Aftermath
REM (R.E.M.) Lyrics

I’m just in the kitchen chillin’
I am currently relaxing in the kitchen

Makin’ my chili, bitchin’
Preparing chili and complaining

Where the fucks this kid, starting to think he’s gone missin’
Wondering where my child is and starting to worry that he might be missing

It’s quarter past eleven
It is currently 11:15 PM

But I’ll make the executive decision
I will make an important decision

To wait until midnight to go searchin’
Choosing to wait until midnight to start searching for my child

I’m sure he’s fine, he was hanging out with his buddy Ryan
Assuming my child is okay since he was with his friend Ryan

Listenin’ to Royce Da 5’9”, cause I put him and my daughter on since they was only children
My children are currently listening to music by Royce Da 5’9”, I introduced them to his music when they were younger

I stay milkin all my problems, ever since I had depression
I tend to dwell on my problems, especially since I have depression

My mind works in different ways, I can’t even listen to my lady
My thought process is unique and I struggle to listen to my partner

Telling me that I annoy her cause it makes me think she’s leaving me
When my partner tells me that I am annoying, I worry that she might leave me

Fuck paranoia
I am frustrated with my own paranoia

I don’t know yeah
I am uncertain and unsure of what to do

I got my own issues within this entire room
I have personal issues that affect my surroundings

I can’t even air out the elephant
I cannot address the obvious issue at hand

So fuck it take some mushrooms and snooze
I will consume psychedelic mushrooms and go to sleep

Got woken up out of a sleep to some phone call
I was awakened by a phone call while sleeping

From my son but it was the police on the other end
The call was from the police, not my son

Sayin to come meet
The police wanted me to come meet them

My son was holding a paint gun right next to Elm street
My son was holding a toy gun near Elm Street

And the police beat the hell out em
The police physically assaulted my son

And shot THREE! Times
The police shot my unarmed son three times

At an unarmed child
The police shot an innocent child who was unarmed

He wasn’t even wavin that shit
My son was not even pointing the toy gun

But just because he is mixed that don’t mean they thinkin with Logic
The police acted illogically because my son is of mixed race

I scream on the phone
I yelled into the phone

You motherfuckers best not had killed him
I told the police that they better not have killed my son

I hung up the phone, then I ran to get clothes
After hanging up the phone with the police, I quickly got dressed

I swung open the car door not tellin my family shit
I immediately got into my car and did not inform my family

I started choking up as im honkin on the horn stuck in traffic
I became emotional and started to cry while honking my car horn in traffic

I ain’t ready for this Aftermath
I am not prepared for the aftermath of this situation

Please don’t let me think that this is the aftermath
I am hoping that this is not the aftermath of my son's death

My son loved his dad, my son you can’t be gone
I am devastated by the loss of my son who loved me

Sorry I did you wrong, sorry I hit that bong
I regret my past mistakes, such as smoking marijuana

This feels like it only happens
I feel like this only happens

To people like me, family’s like mine
Families like mine are often affected by situations like this

Oh shit this is a one in a million
Although rare, this situation has happened to me

Except it’s 2019 and this police brutality
Despite the time period, police brutality is still an ongoing issue

That nobody realizes these cops are whats killin
People do not realize that the actions of the police are causing deaths

They call em the ops
The police are called "ops"

Because they are the opposite of what they supposed to be doin
The police are not doing what they are supposed to be doing

I get to the scene
I arrive at the location where my son was killed

And all that I see
All I can see

Is my son layin in the middle of the street
My son's body is lying in the middle of the street

They didn’t even have the decency to bring him onto the motherfuckin sidewalk
The police did not have the decency to move my son's body to the sidewalk

And let him have peace
Allow my son's body to rest in peace

Officer he ain’t know it was a paint gun
My son did not know the toy gun was mistaken for a real gun

Bitch bullets don’t shoot out lookin all orange and blue
Paint bullets do not appear to be real bullets

The fuck wrong with you
What is your problem?

That was my only son you motherfuckin fool
My son was my only child, and you are a complete idiot

Man I should get rid of you
I would like to get rid of you

I would kill for my son
I would do anything for my son

How the fuck did this happen
How did this situation occur?

Shit, last night we both didn’t go out cause we passed out on the couch nappin’
Last night, my son and I did not go out because we fell asleep on the couch

How can I explain this to my wife and his sister
I am unsure of how to explain this to my wife and daughter

Are you listening mister
Are you even listening to me?

When she gonna do when her brother can’t kiss her
How will my daughter cope without her brother to kiss her?

This was a 15 year old that you just shot in the dome
The police shot and killed a 15 year old child

Took out his phone to call to his home
My son was attempting to call home before he died

That he had just passed
That he had just died

Lemme guess deep down you laughed
I assume that you secretly found this amusing

You said another rugrat off the street
You referred to my son as just another child off the street

Bitch you a rough draft of police
You are a poor example of a police officer

Killin these innocent lives
The police are responsible for taking innocent lives

And complainin when you get 25
The police complain about their job even though they chose it themselves

Bitch lemme take your sons life and see how you like it
I challenge you to experience the loss of a child yourself

Motherfucker you might get extradicted
You may get extradited and face legal consequences

Back to the hell that you came from
You should return to the place that you belong

Fuck you and that whole station
I am extremely angry at both you and the police department

For hiring you and them letting this happen
The police department is responsible for hiring you and allowing these incidents to occur

Give me a slap on the wrist and I tap in
Your punishment will not be sufficient

My son got forced out of a future
My son's life was taken away, preventing him from having a future

Now all I see on the computers
The only thing I can see on the internet

Is a hashtag with his name next to it
A social media hashtag with my son's name

And people sayin this aint what Martin Luther
Some people argue that this is not what Martin Luther King Jr. would have wanted

Was talkin about at all
This is not in line with Martin Luther King Jr.'s teachings

You motherfuckers need to rethink what you doin
The police must reconsider their actions

So other families don’t end up losin a loved one
To prevent other families from experiencing the loss of a loved one

About, police brutality
The song focuses on police brutality

I said I ain’t ready for this Aftermath
I am not prepared for the aftermath of my son's death

That made me fall asleep
This situation made me so emotional that I fell asleep

Instead goin to look
Instead of going to see my son

My son I love you...
I love my son

Look this was all fictional but
This story is fictional, but

Don't let police brutality end up like this
We must work to prevent police brutality and similar tragedies from occurring

Fix your ways
The police must change their ways