This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
A song about you
You're in a song
Are you good or evil
Or just right or wrong
Where's the boys all dressed in green
In the gap that lies between
Where's the girls all dressed in white
In the deep heart of the night
Where's the men all dressed in black
None are ever coming back
Where's the men all dressed in black
Where's the ladies dressed in red
All are dancing with the dead
Song about you
Just a song
Are you stranger still
Or do you belong
Life is short (phosphorescent rim of the sun)
So don't be long (turn to face it as the comets come)
Use your free will (a cloudy blanket, a moving storm)
Or get trapped in a song (as love thaws)
In summertime
Umbrella trees down by the sea
Limbs like men to bend low
You turn and you see me
Music plays
Space between the notes full of haze
Piano, drums and trumpets
Just like the old days
A song about you
You're in a song
Are you good or evil
Or just right or wrong
In summertime
Picking up an insistent distant beat
Beachcomber come home now
Come in from the heat
Interweaving leaves (where's the men all dressed in black)
Once she was a skeptic, twice she believes (none are ever coming back)
The wind that thinned and skinned us (where's the ladies dressed in red)
Underneath (all are dancing with the dead)
(Where's the boys all dressed in green
In the gap that lies between
Where's the girls all dressed in white
In the deep heart of the night
Where's the men all dressed in black
None are ever coming back
Where's the ladies dressed in red
All are dancing with the dead)
You're in a song
Are you good or evil
Or just right or wrong
Where's the boys all dressed in green
In the gap that lies between
Where's the girls all dressed in white
In the deep heart of the night
Where's the men all dressed in black
None are ever coming back
Where's the men all dressed in black
Where's the ladies dressed in red
All are dancing with the dead
Song about you
Just a song
Are you stranger still
Or do you belong
Life is short (phosphorescent rim of the sun)
So don't be long (turn to face it as the comets come)
Use your free will (a cloudy blanket, a moving storm)
Or get trapped in a song (as love thaws)
In summertime
Umbrella trees down by the sea
Limbs like men to bend low
You turn and you see me
Music plays
Space between the notes full of haze
Piano, drums and trumpets
Just like the old days
A song about you
You're in a song
Are you good or evil
Or just right or wrong
In summertime
Picking up an insistent distant beat
Beachcomber come home now
Come in from the heat
Interweaving leaves (where's the men all dressed in black)
Once she was a skeptic, twice she believes (none are ever coming back)
The wind that thinned and skinned us (where's the ladies dressed in red)
Underneath (all are dancing with the dead)
(Where's the boys all dressed in green
In the gap that lies between
Where's the girls all dressed in white
In the deep heart of the night
Where's the men all dressed in black
None are ever coming back
Where's the ladies dressed in red
All are dancing with the dead)
Lyrics submitted by uteinfullerton
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