WITHIN THE VEIL
1.
Color ain’t no faucet
You can’t turn it off and
on
I say, color ain’t no faucet
You can’t turn it off and
on
Tell the world who you are
Or you might as well be
gone.
2.
Now, the Whiteman makes the rules
But we got to learn to turn them down
Yes,baby,the Whiteman makes the ruls
But we got to learn to turn them down
Can’t abide this shit no longer
We
got to swing the thing around.
3.
You can pass in many ways , mama
This is one
thing that I know
I say, You can
pass in many ways , mama
This is one
thing that I know
Unless you quit
your passing, honey
You only gonna
come to woe.
4.
Oh, we call them ofay
By that we mean
the foe
Yes, sisters ,
we can call them ofay
By that we mean
the foe
But that’s only
half the battle
You lie if you
tell me you don’t know.
5.
Now Zora was a genius
But there were
some did call her fool
I say, Zora was
a genius
But there were
some did call her fool
Now , you consider mules and men
And how many times she broke the whiteman’s
rule.
6.
Some of us come from islands
And some of us
born in the U.S.A.
Some of us come
from islands
And some of us born in the U.S.A.
There are those of us who marry
And others who
will always be gay.
7.
No two people are the same
It’s what gives
life a thrilling twist
No two people
are the same, children
That’s what gives
life a thrilling twist
How dare anyone object
Tell me I had
better not exist.
8.
Some of us use the hot comb
And some of us
have natural hair
Yes, sisters, Some
of us use the hot comb
And some of us
have natural hair
You should ponder Madame C.J.Walker
Before you suck
your teeth and stare.
9.
Sister Lorraine talked revolution
Talked of “ the beauty of things black”
Yes, Lorraine talked revolution baby’
Talked of “ the beauty of things black”
And then she was killed by cancer
Just like a well-aimed shot in her strong brown back.
10.
Your best friend’s a bull dagger
That is very
plain to see
I say your best
friend’s a bull dagger
That is very
plain to see
Now that you been
told it
Can you tell them
you love me?
11.
We got to love each other
That is what is known as the bottom line
I say, We got
to love each other
That is what they call the bottom line
Can’t say to each
other
To hell with you,
this piece of the world is mine.
12.
Some of us part Indian
And some of us
part white
Yes, sisters, some of us part Indian
And some of us
part white
But we still
will call you sisters
Even if you
judge our skin too light.
13.
Gold chains are love-symbols
You tell me where they are found
Yes, gold chains are love-symbols
You tell me where gold is found
There are deep mines in South Africa
Where our brothers sweat their lives underground.
14.
God loves the babies in Soweto
And the babies in Harlem too
I say, God loves the babies in Soweto
And the babies in Harlem too
But his love alone can’t save them
We got to figure what we can do.
15.
If we say Third World Revolution
The white folks say World War III
If we say Third World Revolution , baby
The white folks say World War III
Seems they imagine Armageddon
Is prettier than if we be free.
16.
I got brothers and sisters in prison
All across the U.S.A.
Yes, I got brothers
and sisters in prison
All across the U.S.A.
Some folks broke the rules
Others just been put away.
17.
Elijah Pate was gunned down
Shot five times by the
Boston cops
Yes, Brother Elijah was gunned down
Shot five times by the
Boston cops
And the d.a won’t bring charges
Says Elijah gunned his car and wouldn’t stop
18.
They want us in their factories
And they want us in their homes
I say , They want us in their factories
And they want us in their homes
They’ll take some for their armed forces
And some more for their astrodomes
19.
They see our brothers as monsters
Or as harmless smart-assed little boys
They judge our brothers to be monsters
Want to keep them harmless little boys
Let just one speak his piece
And watch the guns replace the toys.
20.
Don’t overstep your boundaries
Act like you have a little sense
No, don’t overstep your
boundaries
Act like you have a little sense
Was the lesson my mama taught me
To live surrounded by a whiteman’s fence
21.
It’s all about survival
And about how to get by
Yes, It’s all about survival
And about how to get by
But we got to do it better
Else we might as well lay down and die.
-MICHELLE CLIFF
