To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I you understand When I put on that t-shirt, the only I meant to say is I'm a Skynyrd fan The red flag on my chest somehow is the elephant in the corner of the south And I just him right in the room a proud rebel son with an 'ol can of worms Lookin' like I got a lot to but from my point of view
I'm a white man comin' to you from the southland to understand what it's like not to be I'm proud of I'm from but not everything we've done And it ain't like you and me can re-write Our didn't start this nation We're still pickin' up the pieces, walkin' on eggshells, over yesterday And caught southern pride and southern blame
They called it Reconstruction, the buildings, dried some tears We're still siftin' through the after a hundred-fifty years I try to put in your shoes and that's a good place to begin But it like I can walk a mile in someone else's skin
'Cause I'm a white man in the southland like you I'm more than what you see I'm proud of where I'm from but not everything we've And it ain't you and me can re-write history Our generation didn't start nation And we're paying for the mistakes That a bunch of folks made long before we And caught between southern and southern blame
Dear Mr. Man, I wish you understood What the world is really like when livin' in the hood Just because my are saggin' doesn't mean I'm up to no good You try to get to know me, I really wish you would Now my are gold but I'm still misunderstood I wasn't there when Sherman's March turned the south firewood I want you to get paid but be a slave I never Feel a new fangled Django, dodgin' invisible white hoods So when I see white cowboy hat, I'm thinkin' it's not all good I guess we're both of judgin' the cover not the book I'd to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air But I see that red flag and I think you I wasn't here
I'm just a man (If you judge my do-rag) to you from the southland (I won't judge red flag) Tryin' to understand what like not to be
I'm proud of I'm from (If you don't judge my chains) But not everything we've (I'll forget the chains) It like you and me can re-write history (Can't history baby)
Oh, (The relationship between the needs some fixin') I hope you understand what is all about (Quite frankly I'm a black Yankee but I've been thinkin' about lately) I'm a son of the new (The past is the past, you me) And I just to make things right (Let be bygones) Where all that's left is pride (RIP Robert E. Lee but I've gotta thank Abraham for freeing me, know what I mean) real, it's real It's