Language Barrier Interlude by Graphene Lyrics
[Toni Morrison]
“We die, that may be the meaning of life
But we do language, that may be the measure of our lives.”
[Verse: Graphene]
Language is the bridge yet the disconnector
Separating worlds but yet intersecting
The line between me and you
I gotta say God made a hell of a move
To make the body universal and a hell of tool
To show you love me or that you’re in a hell of a mood
And make you yearn for better places with a hell of a view
Yeah a hell of a view
That’s that conditioning that’s not for your hair
Where you live your life wishing that you were more prepared
By the schools and your parents
Feel if they really cared
They would’ve built you elevators instead of taking the stairs
In life
Disregarding that the rules weren’t fair for your people
But you get taught that your mouth is a flare
Yelling save me
If you ever acknowledge it’s rare
We ever run the same race like the tortoise and hare
The shit different
Man on everything I love I promise
The shit different
Had to say it twice so that all of y’all could see the difference
Between the family of the victim and the family of the witness
And the neighbor who called the cops cause they don’t ever mind they fucking business
They’ll give you the run around if you don’t mind your fitness
They passing these guns around just to watch them sentence
Niggas to couple years
Watch families shed cups of tears
Word to James Baldwin our little brothers need repentance
Yeah word to James Baldwin our little brothers need repentance
Father God I know the things you do come with a purpose
One day I know you’ll lift the veil and open the curtains
So they can see into our culture but beyond the surface
Cause when my sisters go in labor doc can’t see that see that she’s hurting
I guess they can’t see that she’s hurting
They either think she’s too strong or her life’s unimportant
Well One thing is for certain
If they learned our language like we learned theirs then they could probably save them a person
Or two
Or three
[James Baldwin]
“I am not a ward of America
I am not an object of missionary charity
I am one of the people who built the country
Until this moment, there is scarcely any hope for the American dream
Because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence will wreck it
And if that happens, it’s a very grave moment for the West
Thank you
“We die, that may be the meaning of life
But we do language, that may be the measure of our lives.”
[Verse: Graphene]
Language is the bridge yet the disconnector
Separating worlds but yet intersecting
The line between me and you
I gotta say God made a hell of a move
To make the body universal and a hell of tool
To show you love me or that you’re in a hell of a mood
And make you yearn for better places with a hell of a view
Yeah a hell of a view
That’s that conditioning that’s not for your hair
Where you live your life wishing that you were more prepared
By the schools and your parents
Feel if they really cared
They would’ve built you elevators instead of taking the stairs
In life
Disregarding that the rules weren’t fair for your people
But you get taught that your mouth is a flare
Yelling save me
If you ever acknowledge it’s rare
We ever run the same race like the tortoise and hare
The shit different
Man on everything I love I promise
The shit different
Had to say it twice so that all of y’all could see the difference
Between the family of the victim and the family of the witness
And the neighbor who called the cops cause they don’t ever mind they fucking business
They’ll give you the run around if you don’t mind your fitness
They passing these guns around just to watch them sentence
Niggas to couple years
Watch families shed cups of tears
Word to James Baldwin our little brothers need repentance
Yeah word to James Baldwin our little brothers need repentance
Father God I know the things you do come with a purpose
One day I know you’ll lift the veil and open the curtains
So they can see into our culture but beyond the surface
Cause when my sisters go in labor doc can’t see that see that she’s hurting
I guess they can’t see that she’s hurting
They either think she’s too strong or her life’s unimportant
Well One thing is for certain
If they learned our language like we learned theirs then they could probably save them a person
Or two
Or three
[James Baldwin]
“I am not a ward of America
I am not an object of missionary charity
I am one of the people who built the country
Until this moment, there is scarcely any hope for the American dream
Because the people who are denied participation in it, by their very presence will wreck it
And if that happens, it’s a very grave moment for the West
Thank you