I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings
Buckshot LeFonque Lyrics

In jail, without the bail, in jail
I am incarcerated without any hope of release until my term is served.

You know what I'm saying, you got these wack emcees out here, you know what I'm saying, they do three days in the county, you know what I'm saying, and come home and write a rhyme about doin' bids, you know what I'm saying, shankin', shankin' people, doin' time, they don't know nothing 'bout time. Man, I got people locked down, you know what I'm saying
Some rappers try to portray a false image of themselves having spent time in jail, whereas in reality they have no genuine appreciation for the hardships that come with imprisonment.

Yo its handcuffed, in the back of the bus, forty of us The road it was rough, plus nobody I could trust (trust) Headed upstate, no chance for escape
While being transported to prison, I felt overwhelmed, as I was with dozens of other prisoners, the trip was long, and I had no one I could confide in. I understood there was no hope of getting out of the situation.

Barbed wire and guards and the gun tower secured the gate My uncle's fate, was life without parole Thank God I was blessed with an out date
The prison was heavily fortified, and I knew I would be there for some time. Unlike my uncle, who received a life sentence, I was at least told when I would be released.

Never did I sweat it, I know they got a life to live My man J, had a wife and kids And these are the consequences, my actions committed Some cats that I used to visit, now I live with Along with swillas, killas, drug dealas, some rich brothas Crackheads, con artists, child molesters, dick suckers All types of individuals Sorta like a melting pot for criminals.
I understood my friends had their own lives, but I ended up in the same prison as people I never would have associated with outside of prison. The inmates were a mix of different races, personalities, and criminal backgrounds.

The system is designed to stock the plentiful This old cat from the hood Told me, "Out of every bad situation comes some good" Its understood
The system is set up to put a lot of people in prison, but a wise man I met in prison told me that something positive could come out of my bad situation, which I believe to be true.

Prison ain't good for my health Lookin' in the mirror, introducing me to myself I studied my thoughts, my ways, the routes I took
Being imprisoned is not healthy for anyone, and it gave me the opportunity to reflect on myself and learn more about who I am and where I came from.

Yo, I read daily, it ain't all about the books Its all about the lessons you learn, through your experience Applying it in a positive way, period
I read often, but it's not just about the books you read, it's about the meaningful lessons you take from your experiences and how you can apply these lessons in a positive way.

All praise due to Allah, I used to Skeme 'Til he showed me the straight way, (Arabic ???) Now I'm on the V-I, telling Moms about Islam She called me a blasphemous fool, I stayed calm
I give thanks to Allah, as I used to be deceitful, but he has shown me the right path. Now I share my knowledge of Islam with my mother, even though she does not approve, I remain calm.

The world wasn't ready for the changes I made They were waitin' for the nigga I was in twelfth grade
I made positive changes while in prison, but people outside of prison were not ready to see these changes because they still saw me as the same person I was in high school.

Everyday, the same old thing, I walked the yard Set up in the chow hall, with Abdul Rahim
Every day in prison was monotonous, walking around the yard or eating meals with the same people, including Abdul Rahim.

Cats waitin' in infirmary lines, for they medicines Boorish Americans, walk around, with circum sevens (?)
Inmates would wait in line to receive their medications, while some Americans would walk around with uncircumcised penises.

And older heads playin' horseshoes, sometimes chess Trippin' when I first seen a faggot with breasts
Older inmates would play horseshoes or chess, while I was surprised to see a transgender person in the showers.

In the shower with a cap, gettin' hit from the back White dudes, on basketball courts, kickin' hacky-sacks Broad games, card games--face it
In the showers, someone was performing oral sex on another person, while white inmates played hacky-sack on the basketball court, and others played various card games.

Everybody, time on they hands--most of it wasted Anything to make the time fly, soon as possible Some cats used to sleep all day, that's unacceptable
Most inmates had a lot of idle time on their hands and tried to do things to make the time pass more quickly, but some would sleep all day, which I found unacceptable.

Heads getting cracked over unpaid debts Either a shank or a lock on the side would do the trick
Inmates would sometimes get into fights over unpaid debts, and weapons such as knives or locks could be used to injure others.

Correction officers, devil's advocate And when its time to go home, parole boards wasn't havin' it
The prison guards were sometimes more interested in agitating inmates than helping them, and getting parole was very difficult.

Life was hell every day, the devil's tryin' me But I paid my debt, to society And after twenty-seven months, of my life, I'll tell you one thing I know why the caged bird sings
Life was difficult in prison, but I served my time and learned more about myself and my experiences. After almost two and a half years, I can truly understand why someone who is imprisoned would sing like a caged bird.

Yo, yo, yo, yo In jail, without the bail (repeat)
This is just a repeated chorus to emphasize the theme of the song.

You know what I'm sayin', this goes out to all the caged birds Everybody who know why the caged bird sings, you know what I'm sayin' I know why the caged bird sings {*2X*} In jail, in jail, in jail I sang the same song When I was upstate, I couldn't flap wings
This part of the chorus reiterates the theme of the song and emphasizes the fact that being caged is like being trapped without being able to fly.