I Can't Write Left Handed
John Legend & The Roots Lyrics

I can't write left-handed.
The singer is unable to write with his left hand.

Would you please write a letter to my mother?
The singer asks someone to write a letter to his mother.

Tell her to tell-tell her to tell the family lawyer.
The singer wants his mother to tell the family lawyer something.

Yeah I'm trying to get a deferment for my younger brother.
The singer is trying to get a deferment for his younger brother.

Tell the Reverend Harris to pray for me.
The singer wants someone to tell the Reverend Harris to pray for him.

Said I ain't gonna live
The singer thinks he is not going to live.

Ain't gonna live to get much older.
The singer believes he won't live a long life.

Strange little man over here in Vietnam
There is someone strange in Vietnam.

I ain't I ain't never seen,
The singer has never seen this person before.

Bless his heart, ain't never done nothing to,
The singer feels sorry for the person because they have not done anything wrong.

He done shot me in my shoulder
The person shot the singer in his shoulder.

Boot camp we had classes, yeah, yeah
The singer had classes at boot camp.

You know we talked about fighting-fighting everyday, yeah
The singer and others at boot camp talked about fighting every day.

And looking through rosy rosy colored glasses, oh yeah
The singer looked at things positively.

I must admit it seemed exciting anyway.
The singer found it exciting even though it was dangerous.

Something they overlooked to tell me, yeah
There was something important the singer was not told.

The bullets look better, I must say
The singer thinks bullets look better than they actually are.

Brother-brother when they're not coming at you, yeah
Bullets are better when they aren't coming at you.

Than going out the other way
The singer would rather have bullets not coming towards him than going out from him.

So please call up the Reverend Harris. (call up the Reverend Harris)
The singer wants someone to call the Reverend Harris again.

Tell him to ask the Lord to do some good things for me, yeah yeah yeah yeah
The singer wants the Reverend Harris to ask the Lord to do good things for him.

I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live, I ain't gonna live to get much older, yeah
The singer thinks he is going to die soon.

In my shoulder
The bullet shot the singer in his shoulder.

Shot me in my shoulder, yeah yeah
The bullet hit the singer in his shoulder.

Oh Lord, Lord
The singer is seeking guidance from the Lord.

I can't write left-handed.
The singer is unable to write with his left hand.