clarence the kid - sirens lyrics
[verse 1: clarence the kid]
living in downtown los angeles
surrounded by some blacks and hispanics
while i’m walking through a campus full of white folk
dps texting us with descriptions of the enemy
and if you don’t know
they all look like me
entire community being gentrified
i had to train myself not to run and hide or i’ll look suspicious
and so i’ll act like the whites as a disguise
cuz if i act how i want in public
i might be subject to questions
i’ve been taught to code switch for protection
cause people freak out if you’re acting too ethnic
never respected, just tolerated for art and our culture
and nothing more so i’m walking lightly
always be too polite and speak kindly
i feel like a sell out, but that’s how i’ve survived
my colored people targeted every day and every night for being authentic
i go home and i hold my head and i cry
for the families in south central that’s tired
of all the sirens playing
[hook: clarence the kid]
i hear sirens out the window
hope the people okay
system always been against us
for no reason, i pray
for our safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
i hear sirens out the window
hope the people okay
system always been against us
for no reason, i pray
for our safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
[verse 2: clarence the kid]
2am and i’m whipping it through the westside
quarantine been having me itching to see the outside
scooped up my homegirl, we driving, blasting the music
when some lights and sirens pop up behind me, so i pull over
and pull the keys out ignition, put em on the roof
get my license out and put my hands at 10 and 2
had registration ready so they wouldn’t have to shoot
because i’m reaching for the glove box and might pull out the tool
cop gets on the megaphone, says roll your windows down
i comply and see two officers hop out as they start walking to me
i see them take their flashlights off of their belts and
look all up inside my car before they even started talking to me
f+ck standard procedure, this ain’t no traffic stop
the only thing that’s running through my head is “don’t get shot”
cuz i’ve seen the stories, and i know what can happen
it’s safer to let ‘em have it, that’s what it’s like being black in
this country
[hook: clarence the kid]
i see sirens out my window
hope that i’ll be okay
system always been against me
for no reason, i pray
for our safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
i see sirens out my window
hope that i’ll be okay
system always been against me
for no reason, i pray
for my safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
[verse 3: clarence the kid]
scrolling through twitter, i see the protesters’ signs
people fighting for justice, fed up with the pain inside
and it’s beautiful seeing faces of all kinds
men, women, and children, colored people and allies
but then i see bullets flying, tear gas, citizens choking
crowds getting run over, people seizing, i’ve seen explosions
buildings on fire, helicopter blades chopping the air
all to silence something peaceful, why this world so unfair?
ridiculous
[hook: clarence the kid]
i hear sirens out the window
please keep my people safe
system always been against us
for no reason, i pray
for our safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
it’s gotta get better
i hear sirens out the window
please keep my people safe
system always been against us
for no reason, i pray
for our safety and i’m hoping
maybe one of these days
that things will be much better
please
[outro: unidentified nypd officers]
shoot those motherf+ckers!
don’t put that over the air
can we just start locking people up already?
no, it doesn’t work like that
at least i won’t take a knee
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