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.
I count to three and grin, you smile and let me in
We sit and watch the wall you painted purple
Speech will spill on space, our little cups of grace
But pauses rattle on about the way
That you cut the snow-fence, braved the blood, the metal of those hearts
That you always end up pressing your tongue to
How your body still remembers things you told it to forget
How those furious affections followed you
I've got this store-bought way of saying I'm okay
And you've learned how to cry in total silence
We're talented and bright, we're lonely and uptight
We've found some lovely ways to disappoint
But the airport's always almost empty this time of the year
So let's go play on a baggage carousel
And set our watches forward like we're just arriving here
From a past we left in a place we knew too well
We knew too well
Knew too well
Hold on to the corners of today
And we'll fold it up to save until it's needed
Stand still, let me scrub that brackish line
That you got when something rose and then receded
Hold on
We sit and watch the wall you painted purple
Speech will spill on space, our little cups of grace
But pauses rattle on about the way
That you cut the snow-fence, braved the blood, the metal of those hearts
That you always end up pressing your tongue to
How your body still remembers things you told it to forget
How those furious affections followed you
I've got this store-bought way of saying I'm okay
And you've learned how to cry in total silence
We're talented and bright, we're lonely and uptight
We've found some lovely ways to disappoint
But the airport's always almost empty this time of the year
So let's go play on a baggage carousel
And set our watches forward like we're just arriving here
From a past we left in a place we knew too well
We knew too well
Knew too well
Hold on to the corners of today
And we'll fold it up to save until it's needed
Stand still, let me scrub that brackish line
That you got when something rose and then receded
Hold on
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That line reminds me so much of myself. "Ive got this store bought way of saying Im okay and you learned how to cry in total silence."