"ON THE OTHER SIDE" Copyright 1999

If you have a few minutes, let me borrow your mind

When I give it back to you, the veil will be off eyes

We will be taking a little trip and I hope you enjoy the ride

There is no need to be afraid, because I will be your guide

Let's travel to a place where the light of the sun barely shines

Today, we will see how it feels and how life is lived ON THE OTHER SIDE.

Before we go any further on our little cruise

Let me give you some advise that you can surely use

Since your opinions and your point of view

Have been influenced by what's on the news

When we are finished, you will have more than a clue

Because everything you see on TV and read about us ain't true.

Our first stop will be the place where we live

You may call it a home, but we call it a crib

It's nothing to brag on, but its OK, such as it is

So, wipe the dust from your feet, when you step thru my door

I don't want to see no mud tracks on my shinning floor

My crib doesn't have to be dirty, just because I'm poor.

I see that you are looking at that rifle over there on the shelf

Things can get hectic sometimes and you know something else

The police don't always come on time, when we call on them for help

We use guns for more than robbing, selling drugs and theft

Around here we need a gun to help protect ourselves.

This doesn't apply to you, over here you will have it made

You will be treated like a king, there couldn't be a safer place

Don't worry about anything, your skin is the perfect shade

Before we shoot anyone ,we look at the color of their face

We only shoot and kill members of our own race.

There is a side of us that you have never met

That you hardly ever see on your television set

A black man providing for his family and maintaining his self-respect

I know that this is something that you didn't expect

But, most of us don't sit at home waiting for a check.

When we awake each morning, we thank the Lord above

For blessing us with families that always show us love

This may be hard to believe, but most of us ain't thugs

That beat our women, abandon our children and sell our people drugs.

We work as hard as our people did during slavery

There is nothing we wouldn't do to take care of our babies

We would provide for them even if we were blind, crippled or crazy

All of us ain't dead beat, good for nothing and lazy.

On any given Sunday, you can find us in a temple, mosque or church

These are the places we go to find medicine for our hurt

There we are taught the golden rules and what this life is worth

We humble ourselves before the Lord and praise Him for His work

We realize there is a God who forgives us for our dirt.

Before we end our little tour, let me tell you one more thing

Since we are the providers for our families, you can refer to us as kings

And, like a bee enjoys his "honey", we love our beautiful black queens

She is the one we give a "buzz" when we have the urge to "sting"

We are not savage sex feigns controlled by the organ "between".

I could show you more, but this time I'll let you slide

You have seen some of the things the media has tried to hide

My heart is a little lighter now that I've given you a piece of my mind

Now, you have seen the truth and it can not be denied

This trip has been a "slap in the face" of them whose job is spreading lies

Now, turn your "other" cheek so you can see how it feels

ON THE OTHER SIDE....