TRUE STORY OF A WOMAN SINGING ON THE D TRAIN

True Story of a Woman Singin on the D Train

Her pink eye shadow matching pink pants perfectly

Her hair is thick and curly and her vibe is other worldly

She gets on at Tremont in the Bronx-

Got her head phones on, she’s not afraid to sing along

As the D train lays the track, eyes closed, head back

She parts her lips and starts to rip it acapella

I swear instantly her voice musta been the key that freed Nelson Mandela,

If I was from Cali I would tell her, girl I’m hella feeling you

But I don’t even look at you… cuz I’m afraid if I do you’ll stop singing

And by now you’re bringing light into this underground tunnel

A fresh kinda life into this concrete jungle,

You are bringing back the beauty Into this beautiful struggle, and yes it is a struggle,

So sing for the African sister sitting over there, cuz I can tell just by her stare,

your voice is taking her back to Sunday mornings in the choir, and sing a little higher

so you can reach the tough guys who just got on the train, talking to women like they ignorant when they think they spitting game, sing it from deep down in your belly to remind ‘em exactly from where they came,

No sister do not be afriad to sing like pouring rain, cuz the reason they in churches is cuz they know that music saves… sing to calm down this kid that’s spinning round the pole Sister sing it with some Soul, Rap to me my sister or let some Gospel flow

Sing Latinoamerica to the streets of this city, Canta sin miedo and sing to keep it grity

Sing summer nights and tacos, café negro y ballenato

Sing dandilions roaring and jungle rains pouring, sister…

Sing to change the system and sing for other women

Sing cuz love is crazy and sing for little babies

Sing cuz people stressing and they need to relax

Sing to bring that woman’s children home from Iraq,

sing to make us listen and sing to break tradition

if tradition only tells us that we supposed to be quiet

then We are breakin that tradition and singing a riot

cuz we need more music in the way that we live

and we need more music in the way that we spit

yes, we need more music to get us out a trouble

and we need more music to get down with the struggle

Say, we need more music, WE NEED MORE MUSIC!

And that’s why I’m saying: Sing like you see flowers, like you singing in the shower,

Sing like Ella Fitzgerald magically blessed you with her powers

Sing because your song doesn’t have to follow orders and no cop can ever stop your song from crossing borders,  So sing for Revolution and sing for Revelations

Sing me one more song cuz I gotta get off and the next station and when I do

I’m going right back into a world where so much is going wrong…

and I just really, really need to hear your Song.