Miss Busdriver
Eligh Lyrics

Danger from East Oakland, black sheep, like me,
Growing up in East Oakland, Eligh felt like an outsider and could relate to those who were marginalized.

She kept her front door open,
Miss Rachel was welcoming and open-hearted to her neighbors.

They call her Miss Rachel,
Miss Rachel was a respected figure in her community.

When she'd open her heart to where neighbors in the O,
She shared her love and kindness with those in her community.

Lived there too, and when I did,
Eligh was also a resident of East Oakland.

She drove that bus through the cuts where most white folks could never live,
Miss Rachel was a bus driver in East Oakland, an area where many white people would not feel safe or comfortable living.

And I... had a woman in my family,
Eligh had a female family member whom he could relate to in some way.

Who I could identify with a certain way, yes,
He felt a connection with this family member.

I could play my music understood by my aunt.
His aunt appreciated his music and understood its meaning.

One of the first songs ever made with the Grouch,
Eligh collaborated with The Grouch on one of his earliest songs.

Sat with her in the pickup truck and played that shit real loud,
Eligh played his music with his aunt in a pickup truck at a high volume.

I had my proud face on when she came to see me rap,
He was proud of his work and wanted to show it off to his aunt.

Her claps were heard from the back,
His aunt showed support and enthusiasm for his music.

No [?] and things, we never trace,
They enjoyed music without any negativity or judgment getting in the way.

In fact, she liked the Simple Man song,
His aunt appreciated the song 'Simple Man.'

This woman ran strong, her energy is long, for decades and beyond.
Miss Rachel had a strong and enduring presence in her community.

Generosity, characteristic not found these days,
Miss Rachel possessed a level of generosity that is rare in today's world.

A willingness to expose your soul,
Miss Rachel was open and vulnerable with others.

Give it all in a gaze, of love,
She shared her love and compassion through her gaze.

Compassion for your fellow men so rare,
She had a rare level of compassion for her fellow human beings.

So there, I guess he needed a bus driver with flare,
Eligh believed that his community needed Miss Rachel's unique qualities, including her spark and energy as a bus driver.

Who would never charge an angel a fare,
Miss Rachel would never charge someone she saw as an angel for bus fare.

Just get them all to care for the human beings,
Her focus was on inspiring others to care for and value their fellow human beings.

So need to guard, and whisper in the ear to kill the fear,
She would reassure and comfort others to help them overcome their fears.

Her mother Helen taught them empower women,
Miss Rachel's mother taught her and her siblings to empower women.

Some men would take it like a sour lemon,
Some men would react negatively to Miss Rachel's strong and empowered attitude.

And scrounge their face up, wait up,
These men would make negative facial expressions in response to Miss Rachel's attitude.

Don't raise your hands up,
She would prevent conflict by telling them not to react with violence.

She'd make you sit down, now take a seat now,
Miss Rachel would assert herself and make these men sit down and listen to her.

She'd get the band up in Ellis Street,
She would organize musical performances on Ellis Street.

Make a fellow tap his feet,
Her music brought joy and excitement to others.

Now a part of the universal tapestry,
Miss Rachel's impact on her community is a part of a larger universal story.

Looking out for Margret on the back-beat,
She looked out for a woman named Margaret during musical performances.

Mom and Dad and Rachel on the tag team,
Her parents and Miss Rachel worked together as a team to empower women and create positive change.

And man, if you ask me, it's not sad,
Eligh believes that the work Miss Rachel did was not a sad thing, but rather a positive and inspiring one.

It's actually an angel that we needed in the brinks to harmonize planetary harmony and [?]
Miss Rachel was an angelic presence in her community and played a role in bringing harmony to the planet.

Miss Busdriver, can't find my way home,
Eligh is lost and needs guidance, symbolized by Miss Busdriver.

Can you pick my spirit up and take me to a safe zone,
He is asking for help from Miss Busdriver to lift his spirits and give him a sense of safety.

Angel of the O, can you play music for your folks,
Miss Rachel's angelic presence is invoked again, as Eligh asks her to use music to uplift her community.

I'm kinda down I need to hear the notes
Eligh is feeling low and needs the music to uplift him.

You're not around but I can feel the hope.
Even though Miss Rachel is no longer physically present, her positive impact on the community is still felt.