my daddy used to sing me to sleep    with labor songs,    whisper me to sleep with stories of faraway lands    where things    were done right.    he let his child dream    cause he knew that while we sleep    Taco Bell births three new chains,   The biggest welfare mamas are steel buildings and   America’s just a deadbeat daddy trying to grow up   a deadbeat daddy putting nickels in our cup    when the law says he’s got to.   And I guess I should have guessed    your daddy wasn’t kind   cause his mouth smiled before his eyes   never caught up   like a store sign flipped to open    but the door’s still locked   like America,   saying come on in baby,   your uncle sam’s lookin for a fix.   my daddy turned to vodka with a twist of lime   to keep his mind off of   America.   my daddy took off his ties and dressed    in expensive labor unions instead   my daddy was ahead of his midwestern charm.   and mostly, it don’t harm you,   the daddy you come from   cause we all grow up    with the same melting molting America   up your ass while you sleep    Taco bell births three new chains around you    and you wonder why you never learned to walk.   your first step was towards your daddy   and your next step was towards your daddy   and your mama wonders sometimes if she failed you   But mostly she’s relieved   your deadbeat daddy wants you.   cause America’s discriminating    and the brain unlike the skin   is invisibly incriminating.   America takes shots at Blacks.   my daddy drinks shots to forget   America is a deadbeat daddy   the biggest welfare mamas are steel buildings    and so for the most part, we parent ourselves.    my daddy sang me to sleep with the way things should be   cause he knew the hardest part of my history   would be learning it.    so I drink a shot of vodka for my daddy sometimes   and I always make sure it’s cold   like America, the deadbeat daddy,   who holds you tight    while you sleep.