Georgia
CunninLynguists Lyrics

Georgia, The clay is runnin red
The soil in Georgia is stained with the blood of the oppressed.

From the blood that done been shed down in
The stains on the soil signify the tragic and violent history of the state.

Gergia, Now we weepin to the sound
The people of Georgia mourn and lament the painful past that the state bears.

from the color of the ground down in
The stained soil continues to remind the people of Georgia of the atrocities committed in the state.

Georgia, My state my home
The state of Georgia is both Kno's birthplace and childhood home.

For 17 years learned right from wrong
Kno grew up in Georgia and learned values and morals that guided him in adulthood.

Cried saline tears when i write these poems
Kno is emotionally invested in his lyrics, expressing heartfelt emotions in his poetry that bring him to tears.

As I made these fears give flight to song
Kno channels his fears into his music, using it as an outlet to confront and overcome them.

The red clay stains the soles of my shoes
The red soil of Georgia leaves a physical mark on Kno's shoes, symbolizing the deep roots that the state has in his life.

The red clay stained the soul of a fool
The stains on the soil serve as a reminder of the tragic history that Georgia bears, tarnishing the soul of those who perpetuated it.

My grandparents told me the goal that you choose
Kno's grandparents taught him about the power of choice, encouraging him to make wise and thoughtful decisions in life.

When you realize the worlds only open to few
Kno understands that the opportunities in life are not equally available to everyone, and that many people face numerous barriers to success.

Will measure your worth, tether your hurt
One's worth and personal pain is often measured by the obstacles and challenges they face.

Its that same search that can lead you to church
The search for meaning and purpose in life can lead one to find solace in religion or spirituality.

But if they have the time to hate a whole race
Kno questions the priorities of people who have time to hate and discriminate against others based on race.

How do yall have the time to tel me about my faith?
Kno calls out those who are so focused on judging others based on religion or faith that they neglect to address their own shortcomings.

Do ya'll have time to discuss God's grace
Kno wonders if those who are so consumed with hate and intolerance ever stop to reflect on God's love and grace for all humanity.

If youre too busy studying the color of a face?
Kno suggests that those who are fixated on race and skin color may be missing the bigger picture and may be neglecting more important issues.

I don't follow man to avoid the disgrace of
Kno chooses to avoid shame and dishonor by not blindly following others, especially those who perpetuate hate and prejudice.

the closeminded culprits of southern mistakes
Kno holds the intolerant and bigoted people of the South responsible for the mistakes and injustices that have taken place there.

Glass houses built out of empty Coke bottles
Kno metaphorically describes the shallow and fragile nature of the homes of those who are hypocritical and judgmental, comparing them to makeshift Coke bottle structures.

Throwing rocks at statues of southern role models
Kno takes aim at unexamined reverence for traditionally lauded Southern figures who participate or enable systemic injustice and inequality.

Use to be followed by souls that are hollow
Kno refers to these former idols as having once had hollow hearts, being followed by people similarly without substance.

But had to much love to ever get swalloed
Yet those followers of the idol too had too much kindness and humanity to simply disappear into the shadows.

By the dark hearted people that threatened my kin
Kno alludes to the violence and threats that his own family members faced simply because of their race, making him acutely aware of the dangers of intolerance.

Spit on my friends for the color of their skin
Kno reflects on the unfairness of discrimination where his close friends are disdained over something as arbitrary as their physical makeup.

So when i think back to the clay that raised me
Kno considers his personal relationship to Georgia and how its history and people have shaped him.

I thank God for the strong man it made me
While the pain in the past was heavy, Kno finds strength and resilience in his upbringing and experiences.

Georgia Lee Andrews, raised a man wearin dad's pants plus her shoes
Natti introduces his grandmother Georgia Lee Andrews, who through her unconditional love, bestowed Natti's father with the strength and lessons to raise Natti well.

Never wavered in faith in her lovin embrace
Natti remembers the unwavering comfort of his grandmother's embrace as a manifestation of the care and love she held for her family.

That Garnett Lamar Bush would find a way to be great
Natti's grandmother believed that in spite of the challenges that his father faced, he would succeed and become great.

Even after plenty meals off juvy hall plates
Natti's father overcame the adversity of incarceration and youth detention and persevered to become a positive force in his son's life.

Calls at prison rates, pushed back release dates
Natti describes the pain of having his father incarcerated - the frequent phone calls and postponed release dates.

Only to come home to mere months of your smile
Unfortunately, Natti's father came back from prison to only have a brief window of time with his mother before her passing.

While the nigga you married to give me a dad behave foul
Natti reflects bitterly on his step-father who treated his mother, his father, and himself with disrespect.

Your massive stroke one of luck for him
Natti realizes that his step-father was fortunate to inherit the possessions of his grandmother who died of a stroke.

Kept the house, bought a car and a truck for him
Natti's step-father benefitted financially from his grandmother's passing, acquiring the house and flashy assets such as cars for himself.

Loved my brother too much to go and orphan him
Natti recognizes that his mother's protection and love for his brother is what drove her to stay with his step-father.

So his daddy walks this earth the only man I hate
Natti admits to harboring intense animosity towards his step-father for his considerable mistreatment of his family.

With the bitch he moved in a week after your wake
Natti's step-father showed little sympathy, moving in a woman soon after his grandmother's death.

Sure as Georgia birthed me, in Kentucky my state
Natti composes his own personal connection with Georgia (as he was born there) but declares Kentucky as his state.

Seem empty, without you holding your grandson
Natti grieves for his grandmother and how her absence means his own son can never experience the love and care she would have given him.

Who smiles at your picture, not a tooth in his mouth
Natti's son appreciates his grandmother even though he never met her, reflecting on how she would have reacted to his current state.

So handsome, you'da had him like mile left out
Natti ruminates on how much his grandmother would have adored his son.

You'da swore I had asthma as my breath came out
Natti emotionally exhales his sadness and sense of loss, likening it to asthma-induced breathing difficulty.

Missing you, feeling like the Lord did me bad
Natti bemoans the unfairness of his grandmother's early death and the emotional toll it takes on him.

But somewhat greater later when he made me dad
Natti reflects on the silver lining of his grandmother's absence being the joy that comes with being a father himself.

Bittersweet symphony simply played in pain
Natti expresses the pain and inner conflict he feels in losing his grandmother so young.

Encored by the tears that I strain to contain
Natti is unable to fully contain the emotions that his memories of his grandmother engender.

But sometimes I can't help it, sometimes I'm so selfish
Natti recognizes his own flaws in his inability to sometimes control his grief and mourning for his grandmother.

Feeling like God dont love you like I do
Natti wrestles with the feeling that God's love and care for him don't quite measure up to that of his grandmother.

Georgia
The chorus of the song repeats the state name in order to evoke the continued presence of Georgia's history and how it influences the emotions and experiences of its residents.