sabes how they never teach
about Chicanos and Chinese who swung like fruit in the western breeze.
Lord, please, brown bodies swingin’ in the cottonwood trees.

Yes, yes, south-
west slavery was
catch, scalp, deliver.

Hopi, Pueblos, Denes, Apaches sold down river

all the way to Haiti
where black bodies
sang, and they chopped sugar cane like timber.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha

(Verse Two)

Tú sabes how la chota stings in the city breeze,
black bodies on the hot concrete.
Y tú sabes how they never teach
about Chicanos and Natives who got jacked up by the punk police.
Lord, please, brown bodies on them ghetto streets.

Yes, yes, immigrant slavery

is pick up, hire, deliver.
Work real hard, no pay, job’s done, get sent down river

all the way to TJ (Tijuana)
where the brown bodies sell slaves
and chop sugar cane like-like-like-like-like timber.

Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha, tú sabes!
Ha, ha, ha, ha

(Verse Three)

Ya’ll know how that noose knot swings in the American trees.
Willie Lynch writes them policies.
Ya’ll know how barrio speaks
when black and brown point gats at the other have and then they squeeze.
Ain’t no unity. Colored boys on them ghetto streets.
Economic slavery.
D-boy slangs dope.
Momma broke, ain’t got no hope,
so the po-po knock and the foe pop-pop, and the boy body drop, float down river

all the way to DC
where the white collars holler stock
and chop sugar cane like-like-like timber.

[Nina Simone]
Birds flyin’ high, you know how I feel, Sun in the sky, you know how I feel. Breeze driftin’ on by, you know how I feel. It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, it’s a new life for me.

It’s a new dawn
It’s a new day
(repeats and mixed into “Strange Fruit”)

[Billie Holiday and Nina Simone Sing Strange Fruit]

Black bodies swingin’ in the southern breeze.
Strange Fruit hanging from the poplar trees.
Pastoral scene of the gallant south.”

credits

from The Funky Autopsy, released July 3, 2013
Audio Engineer: DJ Foundation. Lyrics: Myrlin Hepworth. Original Mash-up Created by Cee-Roo (Check out his work here www.youtube.com/user/cyrou )

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Myrlin Phoenix, Arizona

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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