Maybe Both, 1865 Songtext
von Sho Baraka

It was hard to hear over the gunshots
Running round back and forth
And then he said
He said


I′m looking for a happy ending
I said, "We never had happy beginnings"
I'm on my knees, I′m praying, I'm on my knees
But, now I'm an easy target for them to attack me
Liberals and intellectuals justifying my anger
But when the cameras ain′t here, they ain′t no where near
Oh, so eloquent, watch them pontificate
When the smoke clears, the blogs re-build real estate
You sitting in your academic tower
Tweeting around the hour while the poor fights the power
Oh stop it, oh stop it, you and your non-profit
With a heart full of promise based on bad economics
Put your ballot in the air, pull out a lighter, then burn it
We just giveaway votes, make them Democrats earn it
Politicians don't care cuz′ they don't see a need
They won′t care till we bleed on the same concrete
We burning down the neighborhoods where we live at
If we don't own it, well let′s do something to change that
It didn't change Watts, it ain't doing much now
Watch the philosophers argue while Rome burns down

Bang, bang, bang
Bang, bang, bang
Reload the gun, they gon′ do the same thing
Bang, bang, bang
Bang, bang, bang
Reload the gun, they gon do the same thing

Is it a ballot or a bullet? Let me know
Should I fight or should I pray? Who′s my foe?
Are they killing with a pistol or a vote?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Maybe, both


Why stop now?
I haven't caught the holy ghost yet
Sing a little louder, we can drown out the protests
We build an antebellum, they too busy to listen
I hear disturbing things come from so-called "Christians"
Quick to justify your man′s death
Because of a criminal record or how a man dressed
Thugs I guess, only perfect people get grace
If that was the Lord's way, there′ll be no one in the faith
True flaw, America kills and hides behind the law
They purchase this land with violence, but never count the cost
Put a dollar to your ear, you can hear the moaning of a slave
America the great was built off the labor that they gave
Jefferson and Washington were great peace pursuers
But, John Brown was a terrorist and an evil doer
Oh yes, God bless the American Revolution
But, God ain't for all the riots and the looting

Bang, bang, bang
Bang, bang, bang
Reload the gun, they gon′ do the same thing
Bang, bang, bang
Bang, bang, bang
Reload the gun, they gon do the same thing

Is it a ballot or a bullet? Let me know
Should I fight or should I pray? Who's my foe?
Are they killing with a pistol or a vote?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Or, maybe, it is both?
Maybe, both

Before another man dies
And another mom cries
The people ask why?
Keep yo' head to the sky
Another man dies and another man cries
Lord, hear em′ cry
He said, "Stop, don′t pull it"
Wait a minute, a ballot or a bullet?

What's your standard? Where you stand?
What′s your views?
What gives you the right to the think the way that you do?
Is it school? Is it news?
Is it man's wisdom? Is it religion?
Why listen when you can make your own decisions?
It′s funny how some people see the Lord
Some see him as a pacifist
Some see him with a sword
The Lord who hated sin showed grace to the thief
Saved the lonely prostitute from being stoned in the street
He was holy, but he hung with the sinful
Drove out the wicked by flipping over tables in the temple
He took a wrongful death, yet he remained silent
But, he said he coming back, and he is bringing violence
Many people isolate him just to make him fit their cause
Never too involved in a greater context at all
So, are there two christs totally unrelated
Or, maybe there's one Christ, and he′s pretty complicated
Huh? Pretty complicated
Or, maybe it is both
Maybe, it is both
Maybe, both

Yo, it's Travis
Hey man, it's Friday morning
I′ve been meaning to call you
I′d love to get your take on some of these things
I've been thinking more and more about the issues
And I think it would be good to hear what you think
I′m trying to make sense of some things
And, I wanna make sure I have a better picture of what's going on
So, let′s meet
Call me back and we'll make it happen in the schedule
Take care man
Bye