Intoxicated

Sitting here wondering how to find a way
Can’t get rid of this feeling
Take him out of my head
I don’t know
I can’t find the words to say
Would I be falling in love with?
Someone that I hate
My arms my lungs my blood my heart
It’s ruling every single part
Going through my veins like a poison
I’m breathing in I’m breathing out
Trying to push him back so hard
Gotta find my way out of this prison

(chorus)
I’m intoxicated
Falling slowly
I’m intoxicated
Someone save me

I think about him and I still don’t understand
He’s holding my spirit in the palm of his hand
I’m possessed, defenceless
Feels like he’s running after me
Can somebody set me free?

(chorus)

Intoxicated, slowly falling more and more
Someone set me free
Don’t wanna surrender to love
My arms my lungs my blood my heart
It’s ruling every single part
Going through my veins like a poison
I’m breathing in I’m breathing out
Trying to push him back so hard
Gotta find my way out of this prison

(chorus)

The Day That I Died

The day that I died kids were playing outside
The sun was out, folks taking a drive to the countryside
No-one cried, or even realized I was ever alive
No one recognized that bum on the train slumming for change
Stumbling in pain, but we are one and the same
Before today I had a name
Corporal Willie James, I flew fighter planes
You know, in the big one
No, no not this one, not as many victims
I was a kid then
Given my missions, I didn’t pick them
It was either that or prison
So I chose enlistment
See I killed for the GI bill
There’s no need to read my will
I couldn’t leave nothing but a button
And got no-one left but a cousin
And he ain’t coming
On the day that I died

I’ve been laying here for quite a while
I guess it’s been a long time since the day that I died
They never understood, neither did I
They said I had it all but was acting like a child
I played a deadly game against myself
Stared in my reflection looking for someone else
Starved myself to find a way to satisfy
All the voices arguing inside my mind

The day that I died nobody came to my side
Birds stayed in the sky, bees celebrated the hive
My inner child cried and I must hate him inside
I tried so hard to kill him when I was alive
See sometimes death wears a disguise
Just another guy that was once careful and wise
Now I got nurses afraid to stare in my eyes
It hurts to leave my parents alive
Living with the lies that I tried to hide
Not to mention the lovers that I sentenced to death
With my penchant for sex
Sweet words and a tender caress
Guilty of innocence and I meant to confess
Maybe next time I’ll remember to check
Unfortunately next time will never be next

How ‘Bout It Baby

New York City 2006
I took a little trip downtown to the Fish
And as I walked in before I ordered my drink
I caught a glimpse of a beauty that tickled me pink
So listen
She walked by right in front of the jukebox
My jaw dropped, seemed like even the tune stopped
We exchanged a glance
I took a chance and followed her to make an advance
Cause I could not control it
I knew that she could see I noticed it too
And I was hoping that it was more than just another trip to the door
She might as well have been ridin’ a clamshell
And by the inner beauty that a lyricist can’t spell
And even though I knew that she’d probably play me
I was like, “how ‘bout it baby?”

She went outside to talk to a friend
I didn’t wanna interrupt her & try to cut in
But then her friend said hello
She needed a flame and luckily I had a match and I told her my name
And we all chit chatted and we headed inside
I didn’t wanna suffocate her, she was feeling my vibe
So I played the wall
But before she left we had a quick conversation and I was impressed
I said, “What’s your job and whatcha wanna do next? Why d’ya look my way?”
She didn’t wanna say
“What’s your favourite flower? Is it roses?”
I listened up and she took it away
She said, “What’s your sign and what time were you born at? Where did you grow up?”
Leo, 5 and Philly
“What’s your background? How can I describe you?”
A black Jew, I’m silly but how ‘bout it baby?

Even if I knew that she was married when I met her
I could never understand exactly why I sweat her
She got me hot and bothered and she didn’t want a dollar
I wanna thank her mama and her father for the honor
But wait
She’s separated
Outrageous
But I was sorta shallow
I couldn’t escape the fact that I was attracted to her aloe vera
Smooth epidermis
And to this day she makes me nervous
Trying to hide it from her, now I know it really isn’t worth it cause she noticed
To make matters worse she was gorgeous
Mentally as well as all the features on her surface
She was lovely
And even though I knew she didn’t love me
She had a way of making every other beauty ugly
And every time I see her I’m reminded why she makes me smile
She’s got it goin’ on
Every time I see her I’m reminded
She’s the reason that I wrote this song
I said, every time I see her I’m reminded why she makes me smile
She’s got it goin’ on
Every time I see her I’m reminded
She drives me crazy, how ‘bout it baby?

