Sons And Daughters - The Neville Brothers

Young man on his way home from the market,

Just enjoying a beautiful afternoon

Gets kinda dark, sun just set

There’s these other young men standing

On the corner, nothing to do, just hangin' around

They’re passing out their weapons to each other:

brass knuckles — pipes — chains — half a bricks

— broken bottles — switchblades

Young man lands in jail for some crime he did not commit

352 years hard labor in Angola prison — 352 years at hard labor

Sleepless nights between sugar cane and cotton

It’s where he learns the ropes and pays with his soul

For some crime he did not commit

We think we’re safe at home with our bumper stickers saying — Just say no —

We give up a few freedoms here and there in the name of a — Squeaky clean

America —

Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical

Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical

Screaming for blood and justice

Now they’ve got us hypnotized and hysterical

Screaming for blood and justice

They show us the faces of hatred over and over — a new one every week

Could be Manuel Noriega

Could be the Ayatollah

Any old scapegoat 'll do

The young man will be our sacrificial lamb

Pro choice — no choice

We’re sending our sons and daughters to their slaughter

Pro choice — no choice

Slogans mean nothing to a young man facing 352 years hard labor in Angola

To a young man facing 352 years hard labor in Angola

For a crime he did not commit

It’s freedom of speech — as long as you don’t say too much

You can’t stop running water

You can’t kill the fire that burns inside

Don’t deny our flesh and blood

And don’t forsake our sons and daughters

You can’t stop running water

You can’t kill the fire that burns inside

Don’t deny our flesh and blood

And don’t forsake our sons and daughters

It’s freedom of speech — as long as you don’t say too much

I think we’re all runnin' thinkin' that we can hide

I think we’re runnin' tryin' to get away

But sooner or later we gonna realize

We gonna meet up with the truth face to face