As a dog with a bone is always   In danger, so's a woman with a   Bag when meeting dark strangers   She holds it just a little bit tighter   Which she wouldn't do if my skin were lighter   It's not in my mind, I've been around the block a few times   Every time she crosses to the other side   Women supposedly got that intuition   So they should no better, but that's a dubious distinction   It's not a figment of my imagination it happens a lot   When I flag down a cab it doesn't stop   Not because I look dangerous or nothing like that   It's not 'cause he's off duty it's cause I'm black   The police come flying around   The corner with the red light screaming   I pulled over to let them pass, they pulled over too,   I thought that I was dreaming   I'm scared to death of our men in blue   It must be cold over there in your shoes      So close your eyes   In silent night   Bet you can't tell   If I'm black or white      Turn out the lights   Stand here by my side   Cause we're all alike   On the inside      One step up   Then two to the side   One more man   Let the sleeping dog lie   From the back of the bus   To screams in the night   Planting flowers of fire   With these 89 lines      Doesn't it bring back some terrifying memories   There goes the president making more enemies   If he's doing to his wife what he's doing to the country   She'd be happy, we could stand up and dump the monkey   I ask not what I can do for my country   Cause I wonder sometimes if it cares for me   The government could change a lot with education   And catching kids before they start to think in races   And eliminate a lot of infuriating situations   Your blindness not of eyes you go public with your lies   Then as to prove you have a heart in private you apologize   Seems my history is a set of lies agreed upon by you repeated   So many times and for so long accepted as the truth   Like an unfriendly takeover attempt   I get in you hold on fuckin' coincidence   Like a nicotine stain it won't go away   And it won't if you raise your kids this way      So close your eyes   In silent night   Bet you can't tell   If I'm black or white      Turn out the lights   Stand here by my side   Cause we're all alike   On the inside      One step up    Then two to the side   One more man   Let the sleeping dog lie   From the back of the bus   And screams in the night   Planting flowers of fire   With these 89 lines      What's your favorite color   What's your favorite color?   For those victimized by this ultimate violence   We now observe a moment of silence