 If You Don’t Know

When I think about the branches of my family tree
I see the roots underground in the land of the free
But they were choked by the weeds and the vandalous thieves
Branded and keyed
Beaten like a gamblers knees
I can’t weep for the willow
I’m angry as bees demanding a queen
Trapped by humanity’s greed
I give thanks that my ancestors planted a seed
So I know I can’t sleep til I abandon the dream
I don’t count sheep
I’m living with my eyes open
Trying to laugh and act happy like God’s joking
The poems I rhyme remind me to find hope
And I’m keeping my mind focused following divine motion
But I get paid to glance down over the waves that buried the slaves
And gave evolution a stage
In a plane I can’t fathom or imagine the pain
The same teardrops rage every time that it rains

(chorus)
If you don’t know where you come from
How you’re gonna know how to go through what you go through
(How you gonna know, how you gonna know
If you don’t know where you come from?)

Travelling around the world carrying a heavy weight
Here in this suitcase, the struggles that my family faces
Anywhere that I go I’m still riding the same train
On the same stage in the same play
Even if the faces change
Can I cry when I know the things they’ve been through?
Can I smile when I know how much they cried?
Should I lie to myself when I know the past?
I guess I’ll try my best to carry on
Because I know where I come from

(chorus)

The pain of the past can easily eclipse the present
But raindrops relieve tears like kisses from heaven
And they’re flooding the streets deeper than a busted levy
They try to smile on the news, I don’t trust the TV
Cause there’s another branch breaking and you can’t feel it
And there’s another tree falling and you can’t hear it
We’re the lost generation of youth looking for truth
It’s a strange fruit trying to change suit with the same roots, but yo
Can I cry when I know the things they’ve been through?
Can I smile when I know how much they cried?
Should I lie to myself when I know the past?
I guess I’ll try my best to carry on
Because I know where I come from

I’ll Be Right Back

Friday night and I look nice
The night is mine
Sitting in front of this middle aged guy that I met online
Looking in my eyes when he talks to me
I can see that he’s my type
Thinking to myself am I the kinda clothing that I wanna wear next time
But then the food came out
He was talking with it filling up his mouth
Had a chicken finger falling on my blouse
Hell no I’m not going to your house
There’s been an emergency; I left my poodle in surgery
I gotta leave now but I won’t be long
Where’s the jukebox
Let me play you a song

(chorus)
I’ll be right back

Met a fit woman at the corner store
Told her that I really wanna talk some more
So I took her downtown later on that week
Then it all fell apart when she started to speak
Cause even though she was gentle and cute
All she could talk about was spending my loot
She wanted new boots and a diamond ring
Saying every boyfriend had to buy these things
At the restaurant it was all about the price
Forget about the fact that the food was nice
She ordered every dish that she said she liked
Then the food came out she only took two bites
I wrapped it all up and she started to laugh
Then she took it outside, threw it all in the trash
Thinking that she was moving up in my flat
I had to lie for a second, said I’ll be right back

(chorus)

Yo how’d your date go last week?
Badly actually
Rather gabby, a regular chatty Kathy yapping at me
Like “no man can make me happy”
Going on and on about her baby daddy
Conversation one-sided
She confided all the sick minded things she wanna do to his privates
You know the type
Psycho feminist: “All men are pigs…
Yada yada yada, expletives!”
Don’t need a man, got a job with benefits, got a very big office
She’s a top executive
A man never lived more competitive
That old: “Anything a man do, I can do better” biz
Every word out her mouth was negative
But now I’m just wondering where the exit is
Looked in her face and I lied to her flat
I’d really like to chat but I’ll be right back

Money On My Mind

I’m rich bitch!
So rich it’s disgusting
Call me moneyman
Blow 20 grand like it was nothing
Purchase after purchase
Me return it? Defeats the purpose!
Not concerned with saving
I burn it quick as I earn it
Got the baddest spending habits
The fact is when I die they’ll find no money in my mattress
Spend the last bit on my casket
Adapted Dead Prez’s tactics:
Get some matches, set it
Then spread it around with my ashes
Stack chips like Pringles
Don’t even use singles
Won’t loan out money but throw out twenties if they’re wrinkled
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money all the time

(chorus)
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money all the time
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money every time

Ever since second grade
Getting paid was the gameplan
Watching kids breakdance for money down at Playland
I became a changed man watching change exchange hands
Got a lemonade stand, now I’m a made man
Had 3 summer jobs, 2 paper routes
The 1 kid on the block with his own bank account
0 games in my house cause man that’s for losers
Got my hand on a computer
Started planning for the future
Little man with a business plan
Bill Gates’ biggest fan
Trying to get as rich as I can
But then it ran out, it didn’t pan out
And what’s worse, the dotcom bubble burst
And everybody lost their shirts
I’m out of work
But got a thirst for legal tender
Me surrender?
Getting paid’s still first on the agenda
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money all the time

(chorus)

Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
I thought I’d retire by the time I’m 29
But I fell on hard times
And ain’t got a dime
And it’s all about the bottom line
The dollar sign
Now I got a 9 to 5
Working side by side with those trying to survive
Heads held high with pride
Just happy to be alive
It’s about time I realized
That your true wealth’s inside…
Nah! ‘Cause I
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money all the time
Got my mind on my money
Money on my mind
See my mind thinks money
Money all the time