To the man waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main, I hope you understand When I put on that t-shirt, the thing I meant to say is I'm a Skynyrd fan The red flag on my chest somehow is like the elephant in the corner of the And I walked him right in the room Just a rebel son with an 'ol can of worms Lookin' like I got a lot to but from my point of view
I'm just a white man comin' to you from the Tryin' to understand what like not to be I'm proud of where I'm but not everything we've done And it ain't like you and me can re-write Our generation didn't start nation We're still pickin' up the pieces, walkin' on eggshells, fightin' over And caught between southern pride and southern
They called it Reconstruction, the buildings, dried some tears We're 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 in someone else's skin
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 from but not we've done And it ain't you and me can re-write history Our generation didn't start nation And still paying for the mistakes a bunch of folks made long before we came And between southern pride and southern blame
Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you the world is really like when you're livin' in the hood Just my pants 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 chains are gold but I'm still I wasn't there when Sherman's March the south into firewood I want you to get paid but be a I never could Feel a new fangled Django, dodgin' invisible white hoods So when I see that white hat, I'm thinkin' it's not all good I guess we're both of judgin' the cover not the book I'd love to buy you a beer, conversate and the air But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn't
I'm a white man (If you don't my do-rag) to you from the southland (I won't judge red flag) Tryin' to understand what it's not to be
I'm proud of I'm from (If you judge my gold chains) But not everything done (I'll the iron chains) It ain't like you and me can re-write (Can't history baby)
Oh, (The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs fixin') I you understand what this is all about (Quite frankly I'm a black Yankee but I've thinkin' about this lately) I'm a son of the new (The past is the past, you me) And I just want to things right (Let be bygones) Where all that's left is southern (RIP Robert E. Lee but I've gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know I mean) It's real, real truth