To the man waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope 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 is like the elephant in the corner of the south And I walked him right in the room Just a proud rebel son with an 'ol can of Lookin' like I got a lot to learn but my point of view
I'm just a white man to you from the southland to understand what it's like not to be 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 We're still pickin' up the pieces, on eggshells, fightin' over yesterday And caught between pride and southern blame
They called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some still siftin' through the rubble after a hundred-fifty years I try to put in your shoes and that's a good place to begin But it ain't like I can walk a mile in someone else's
I'm a white man livin' in the southland Just like you I'm more than you see I'm proud of where I'm but not everything we've done And it ain't like you and me can history Our generation didn't start this And still paying for the mistakes a bunch of folks made long before we came And caught between southern and southern blame
Mr. White Man, I wish you understood What the world is like when you're livin' in the hood Just because my pants are doesn't mean I'm up to no good You should try to get to me, I really wish you would Now my chains are gold but I'm 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 like a new fangled Django, dodgin' invisible white hoods So I see that white cowboy hat, I'm thinkin' it's not all good I guess we're both guilty of judgin' the not the book I'd love to buy you a beer, conversate and the air But I see that red and I think you wish I wasn't here
I'm just a man (If you judge my do-rag) Comin' to you from the (I won't judge red flag) to understand what it's like not to be
I'm of where I'm from (If you don't judge my chains) But not everything we've (I'll the iron chains) It like you and me can re-write history (Can't re-write baby)
Oh, (The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs fixin') I hope you understand what this is all (Quite frankly I'm a black Yankee but I've been about this lately) I'm a son of the new (The past is the past, you me) And I just want to make things (Let be bygones) Where all left is southern pride (RIP Robert E. Lee but I've thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean) It's real, real truth