In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I'm goin' back to the South
I'm goin' back, back, back, back
Where my roots ain't watered down
Growin', growin' like a Baobab tree
Of life on fertile ground, ancestors put me on game
Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh
Drip all on me, woo, Ankara Dashiki print
Hol' up, don't I smell like satya, Nag Champa incense?
Yeah, pure ice (ice), ice (ice), buss down
Uh, flooded (flooded), flooded (flooded), on my wrist, ow
Ooh, goin' up, goin' up, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like
Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me
Eeya, I can't forget my history is her story, yeah
Being black, maybe that's the reason why they always mad
Yeah, they always mad, yeah
Been passed 'em, I know that's the reason why they all big mad
And they always have been
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), nip that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear them swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
On fours, all black
All chrome, black-owned
Black tints, matte black
Walked by, my window down, let 'em see who in it
Crack a big smile (ding)
Go figure, me and Jigga, fifty 'leven children
They like, "Chick, how?"
I charge my crystals in a full moon
You could send them missiles, I'ma send my goons
Baby sister reppin' Yemaya (Yemaya)
Trust me, they gon' need an army
Rubber bullets bouncin' off me
Made a picket sign off your picket fence
Take it as a warning
Waist beads from Yoruba (woo)
Four hunnid billi', Mansa Musa (woo)
Stroll line to the barbeque
Put us any damn where, we gon' make it look cute
Pandemic fly on the runway, in my hazmat
Children runnin' through the house and my art, all black
Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat
(Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat)
Hold my hands, we gon' pray together
Lay down, face down in the gravel
We wearin' all attire white to the funeral
Black love, we gon' stay together
Curtis Mayfield on the speaker (woo)
Lil' Malcolm, Martin, mixed with momma Tina (woo)
Need another march, lemme call Tamika (woo)
Need peace and reparation for my people (woo)
Fuck these laid edges, I'ma let it shrivel up (shrivel up)
Fuck this fade and waves, I'ma let it dread all up (dread all up)
Put your fists up in the air, show black love (show black love)
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), nip that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear 'em swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
We got rhythm (we got rhythm), we got pride (we got pride)
We birth kings (we birth kings), we birth tribes (we birth tribes)
Holy river (holy river), holy tongue (holy tongue)
Speak the glory (speak the glory), feel the love (feel the love)
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
I can't forget my history, it's her story
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), lift that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear 'em swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, black parade
I'm goin' back, back, back, back
Where my roots ain't watered down
Growin', growin' like a Baobab tree
Of life on fertile ground, ancestors put me on game
Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh
Drip all on me, woo, Ankara Dashiki print
Hol' up, don't I smell like satya, Nag Champa incense?
Yeah, pure ice (ice), ice (ice), buss down
Uh, flooded (flooded), flooded (flooded), on my wrist, ow
Ooh, goin' up, goin' up, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like
Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me
Eeya, I can't forget my history is her story, yeah
Being black, maybe that's the reason why they always mad
Yeah, they always mad, yeah
Been passed 'em, I know that's the reason why they all big mad
And they always have been
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), nip that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear them swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
On fours, all black
All chrome, black-owned
Black tints, matte black
Walked by, my window down, let 'em see who in it
Crack a big smile (ding)
Go figure, me and Jigga, fifty 'leven children
They like, "Chick, how?"
I charge my crystals in a full moon
You could send them missiles, I'ma send my goons
Baby sister reppin' Yemaya (Yemaya)
Trust me, they gon' need an army
Rubber bullets bouncin' off me
Made a picket sign off your picket fence
Take it as a warning
Waist beads from Yoruba (woo)
Four hunnid billi', Mansa Musa (woo)
Stroll line to the barbeque
Put us any damn where, we gon' make it look cute
Pandemic fly on the runway, in my hazmat
Children runnin' through the house and my art, all black
Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat
(Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat)
Hold my hands, we gon' pray together
Lay down, face down in the gravel
We wearin' all attire white to the funeral
Black love, we gon' stay together
Curtis Mayfield on the speaker (woo)
Lil' Malcolm, Martin, mixed with momma Tina (woo)
Need another march, lemme call Tamika (woo)
Need peace and reparation for my people (woo)
Fuck these laid edges, I'ma let it shrivel up (shrivel up)
Fuck this fade and waves, I'ma let it dread all up (dread all up)
Put your fists up in the air, show black love (show black love)
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), nip that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear 'em swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
We got rhythm (we got rhythm), we got pride (we got pride)
We birth kings (we birth kings), we birth tribes (we birth tribes)
Holy river (holy river), holy tongue (holy tongue)
Speak the glory (speak the glory), feel the love (feel the love)
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
I can't forget my history, it's her story
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (my folk), lift that lip like lipo (lipo)
You hear 'em swarmin', right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, black parade
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