Paradigm

I was born to two immigrants
Who knew why they were here
They were happy to pay taxes
For the schools and roads, happy to be here

They took it seriously
The second job of citizenry
My mother went campaigning door to door
And holding to her hand was me

Yeah I was just a girl in a room full of women
Licking stamps and laughing
I remember the feeling of community brewing
Of democracy happening

But I suppose like anybody, I had to teach myself to see
All that stuff that got lost on its way to Church
All that stuff that got lost on its way to school
All that stuff that got lost on its way to the house of my family
All that stuff that was not lost on me

Yeah teach myself to see each of us
Through the lens of forgiveness
Like we're stuck with each other, God forbid
To teach myself to smile and stop and talk
To a whole other color kid

Teach myself to be new in an instant
Like the truth is accessible at any time
Teach myself it's never really one or the other
There's a paradox in every paradigm

Yeah I was just a girl in a room full of women
Licking stamps and laughing
I remember the feeling of community brewing
Of democracy happening