North Philadelphia, North Minneapolis

Song: North Philadelphia, North Minneapolis

Album: Breathing Without A Pulse

Artist: The Blend

Written by Toussaint Morrison

Released December 6, 2011

ref: http://theblendmusic.bandcamp.com/track/north-philadelphia-north-minneapolis

Runnin’ like a parkin’ meter on its last minute

At the point ya just can’t tell how much is left in it

You could run this village down to the grain

Tie it up in handcuffs, but the color doesn’t fade

Or answer to your highness, lights and sirens

Drillin’ the surface to find another Osiris

Criminal minded or survivalist

This ain’t the East, South, West or North side of it

This is just lopsided math

This is the other side of the badge

This is the other side of the badge

I said this is the other side of the badge

Your lieutenant gots a band vendetta

Slams the office door twice a mornin’, I think he’s fed up

Rookies on the squad just don’t seem to let up

And the DA’s back on the bottle with Celexa

Shoot’s the afternoon at the range with a Stella

Kill’s a few brain cells, drains the beretta

Tries to forget it, so goes the city

Ghetto gorgeous, but ain’t a damn thing pretty

So enormous that can’t a damn frame fit it

Some try and hold it, but they can’t lift

Threatenin’ to jump off the curb again

Shiiiit, it ain’t nothin’ but an urban ledge- it goes

Church is closed and the time for prayer is over

Brother, I don’t understand what ya waitin’ for

They gonna reach for their piece ‘for your reachin’ Jesus

Your lord ain’t the one in charge

Ooooooh, yes it’s on

It’s all about what ya can’t afford

This is survivin’

My, my, my

Born unadorned, against the wall, underneath a storm

Baby, don’t blame nobody for defendin’ what they call home

Holdin’ a gun up against the law

So, it goes simple

As full names and info get blown, exposed and swindled

Through the wire shootin’ fire, barterin’ with souls

Makes me wanna throw the fuckin’ kitchen sink out the window

Still in limbo, they’re still on patrol

You’re in the middle of a building tryin’ to build a home

And it’s irony entirely the building is owned

You’re doin’ everything you can between a ceiling and floor

Maybe home isn’t the place to bleed the cash just to sleep in

Dreamin’ of just the feelin’ to walk the kingdom

Maybe it’s the hole in the floor you wake up to and ask the question,

“Where the hell’s it all headed?

How much longer can we walk in this war without sweatin’,

Holdin’ a weapon as our only leverage?”

Our chest’s holdin’ our hearts in a deadlift

No objective- Just death and acceptance

Either your patience is runnin’ paper thin with rough edges

Or life is just a rough draft without the edit

Whatever. Kids are gettin’ shot before high school

A low-income life lost, but what was it to you?

What was it to you?

What was it to you?

What was it to you?

What was it to you?

What was it to you?

What was it to you?

-

Chorus

I’m walkin’ twilight

In a blind fight

Might be your law

But it ain’t mine

-

Eric Floyd seemed to got the drop on your boys

You say he better run, but runnin’ ain’t a choice

Get smart, drop the gun, let’em claim a coward

This side of the equation been runnin’ since the Mayflower

Nobody ain’t about to wait for your approval

Before they wipe the slate clean with blue stain removal

One cop, two cop, three cop, four cop

Got the whole squad kickin’ in the door knob

We say “hold up” to make time stretch

Countin’ cash or countin’ on a blind guess

Subsidized housin’, but it’s still high rent

Payments of innocence, time- payin’ with debt

Payin’ with childhoods, daylight, spray paint and sweat

Payin’ to death, but still paid no respect

Ghetto war veterans sittin’ still

Either waitin for a bus, or waitin’ for a miracle

I can hear the shrills, the prayers, affirmations

The conflict of stoplights and tires against the pavement

Broken safe nets and morals

Where no grand jury can tell between the Joes and the Cobras

Lock our hopes up, but we keep alive yet

For runnin’ so much you’d think we were destined for flyin’

Findin’ peace in a losin’ game

Believin’ in the water in a city of loose flames

Chorus