Berlin: 89 Lines

As a dog with a bone is always In danger, so's a woman with a Bag when meeting dark strangers She holds it just a little bit tighter Which she wouldn't do if my skin were lighter It's not in my mind, I've been around the block a few times Every time she crosses to the other side Women supposedly got that intuition So they should no better, but that's a dubious distinction It's not a figment of my imagination it happens a lot When I flag down a cab it doesn't stop Not because I look dangerous or nothing like that It's not 'cause he's off duty it's cause I'm black The police come flying around The corner with the red light screaming I pulled over to let them pass, they pulled over too, I thought that I was dreaming I'm scared to death of our men in blue It must be cold over there in your shoes So close your eyes In silent night Bet you can't tell If I'm black or white Turn out the lights Stand here by my side Cause we're all alike On the inside One step up Then two to the side One more man Let the sleeping dog lie From the back of the bus To screams in the night Planting flowers of fire With these 89 lines Doesn't it bring back some terrifying memories There goes the president making more enemies If he's doing to his wife what he's doing to the country She'd be happy, we could stand up and dump the monkey I ask not what I can do for my country Cause I wonder sometimes if it cares for me The government could change a lot with education And catching kids before they start to think in races And eliminate a lot of infuriating situations Your blindness not of eyes you go public with your lies Then as to prove you have a heart in private you apologize Seems my history is a set of lies agreed upon by you repeated So many times and for so long accepted as the truth Like an unfriendly takeover attempt I get in you hold on fuckin' coincidence Like a nicotine stain it won't go away And it won't if you raise your kids this way So close your eyes In silent night Bet you can't tell If I'm black or white Turn out the lights Stand here by my side Cause we're all alike On the inside One step up Then two to the side One more man Let the sleeping dog lie From the back of the bus And screams in the night Planting flowers of fire With these 89 lines What's your favorite color What's your favorite color? For those victimized by this ultimate violence We now observe a moment of silence