Changes
Alex Goot Lyrics

I see no changes wake up in the morning and I ask myself
The artist doesn't see progress and wonders about the meaning of life

Is life worth living should I blast myself?
Feeling hopeless due to poverty, the artist wonders if suicide is his only option

I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black
The artist is tired of the continuous struggle with poverty which is exacerbated due to his race

My stomach hurts so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch
The artist is so destitute that he resorts to theft for basic necessities

Cops give a damn about a negro
The artist feels that the police discriminate against black people

Pull the trigger kill a nigga he's a hero
The artist uses sarcasm to illustrate how society lionizes police brutality against people of color

Give crack to the kids who the hell cares
The artist is appalled by the lack of concern for the drug epidemic, particularly its impact on vulnerable youths

One less ugly mouth on the welfare
The artist condemns the apathy towards the poor, insinuating that they are assumed not to be contributing to society

First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers
The artist accuses authorities of purposefully introducing drugs into black communities

Give 'em guns step back watch 'em kill each other
The artist claims that the government has allowed for unrestricted access to firearms, resulting in senseless violence

It's time to fight back that's what Huey said
The artist is referencing prominent Black Panther leader Huey P. Newton calling for resistance

2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead
The artist laments the death of Huey P. Newton, a martyr for the black liberation movement

I got love for my brother but we can never go nowhere
The artist has love for his fellow black man, but they can't aspire to anything due to poverty and oppression

Unless we share with each other
In order to progress, the artist believes that the black community needs to work collectively

We gotta start makin' changes
The artist is urging for systemic change in society that uplifts the black community

Learn to see me as a brother instead of 2 distant strangers
The artist is asking society to view black people as fellow humans rather than alien strangers

And that's how it's supposed to be
The artist is expressing a hopeful vision of how society should be

How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
The artist is expressing disbelief and sadness at the loss of his brothers to violence

I'd love to go back to when we played as kids
The artist reminisces about the innocence of his childhood free from social and racial strife

But things changed, and that's the way it is
The artist acknowledges that life is not as simple or as innocent anymore

Things'll never be the same
The artist is expressing a pessimistic view that things will never change for the better

Aww yeah
An expression of agreement or acknowledgement

I see no changes all I see is racist faces
The artist sees racial discrimination and bigotry everywhere

Misplaced hate makes disgrace to races
Hatred and prejudice cause humiliation to races

We under I wonder what it takes to make this
The artist is hoping for change but unsure what it would take to bring it about

One better place, let's erase the wasted
The artist sees the need for society to eradicate squandered potential in its people

Take the evil out the people they'll be acting right
The artist believes the removal of negative influences from people's lives would lead to better behavior

'Cause both black and white is smokin' crack tonight
Drug addiction is a societal problem that affects everyone, regardless of race

And only time we chill is when we kill each other
The artist sees violence and aggression as the only time when peace can be found

It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other
The artist advocates for being true to oneself and promoting healing among individuals

And although it seems heaven sent
The artist feels that change is overdue and long-awaited

We ain't ready, to see a black President, uhh
The artist feels that society is still not ready to elect a qualified black person to the highest office

It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact
The artist wants to reveal the truth about the racial inequalities present in society

The penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks
The artist highlights the disparity in the number of black people in prison, implying that this is due to systemic racism

But some things will never change
The artist expresses pessimism that social justice will never be fully realized

Try to show another way but you stayin' in the dope game
Society is trying to show alternative paths, but the artist feels they are left with only illegal options

Now tell me what's a mother to do
The artist is highlighting the despair of mothers who are forced to raise their children in a system that is against them

Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you
Honesty and integrity are not desirable traits in society

You gotta operate the easy way
The artist is highlighting the desperation felt by some when faced with tough choices

"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way
The artist is condemning the harmful and unethical ways people make money

Sellin' crack to the kid. " I gotta get paid,"
The artist is showing how the drug trade targets vulnerable people for financial gain

Well hey, well that's the way it is
The artist resigns himself to the fact that things are not going to change anytime soon

We gotta make a change...
The artist is reiterating the need for societal change

It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
The artist is calling for a collective effort from people to initiate change

Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
The artist believes that improving people's basic needs can lead to greater societal change

And let's change the way we treat each other.
The artist is promoting a culture of respect and equality based on mutual treatment

You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
The artist acknowledges that previous attempts have failed, and it's up to the people to make the change happen

What we gotta do, to survive.
Society must implement changes necessary to make it livable for all

And still I see no changes can't a brother get a little peace
The artist expresses continued frustration and sees no progress promising peace

It's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East
The artist is pointing out the irony of fighting both a public and international war simultaneously

Instead of war on poverty they got a war on drugs
The artist believes that resources could be better utilized to handle poverty rather than drugs

So the police can bother me
The artist sees the war on drugs as a justification for societal control and oppression

And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do
The artist is unapologetic for his past or present actions or circumstances

But now I'm back with the blacks givin' it back to you
The artist expresses a sense of community by stating his desire to help other black people

Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up,
The artist is advising others to be wary of authority figures and call out their abuse of power

Crack you up and pimp smack you up
The artist is referring to using violence to reinforce authority and to intimidate people

You gotta learn to hold ya own
The artist is emphasizing the importance of personal responsibility and resilience

They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone
The artist sees jealousy as a reason for people to engage in violence or crime against others

But tell the cops they can't touch this
The artist is expressing defiance and standing up to police authority

I don't trust this when they try to rush I bust this
The artist expresses a lack of trust in the authoritarian police and ready to defend himself and his community

That's the sound of my tool you say it ain't cool
The artist is referring to the sound of his gun

My mama didn't raise no fool
The artist is proud of his upbringing and intelligence

And as long as I stay black I gotta stay strapped
Due to society's racism and history of violence, the artist feels he must protect himself from harm

& I never get to lay back
Due to systemic oppression and enduring racism, the artist sees no time to relax or let his guard down

'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs
The artist is worried about revenge and recognizing that it is a consequence of societal mistreatment

Some buck that I roughed up way back
The artist reflects on past violent occurrences

Comin' back after all these years
The artist is wary of previous violence and a time when he must face the impacts of his actions

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-t at that's the way it is uhh
The artist uses onomatopoeia to allude to gun violence and the unfortunate but present reality of societal problems