My People
DJ Jazzy Jeff Lyrics

I've seen streets we're youth are forced to take the long way home
I have observed situations where young people are forced to take long routes back home because their normal paths are not safe for them.

And I've seen mothers mourn the loss of there only born
I have witnessed mothers grieving the death of their only child.

Still I believe we are given nothin more than we can beg
I strongly believe that we are only given what we can handle or ask for.

A vision is only blurred when life seems unfair
Our vision and sense of direction are clouded when we feel that life is being unfair to us.

Who am I to judge the man with the needle in his veins
I cannot judge someone who is using drugs to escape their pain and struggles.

When he's just chasing freedom to escape the pain
He is trying to find freedom from the emotional pain and hardship he is experiencing.

Of the worlds fast paced pipe dreams and shortcomings
He is trying to escape the world of unrealistic expectations and constant disappointments.

He's just trying to make do and find a way out of nothing
He's just trying to survive and find a way out of his current situation that seems hopeless.

Its like we damned if we do and damned if we don't
We are in deep trouble whether we take action or not, we can't seem to do what is right all the time.

And it's a very thin line between respect and being broke
Respect is easily lost, and one can be left with nothing in a short time span.

And being one red button away from world war three
We are always just one mistake from experiencing another world war.

Always called the minority
We are always referred to as the minority.

And always always pulled over
We are constantly targeted and harassed by law enforcement agencies.

Facing police brutality
We are subjected to police brutalities.

Why is every street a living hell
We are living in a constant state of turmoil and struggle in every street.

Probably cause they want us to fail
It's possible that some people or systems want us to fail.

Yeah three strikes and surely back to jail
If we commit three offenses, we are sentenced to jail time without bail.

Like the slave ships when they sail
We are still deeply affected by the pains and afflictions from the era of slave trade.

Years and years of civil rights chasing to pass that bill
It took several years of fighting and advocating for civil rights to get bills passed into law.

But ask yourself people have we changed or are we standing still
We need to ask ourselves if we have made any progress or still experience the same hardships and inequalities.

Down and out struggling
We are having a difficult time coping and surviving.

In this concrete jungle
We are living in a society that is harsh and unforgiving.

One check away from starvation, poverty
We are financially unstable and on the brink of poverty.

But they say being free is about speaking your mind
We are told that freedom means being able to express our opinions and beliefs.

Prophesise too much and that's where they draw the line
They silence us when we speak too much truth and reveal too much of the reality of our situation.

A line as thin as the line between war and peace
The line between war and peace is very delicate and easily crossed over.

A line as thin as the line between west and east
The line between the western and eastern cultures is very fragile and can be easily disrupted.

My people whose pains are cornered
My people are cornered and trapped in their pain and struggles.

My peoples all shapes and colours
My people come in all different shapes, sizes, and colors.

My peoples got more peoples with ills
My people have more people that are suffering and in need of help and support.

That's more peoples more sistas and brothas
There are more sisters and brothers in my community that are facing hardship.

My peoples will never fail
My people will always persevere and be strong in the face of adversity.

My peoples will always remain
My people will continue to exist and make their mark on the world.

Remain with a story to tell
We will always have a story to tell and experiences to share that inform future generations.

My peoples was paints on the door
My people were marked and identified as property during the era of slavery, but they are now free.

My peoples got more peoples in jail
There are more people in my community that are incarcerated and imprisoned.

More people more sistaz and brothers
There are more sisters and brothers in my community that are facing the hardships of imprisonment.