Color and Commonality

Are you?

We live in a world on fire
One driven by non-inclusive desires
The 60s made a comeback, the situation is dire
Before we get our start, we're down to the wire

For instance
We know the facts, yet we told they ain't true
We take offense to almost all that we do
We kill ourselves yeah, without any ruth
We all exclaim, "What are we gonna do?"

Well I know, one way or another, we can find our way to peace
I know, If we could love each other
Color and commonality

Lord, I see the burns, at every turn
We so polarized, we can't even earn
Peace is for what we yearn, not to mention some truth
I'm at peace with myself. The world should be too

Because
Although it seems we've got nothing at all
We have another chance to tear down this wall
Brace through it all as long as we stand tall
Remember we got the power to make that call

I know, one way or another, we can find our way to peace
I know, If we could love each other
Color and commonality

Through these hard times, we've made it this far
The fact we're alive is reason to bailar
We are here to connect, not stay in this car
We gotta step out, find common ground, wherever we are
Find common ground, wherever we are

Ya see, I don't have all the answers to these questions
I'm really just a person wondering just like you
I don't have all the answers to these questions
But what's important is that
We're searching, finding, discovering, deconstructing
Seeing how we got to be where we now are
And most importantly, that we're always doing two things
And that's loving, and progressing

Ya know, one thing realized when I was in Europe is that really
The skies looked the same as they would anywhere back home
I concluded that really, the skies don't belong to just one nation
In fact like, scientificly speaking, they don't even spin at the same rate as the rest of the Earth
What I really mean is, your sky is my sky, my sky is yours
We don't individually own parts of the sky...
US skies don't look much different than
Chinese or Indian, European, Ethiopian or Australian skies...
So we collectively own all of the sky

Life is precious
Even if you think of someone as being less worthy to live than you
And you feel you want to supress them, or even kill them
Before you set them below yourself, talk to them, interact with them
See what makes them special -- see what makes their life precious just like yours
You may be surprised at how significant they now seem to be to you
And don't think of yourself as less just because you may feel like
Someone else is quote-on-quote "better" than you
That's a lie, because you are just as special in a different, but just as equal way
You grow, you learn, you get new things
You are not a finished product until you're six feet under
You are always growing, and always a masterpiece
Like Jessica said -- Perfectly incomplete

And I know, there may have been people who did you or your people wrong before
But if you get stabbed in the back, one of the strongest and most mature things you can do
Is to take the knife out and put it away so no one else can hurt you
Get to know them and how they got got to where they felt they wanted to hurt you
They could understand where you come from from having that conversation
That is how -- that is really how people make amends
That is how people overcome struggles in their lives
Understanding, and communication are two keys to living lives well lived, all 7.5 billion of us!

Manchester and London were perfect examples of what I'm talking about
They loved themselves, put the knives away, and they responded with love... and art
I made this mixtape in part because I know the power of art
And what it can do for the mind and the soul
It can heal, it can connect, it can love

We live to love and progress, so do what you love, love who you love
And as for the oppressed, You don't have to feel unloved
There's someone out there that really genuinely cares for you
I mean that

I mean, if there really is no one you know that loves you, just know that... well I do
You're special
You matter
If not to everybody, then at least to me

I love you