Of Course You Can

Ya know, one day the indigenous people of the Earth
Are gonna reclaim, whats rightfully theirs
Really?

Well, lose your mind, misplace your mind
Forgot you even had a mind
Cause someone told you its impossible
To change your mind

A friend of mine made it to twenty-five
We had a celebration, man, Im glad that youre alive
Im happy to see, my man youre beatin the odds
And for this on this day we give thanks to the gods

Cause everyone deserves a shot except you only get one
I hope its not through the head my son
But life is short when youre afraid to cry
Life is hard when youre afraid to die

But when I feel alone, I sing myself a song
Because wherever I lay a groove is my home

But can you see me in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see me on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see me in the ocean?
Of course you can
Im just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

But can you see me in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see me on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see me in the ocean?
Of course you can
Im just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

But he remembered memories of walkin through the puddles
Sayin gee dad, am I the one whos wanted by
The federal government doesnt want me to go to school
I ask too many questions and I dont play by their rules

In school they tried to tell me that a rock is not alive
But I have seen a volcano growin up and die
In school they tried to tell me that a tree it couldnt feel
But I have felt a tree and it was bleedin' for real

In school they tried to tell me animals couldnt talk
But they can understand it when a dog starts to bark
In school they tried to tell me, man doesnt have a soul
What happened to his? I say 'cause mine is still whole

But can you see me in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see me on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see me in the ocean?
Of course you can
Im just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

But can you see me in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see me on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see me in the ocean?
Of course you can
Im just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

Can you see me?
Can you see me?
Can you see me?
Can you see me?

I have the reoccurring dream of a lifes imprisonment
The reoccurring scream of a world and its residents
The reoccurring theme of a mind full of finger prints
The reoccurring dream of a knife and a president

Well, would you like to look at Madonnas book on sex?
Or would you rather Alex Haleys book on Malcolm X?
Their fuckin with ice tea but they dont even care if
Eric Claptons singin, "I Shot The Sheriff"

But how many more books on this subject can I read?
And how many more frustrations must I try to ease?
And how many more days of this bad air can I breathe?
And how many more of my friends must just die and leave?

But you cant diffuse the ticking time bomb
You cant refuse the time it has come
You cant erase our people from the nation
Ill take a life before they call us 'The Lost Generation'

But can you see us in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see us on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see us in the ocean?
Of course you can
We're just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

But can you see us in the desert?
Of course you can
Can you see us on the mountain?
Of course you can

Can you see us in the ocean?
Of course you can
We're just splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand

But can you see me in Africa?
Of course you can
Can you see us in Asia?
Of course you can

Can you see us in Australia?
Of course you can
Aotearoa? Western Samoa? Eskimoa?

Can you see us in the White House?
No you cant
Can you see us on the radio?
Hell no

Can you see me with the police
In handcuffs?
Splishin, splashin
Jumpin in the sand