we have tried to muzzle retribution with some cash over here
some land over here, hoping it will see us through
so that this generation, our generation, can keep on doing
what white people have a tendency to do
but we’re not just going to shed our skin, begin again, begin anew
no, we haven’t outgrown our history yet
here we are, still a perfect fit in that blue pin-stripped suit
with blood and oil stains all over it
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched
and what a blow to the ego it must have been
when we could not even see who it was
now all the kids who have been picked on and living in fear
suddenly they find themselves grinning sea to sea and ear to ear
the land of the brave and the home of the free, we’re still robbing the ghetto
and we’re branding it and selling it to the suburbs for $85.93
this is before taxes, of course, which have just been raised because
“we need to help fight terrorism” and we’re trying to “preserve”
what’s being called “democracy”
well forgive me for being so cynical, but I don’t get it
I can’t seem to see how it is that a new SUV and Tommy Hilfiger
are gonna keep this first-world nation fancy free?
how is all that spending going to keep us fancy free?
when there are still so many black people who are pissed at us
and there’s still so many Latino/a people, and Asian people
and Native American people who have no reason at all to trust us
and the Middle East is fed right up and Cuba just thinks we’re all nuts
and here I am in my white skin, privileged, and bouncing from
hemisphere to hemisphere thinking “where would I like to be today?
where can I find peace and safety? do they even exist anymore?”
if they do, I think every human spirit deserves to live under those conditions
but I’m afraid that the west has an agenda to start world war three
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched…
Australia is tying the U.S. troops’ laces and Canada we have a long history
of adding our 18 year old faces and Britain they’re begging to be the best man while the U.S. continues down that aisle of destruction
and if the government doesn’t do it first
I personally think that Momma Earth will
she’s going to evict us all because we haven’t paid the rent
and we’ve trashed this place nearly beyond repair
and for once in my little life, I have to admit I’m scared
every time I look at the newspaper and every time I turn on the TV
I am reminded that they think we’re sheep
they’re trying to selling us fear and they’re disguising it so cleverly as patriotism
they’re hoping we’re going to work ourselves into a little tizzy
and in our tizzy, we’re not going to notice that we’ve been
systematically stripped of every single one of our civil liberties
well, I’m insulted that they think you and I are this stupid
and I’m insulted that they’re trying to teach us how to hate
but maybe in one little way it is working because I’ve worked myself
into quite a state and I am pissed off right through to my core
I’m pissed off with millions and millions and millions more
And we’re saying:
in the name of democracy, in the name of freedom, in the name of liberation
you might declare it a war, but it’s not in my name
not now, not ever
it’s not in my name
not like this
never
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched…we have tried to muzzle retribution with some cash over here
some land over here, hoping it will see us through
so that this generation, our generation, can keep on doing
what white people have a tendency to do
but we’re not just going to shed our skin, begin again, begin anew
no, we haven’t outgrown our history yet
here we are, still a perfect fit in that blue pin-stripped suit
with blood and oil stains all over it
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched
and what a blow to the ego it must have been
when we could not even see who it was
now all the kids who have been picked on and living in fear
suddenly they find themselves grinning sea to sea and ear to ear
the land of the brave and the home of the free, we’re still robbing the ghetto
and we’re branding it and selling it to the suburbs for $85.93
this is before taxes, of course, which have just been raised because
“we need to help fight terrorism” and we’re trying to “preserve”
what’s being called “democracy”
well forgive me for being so cynical, but I don’t get it
I can’t seem to see how it is that a new SUV and Tommy Hilfiger
are gonna keep this first-world nation fancy free?
how is all that spending going to keep us fancy free?
when there are still so many black people who are pissed at us
and there’s still so many Latino/a people, and Asian people
and Native American people who have no reason at all to trust us
and the Middle East is fed right up and Cuba just thinks we’re all nuts
and here I am in my white skin, privileged, and bouncing from
hemisphere to hemisphere thinking “where would I like to be today?
where can I find peace and safety? do they even exist anymore?”
if they do, I think every human spirit deserves to live under those conditions
but I’m afraid that the west has an agenda to start world war three
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched…
Australia is tying the U.S. troops’ laces and Canada we have a long history
of adding our 18 year old faces and Britain they’re begging to be the best man while the U.S. continues down that aisle of destruction
and if the government doesn’t do it first
I personally think that Momma Earth will
she’s going to evict us all because we haven’t paid the rent
and we’ve trashed this place nearly beyond repair
and for once in my little life, I have to admit I’m scared
every time I look at the newspaper and every time I turn on the TV
I am reminded that they think we’re sheep
they’re trying to selling us fear and they’re disguising it so cleverly as patriotism
they’re hoping we’re going to work ourselves into a little tizzy
and in our tizzy, we’re not going to notice that we’ve been
systematically stripped of every single one of our civil liberties
well, I’m insulted that they think you and I are this stupid
and I’m insulted that they’re trying to teach us how to hate
but maybe in one little way it is working because I’ve worked myself
into quite a state and I am pissed off right through to my core
I’m pissed off with millions and millions and millions more
And we’re saying:
in the name of democracy, in the name of freedom, in the name of liberation
you might declare it a war, but it’s not in my name
not now, not ever
it’s not in my name
not like this
never
what a rare day on the school yard when the bully gets sucker punched…

---

DISCOGRAPHY