The Color Of The Bones
Ton Hofman
Look beneath the surface, past the layers of the skin
To the architecture of the soul that’s hidden within
The meat is red, the frame is white, the pulse is just the same
But the world is set on fire by a different kind of name
In the heart of the precinct, where the shadows grow tall
A young man’s life is shattered up against the wall
The boot of the system, heavy and cold as stone
Crushing the spirit, breaking the marrow of the bone
Now the panthers are rising, leather and berets in the street
The rhythm of resistance in the shuffle of their feet
No more hiding in the darkness, no more living in fear
The sound of the revolution is ringing in your ear!
Bones of the same color, but the mind is torn apart!
The uniform is blinding the compass of the heart!
A thought as white as paper, afraid to face the light
While the void of knowledge keeps us in the night!
Panthers on the patrol, defending their own ground
While the walls of oppression are coming crashing down!
Hey, officer, look in the mirror, tell me what you see?
Is it a man of the people or a ghost of tyranny?
If you’re white and you think you’re the Sun and the Moon
Your hate is a poison that’s gonna end the world too soon
And you, brother in blue, did you forget your mother’s face?
When you strap on that badge, do you abandon your race?
They see you as black, no matter how tight the tie
But you treat your own people like they’re born just to die!
Your mind is a blank page, shivering with fright
Scared of the wisdom that’s screaming in the night
From the south American's cradle to the brooklyn, the struggle is the same
We’re sick of the silence, we’re sick of the game!
I'm a man from the south, watching the world bleed
Sowing the spirit, planting the conscious seed
The flesh is a veil, the eyes are a window to the Sun
But the battle for the truth has only just begun
Bones of the same color, but the mind is torn apart!
The uniform is blinding the compass of the heart!
A thought as white as paper, afraid to face the light
While the void of knowledge keeps us in the night!
The color of the bone
The blank page
Panthers
Yeah!