People Like Me
K'naan Lyrics

Heaven, is there a chance that you could come down
Asking if there is a God that could help and support those who are struggling

And open doors to hurting people like me
To provide opportunities and help for those who are in need and suffering

People like me
Referring to those who are struggling and need help

Is it fair to say that I am stressing out
Acknowledging that being in a difficult situation can cause stress and anxiety

I'm stationed in Iraq and they won't let me out
Being stuck in a dangerous and stressful situation with no way to leave

My homeys said I was stupid for even joining
Friends criticizing and belittling the decision to join the military

My counselor said that my decision was disappointing
Feeling judged and ashamed for the decision to join the military

How she had good for good state colleges
Being told that there were other opportunities and paths that would have been better

And with my good grades it wouldn't have been a problem
Having the potential to succeed in other areas, but feeling stuck in the current situation

But they don't understand the power of significance
The importance and personal significance of the decision to join the military

More than brilliance and certainly more than difference
The decision was based on personal conviction and values, not just on intelligence or differences

And if you ask me now would I repeat it
Reflecting on the decision to join the military and whether it was the right choice

Would I fight in a war I don't believe in
Questioning the morality and purpose of the war being fought

Well the answer is if not me where the cancer is
Feeling a sense of responsibility and duty to fight for a cause despite personal beliefs

They been doing this before Jesus of Nazareth
Recognizing the long history of war and conflict that has existed for centuries

And after all this time it is still deadly hazardous
Realizing the ongoing danger and risk involved in fighting wars

And bush isn't really being all that inaccurate
Acknowledging that Bush's claims of winning the war are not entirely false

When he says we're winning the war cos its staggering
The high numbers of deaths and destruction show that progress is being made in the war effort

But that's cause we're killing everybody that we see
Realizing the moral implications of killing and destruction for the sake of winning a war

And most of us soldiers we can barely fall asleep
The stress and trauma of war makes it difficult to rest and sleep

And time and time again I'm feeling incompetent
The pressure and expectations of being a soldier can lead to feeling ineffective and insufficient

Cos my women back home, we're constantly arguing
Having relationship problems while away at war, causing further stress and anxiety

And I must be crazy cos all I'm obsessing with is
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to manage the situation at hand, leading to fixation on small issues

Her Myspace and Facebook and who's commenting
Feeling jealous and insecure about the partner's online interactions and social media activity

I swear to god if she's cheatin' I'm doing her ass in
Expressing anger and a sense of betrayal if the partner is found to be unfaithful

I can tell with one look and it came to me
Feeling suspicious of the partner's actions and attitudes, leading to a sense of paranoia

Meet Sarah, the proud mother of young Sebastian
Introducing a character who is going through her own struggles and difficulties

Suburban professional went to college in shton
Describing Sarah's background and education level

In self pity she suddenly cried
Feeling sorry for herself and overwhelmed by her situation

Would my life be important if I suddenly died?
Questioning the value and significance of her own life and existence

Neighbors saying what a nice women she was
Being perceived positively by those around her, despite personal struggles

Keeping mostly to herself ever since the divorce
Isolating herself from others after a difficult divorce and the loss of a partner

And with the company downsizing and the fall and all
Losing her job due to corporate downsizing and a struggling economy

She really shouldn't take it that personal at all
Being told not to take the job loss personally or as a reflection of her own value

It wasn't her boss who had his eyes on her thighs
Feeling objectified and discriminated against in the workplace

And got a rise from her rising off the desk though
Being taken advantage of and harassed in a professional setting

And despite remembering saying no plenty of times
Being pressured and coerced into uncomfortable and unwanted situations

It was still a damn surprise being let go
Feeling shocked and hurt by the sudden job loss

And now stuck with a mortgage she cant afford
Feeling trapped and overwhelmed by financial responsibilities and obligations

And too educated to blame the corporate world
Feeling powerless and unable to blame the system and structures that led to her current situation

She got on welfare and hated it case work a power tripping
Feeling judged and disrespected while receiving government assistance

And generally being degraded if
Feeling demeaned and insulted due to being on welfare and in need of assistance

Nothing else she was treated sick
Feeling like a burden and a problem to others, rather than a person deserving of compassion and help

And ineffective which is the worst thing
Feeling helpless and unable to improve her situation, leading to a sense of despair

That she'd been left with
Feeling stuck and trapped in a difficult situation with few options

Damn, no magic from David Blane
Feeling like there is no hope or help available, like the absence of a magician's trick

No painter to pain this pain
Feeling like there is no way to express and communicate the depth of her pain

No Morgan Freeman to narrate the shame
Feeling like there is no one to validate and legitimize her experience and hardships

So she took refuge and prayer
Turning to religion and spirituality as a source of comfort and hope

Kinda like finding god in the phone book
Humorously comparing the search for comfort and reassurance to a mundane task like using a phone book

And it came to her sounding something like a song hook
Finding solace and inspiration in music, particularly the chorus of a song

I guess I told you about myself to a degree
Reflecting on the personal stories shared in the song and how they relate to the artist

Just by telling you about people like me
Using the examples of others to illustrate the struggles and hardships faced by many people in society

But people like me they speak politely
Despite facing difficult circumstances, those in need often show respect and kindness towards others

They don't start no beef or peace
Not instigating conflict or violence, but also not given peace and opportunity

Everybody gotta eat but everybody doesn't
Everyone has basic needs like food, but not everyone has access to those needs

Which is why I want to tell you about my favorite cousin
Introducing another personal story of someone who has faced struggles and hardships, but remains important to the artist

He and I grew up where the sun shines
Describing a shared background and location with the cousin

And we both partook with the gun crimes
Acknowledging past involvement in illegal activity with firearms

And we both liked American rap rhymes
Sharing a common interest in American hip-hop music

Even though we didn't understand one line
Appreciating a genre of music despite not fully understanding the language or culture it represents

If you remember my line of notes in my last album
Referencing a previous song and album to show continuity and connection with the current work

I talked about a close call with a grenade
Recalling a dangerous and traumatic experience with explosive weaponry

I think we both must have been about 7th grade
Realizing the young age at which the dangerous incident occurred

But don't panic we both survived without damage
Finding hope and assurance in the fact that both individuals were able to survive and recover from the experience

But we developed a bond like we survived the titanic
Creating a strong and enduring friendship as a result of shared trauma and hardship

But when the country became frantic
When political tensions and conflicts arose in the country

My mother tried to get us out, planned it
Attempting to leave the dangerous and unstable environment with the help of family members

To the last detail except the plan got derailed
Having a meticulous and detailed plan, but encountering unexpected obstacles

Cos there wasn't enough money for the plain tickets
Being unable to escape due to financial limitations and struggles

How bitter when my mother had to chose who to take with her
Feeling resentment and sadness at having to be separated from loved ones and making tough decisions about who to prioritize

So my cousin got left in the war and that's just hard to recall
Remembering the pain and guilt over leaving a loved one behind in a dangerous and unstable environment

But now I take refuge and prayer
Turning to religion and faith as a source of comfort and hope in difficult times

Kinda like finding god in the phone book
Humorously likening the search for solace to a mundane task like using a phone book

It came to me sounding kinda like something from a song hook
Finding inspiration and hope in music, particularly the chorus of a song