Fricktion:
A man without a heritage, a European mutt
I look back at my lineage and wonder what was up
‘Cause back in school the teachings only came in one color
And it had little to do with what was done to all the others
Now I look back on a history of men that look like me
Committin’ acts of barbarity over each and every sea
And though my ancestry hasn’t shaped my identity
When I look in the mirror I see the face of hegemony
And when I bleed, it looks exactly like it does when you do
But the hue of my skin means that I don’t jump through the hoops that you do
Now who can say that isn’t backwards?
And it’s not gonna change just ‘cause we don’t use the bad words
‘Cause history runs much deeper than that
And when you see through the masks, it gets much bleaker in fact
Most struggles can’t be simplified into white and black
But time has left our systems of oppression quite intact
Race is an old world social construction that means fuckin’ nothing
But so many today face repercussions from it
I’m gettin’ sick to my stomach just thinkin’ of it
And ignorin’ difference doesn’t mean we’re risin’ above it
So you can accuse people of playin’ the race card
But did your grandparents have crosses burned in their yards?
Did their mothers weep as they swung in the southern breeze?
Could any interaction with police lead you to bloody streets?
You heard of redlining? You seen the prison stats?
You know the sentencing for powder coke compared to crack?
You know the name of Jim Crow or COINTELPRO?
Oscar Grant, Sean Bell, do you know how their stories go?
It’s just some things to think about before speakin’ out
More to the story than the anchorperson’s readin’ out
If you won’t be a voice for those who’ve lost theirs,
Who will be on your side when it’s you in the crosshairs?
Pulsing drones give way to disarming melodies on the new one from Ophtalmologist, with all the deep-sea spookiness the title implies. Bandcamp New & Notable Jan 22, 2023
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