[Intro: Brittany Howard]

My heroes are black
My heroes are black

[Verse 1: Johnny Venus]

America the brutalizer
Takin’ out her pain on us but who knows why?
Probably ’cause we fly
‘Cause we can work magic with the wink of an eye
When I dance sparks fly, now watch me guide
Phenomenal minds, phenomenal kinds
The beautiful ones, a sign of the times
To laugh is a threat, to breathe is a crime
I’m born by a God, was forged in the fire
My career soars while black bodies hit the floor
I feel guilt, shame, I could always do some more
Are words enough? Does the storytelling lighten the burden up?
Marching and fist bumpin’
Generational fire, got the whole city burnin’
We will not be denied
You ain’t get the memo that we ain’t to be fucked with
Fighters returned, defyin’ the words of coroners
Statues will fall, ancestors watchin’, enjoyin’ us
Reset the balance, my tongue calice from school at Alice
Talkin’ racist whack shit
Livin’ in her Wonderland bubble, bubblin’ up, damn (Damn)
You searchin’ for the problems, shawty, that’s it

[Chorus: Brittany Howard]

O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at mee (Goat head in the back)
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me (Woo, uh-uh)
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me (Goat head in the back)

[Verse 2: Doctur Dot]

Slave blood, king’s blood
Mothership, beamed up
Everything we dreamed of, it’s finally us
Damn it’s good, from your average hood
I’d rather be overpaid then understood
Only God can judge, me and my accomplices (Failin’ to comply)
Got my weapon, that’s my right, let’s be heavily supplied
I ain’t shit but a reflection of the times to the naked eyes
So even when I’m sleep, I look like something to be threatened by?
This is for the fingertips dipped in red dust on the city bus
No option for givin’ up
I’m the Sun, son, so the natural look be stickin’ up
Sunday brunch with Bun, I ain’t eat much but I listened up
Soak some wisdom up, rolled a bigger blunt
Laugh to keep from tearin’ up
Had to fuck the city up to make ’em take us serious
Don’t pick up your cell, 12, wet you like amphibian
They put us all through Hell and tell us God work so mysterious

[Chorus: Brittany Howard]

O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me (Goat head in the back)
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me
O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me (Goat head in the back)

[Outro: Brittany Howard]

My heroes are black (Guns aimin’ at me)
(My heroes are black)
(O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me)
(O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me)
(O say, can you see?
Guns aimin’ at me)

 

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