Drown
Drown in Shadows: Navigating the Struggle for Light
Lyrics
Do you feel like you’re drowning
Expressing the feeling of drowning, likely metaphorical for a sense of overwhelming struggle.
Walk around black in a world, trapped, feeling surrounded
Feeling trapped and surrounded, particularly in a challenging environment.
Life’s mission hard as quicksand, trying to get out of it
Life's mission is as difficult as quicksand, and there's a struggle to escape it.
Heart and soul like a pot of gold, do you feel like you found it
Comparing heart and soul to a valuable find, questioning if one feels they have found something precious.
Feel like you’re grounded, no feeling doubt
Feeling grounded and secure, devoid of doubt.
Can’t get a smile, so image of frowning
Unable to express happiness, visualizing a frowning image.
With about 20 niggas around, standing ‘round all my niggas around me
Surrounded by a group of people, possibly friends, with a sense of camaraderie.
Crew up, grew up in the same surroundings, niggas wilding
Grew up in the same environment with friends, acknowledging wild behavior.
Next door, they was dialing 911 when it’s getting violent you can hear the sirens, go
Describing a violent incident where neighbors call 911 and sirens are heard.
Something that now I know, either me or you gotta go
Realization that either the speaker or someone else has to leave to survive.
When they hit the block, when you hear the “pop,” niggas is adios
Reference to gunshots and the need to say goodbye (adios) when danger is imminent.
Gotta be out of your mind, true
Stressing the importance of being rational in dangerous situations.
So how do you shine with all of that dark inside of you
Pondering how to shine amidst internal darkness or struggles.
Hoping better days will find you
Hoping for better days and positive change.
(Hope you see a change come, ‘cause heaven won’t save us)
Expressing hope for change, as heaven may not intervene to save them.
It’s like officer, officer what have you done
Questioning the actions of an officer and the consequences of their actions.
How many apples can spoil a bunch, you just need one
Using an analogy about spoiling apples to illustrate the impact of one bad element.
So if you can’t stand up with fellow officers
Doubting trust in fellow officers due to a disturbing incident.
Shoot a kid with their hands up, I don’t know who we can trust
Expressing a lack of trust in authority figures after a harmful event.
Middle fingers, both hands jammed in handcuffs
Describing a defiant gesture of resistance, both hands jammed in handcuffs.
Seems like a war on us all, it’s a manhunt
Perceiving a widespread war or conflict, a manhunt against a community.
Demand us, no land of the free
Criticizing the notion of the land of the free due to ongoing issues.
Can’t even go and stand on the street without getting ran up on
Feeling vulnerable even on the streets, facing potential confrontations.
Your red and blue lights with two white cops already ready to pull triggers on sight
Describing a tense encounter with law enforcement, ready to use force.
Or on who might, just so happen to have black skin
Highlighting the racial profiling and discrimination faced by those with black skin.
They act now the same way that they did back then
Comparing present-day actions to historical injustices.
Back when, all for one, one for all
Recalling a time of unity and defiance against oppressive forces.
Had to show them all
Rejecting authority and expressing defiance against oppressive laws.
Fuck you, fuck your law, fuck your protocol
Explicitly rejecting and expressing disdain for established laws and protocols.
This never ending war, we’ve all seen the same before
Acknowledging a persistent and ongoing societal conflict or struggle.
Trying to change but get the same results (twice)
Expressing frustration at attempting change but encountering the same negative outcomes.
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