It's Simple, A Langston Hughes Tribute

Hey Simple...say, young man
Say, who are you?
Don't you ever let nobody call you no fool 

We come from 
Kings
queens 
royalty 
don't you know you're the man
you got permission to be 

In the Front of the line
At the head of the pack
it is what it is
and that is that 

We came 
From the Euphrates
Down to the Mississippi
The negro came to be just who he came to be

To toil the soil from sea to sea 

truth be told
we manifest our own destiny

Hey Simple, it's simple 
Simple. Just simple 


Say What! 
See that? 
They be twisting the facts 
have you believin there ain't no beauty in black
That 
It's alright to have 
Strange fruit found on them trees
Hanging limb by limb by the extremities 
Though he might break his back 
He ain't no pick a ninny 


t'was a beautiful day
till I saw what I seen 
Something i
Can't forget 
I pray it will never be
you or me
us or them 
Ain't that truly the real meaning of American


I learned the hard way
they made me a slave
Still I had to keep that good ol smile on my face
Sun up to sundown
Singing harmonies
we bear unspeakable pain for what we believe
not cuz we was happy
not cuz we was glad 
But because we wanted to keep what little good we had 


I love my people and 
they love me
Too bad you can't see
who we really be 


In a not so distant past
it was a danger to dream
believing in our own homes 
Kings we might be 
Twas the state of the world
ugly reality
serving the man 
And pretending to be
not being, being beaten 
See, that's what was happening 

So I told my soul
"soul don't let go
one day you'll fly 
fly like the eagle 
over spacious skies 
I'll soar so high 
And 
I won't have to fight just to live 

I am who I am 
I be's who i be 
say it one time
Say it 
repeat after me
being simple is no contradiction it's community
It's a place we can thrive
It's a place where we can grow 
It's a place where we can find someone to teach us what we don't know
Hold on to it tight, hold on with all your might 
I have faith you find it soon
I have faith you find that food for your soul 

Hey Simple it's simple
Simple, just simple

Some youngins got it twisted
They think killing is brave
They squabble over everything and
take that to the grave
I guess 
Simple ain't so simple like it was those days 

You see 
One thing I know
Is not to say what I don't
Now
I haven't known Rivers 
Not since that good time flow

There's wealth in our veins 
There's strength in our genes 
I bleed juice so sweet they came n baptized me 

Of what I know 
I cant help but speak 
the man is everywhere listening waiting and watching for me 

But until that day comes when I can no longer breathe 
And the dear Lord chooses to come and silence me, 
I will spread the word 
I will pray and plead 
For the ones that are to come 
Keep it 
S-I-M-P-L-E 

So like I said before
I will say it again 
You ain't no fool no more 
You're the next of kin 

The world is yours, 
What will you choose 
Son, what you go for 
It's all up to you 

Riches untold 
Go run n tell that 
Living a life that's simple is where its at 

It's simple just simple 
Its simple just simple

--Sean Y., Adult