Shades of Brown
MDC Lyrics

They say the darkest hour is just before the dawn
Bad things happen right before things start to get better.

In chess, without exception, white moves the first pawn
White is typically associated with good, while black is typically associated with bad.

They called it "Black Tuesday" when the stock market crashed
A stock market crash was labeled "Black Tuesday."

A fix in 1919 turned the White Sox to Black
A scandal made the previously white-wearing baseball team become known as the Black Sox.

Black balled, black magic, executioner's hood
"Black balled" and "black magic" are examples of negative things associated with the color black, while "executioner's hood" is an illustration of death associated with the color black.

White hatted, white horsed, champion of good
Positive descriptions of someone who is associated with the color white.

Black knight of Dark Ages on the darkest night
A negative descriptor for someone who is associated with the color black.

The Pope walks in truth, head to toe in white
A positive descriptor of a person associated with the color white.

[Chorus:] Who started all this bullshit - were they looking for a fight? You didn't have to be there to know that they were white But when you're talking skin tone, let's not fuck around Cause no one's really black or white, we're all just shades of brown
Skin color has been used as an excuse to oppress others, but in reality, everyone is born with a unique skin color. The song encourages people to stop focusing on skin color and start seeing each other as people.

Black hearted, black beard on the briney deep Or the family outcast you call the black sheep Days of black plague - draw your final breath Heading for heaven white dying of Black Death
More examples of negative things associated with the color black and positive things associated with the color white.

Mankind is preoccupied to keep each other down Some use superstition, a Bible or a crown At best it's fear and ignorance, at worst, it's a sin Not God and country, king or crown, it's the pigment of our skin
People have used various means to oppress others, but ultimately, the color of someone's skin should not be the deciding factor in how they are treated.

Used to reinforce what's wrong or right It's really just the presence or absence of light In the blackest hour of the blackest day It isn't mighty white of us, but we gotta say
The colors black and white have been used to reinforce what is perceived as good or bad, but in reality, it's just about the presence or absence of light. The song calls out those who perpetuate this mindset.

[Chorus]
Reiteration of the chorus about how skin color should not be a deciding factor in how people are treated.

White when your marry, black when you die A racial hierarchy, a festering white lie White stands for ignorance, pure and sincere But if you're talking bigotry it should be crystal clear
Even common phrases that reference skin color perpetuate the idea that one color is superior to the other. The song points out that this hierarchy of color is not true and only serves to reinforce bigotry.

The new world becond, the immigrants came Homogenized their culture, anglicized their names Then they painted Jesus, blonde with eyes of blue Not a Nazarene, more a nazi than a Jew
When immigrants came to the New World, they were forced to give up their culture and names in order to assimilate. Even religious figures, like Jesus, were distorted to fit the image of a white, blonde-haired, and blue-eyed man, despite his origins as a Nazarene man from the Middle East.

In the black revolution with their Black Power found Till their leaders were all jailed or stomped into the ground And the final step ironic - to nail that coffin tight The powder of enslavement in their glassine bags of white
The black revolution was gaining momentum with the concept of Black Power, but its leaders were either jailed or killed. The song highlights the irony that a white, powdery substance (presumably cocaine) was being used for enslavement while at the same time being associated with innocence and purity.

[repeat chorus until this white male power structure falls]
The song ends with a call to action for the white male power structure to fall, and for everyone to start seeing each other as equal human beings.