Pluralism - Sho Baraka, Amisho Baraka Lewis

I heard you came to make enemies

(I heard you came to make enemies)

Okay, hand down my penalties

(Okay, hand down my penalties)

Hello, love, today the delegation votes

Today we must determine on who is our future foe

I just left a meeting, I’ve got permission to go

So I choose to use this time to write you a quick note

We’ve really made some progress on pushing through some policies

Dealing with misogyny, boosting up our economy

Removing nationalism and private prisons

Racism, corrupt businesses, bad religion

We prayed to the Lord above, and we asked Him for wisdom

We made some really tough decisions, but I’m glad we did it

But now I’m starting to notice things are changing our behavior

'Cause every time we meet I think the worst of my neighbors

I feel like our leaders like to argue just for time’s sake

When you have no foes, you create 'em.

Why do I hate?

I think I understand all the reasons why you left

And me not listening I’m starting to regret

But it’s hard to leave now, I have authority

One year from seniority, we’ll have a majority

And I’ll change things formally and morally

Already things here are much better for minorities

Just pray for me, I’m tryin' to make a difference

I’m afraid I’m not far from being the opposition

Any time we disagree, they just call it phobia

This is how you silence your critics up in utopia

Hold up, I ain’t feelin' yo' energy

(Hold up, I ain’t feelin' yo' energy)

Those words, they don’t sound like a friend to me

(Those words, they don’t sound like a friend to me)

I heard you came to make enemies

(I heard you came to make enemies)

Okay, hand down my penalties

(Okay, hand down my penalties)

We agree we share the same enemy (get down)

Handshakes, lofty words and subtle winks

Marches in the streets and the cries for peace

Everything was good till they came for me

(Everything, everything was good) till they came for me

(Everything, everything was good) till they came for me

(Everything, everything was good) till they came for me

(Everything, everything was good, get down)

(Hey, talk about utopia)

You askin' bout utopia?

(Is this a safe space?)

I mean, I mean it’s a diverse place

But it’s still monolithic

Because nobody thinks different

(Nobody thinks different)

I would have somebody’s back in the day we would

Try to preserve the traditions of utopia

Others would just look past it, right

So then they told me to run when I wasn’t scared (wasn't scared)

Some told me to look, but there was nothing there (nothing there)

Some would tell me when to sing and clap my hands (clap my hands)

And have like rules for entertainment and how I should dance (dance boy, dance)

I just know there was a problem

Everybody wanted to be royalty

Nobody wanted to be servants

Because the peasants they would become privilege and perverted

But be careful how you share your views

Cause they’ll protest you

We scream «Power to the people, power to the people

Power to the people» (until that power corrupts)

We scream «The system stay evil, the system stay evil, man

Them systems are evil» (until it benefits us)

They tell me «Give to the poor, give money to the poor»

Tell me «Give to the poor» (First I gotta make a little more)

They screamin' peace over war, there’s peace over war

Man there’s peace over war (until they came for yours)

You act like a pig and you dirty up the dishes

You talk like a friend, but you a politician

We deconstruct words until nothing has meaning

Disguise our hate with our political leanings

Because we just don’t like people

We love evil, we say equal

But we really want the power

Exchange your insecurities with ours

I’m afraid this very hour censorship has turned us into cowards

Nothing is pure, everything is a mystery

You’ve got no shame, you rewriting history

My apologies don’t fit in your ideology

You’re trying to build an ideal society

I overestimated my influence

I thought utopia was a place of prudence

I guess I’m foolish

Should I say something, fight back or start running?

Wait, hold up, I think I hear 'em coming