Magnolia (feat. CeeLo Green & Raheem DeVaughn)

Yeah, ooh

Mighty, mighty Magnolia

THX

I was sittin' up under this tree, she was talkin' to me

She said, "Son, do you know who I am? Who I happen to be?"

And I told her, "The Mighty Magnolia that stand tall for the

Shoulders of slaves and soldiers when the days get colder"

So older, but I'm young in my spirit from the blood I'd inherit

From Mr. Malcom Garvey and Marley, then she started to tell me

How she was used in the lynching of blacks

Branch cracked, broke her arms just so his neck wouldn't snap

And if I wouldn't rap, I'd probably meet the same damn fate

From the same damn rope, I'm 'bout the same damn weight

I said, "Wait, man, wait", I still got the nooses

Just loosen and tighten that **** up when I'm speakin' the truth

They need proof that God exist, so I gave The God Box

It ain't **** hard as this, it ain't **** hard as this

Flick a wrist, I flick a brick, an O, I still get this dough

These **** know, everywhere we go, it's Mississippi, ****

Peace the dro, this some old outer space ballin, spacecraft callin'

Black George Jetson, Juice City jackjawin'

Charm paintin' pictures of scriptures, I know that y'all missed us

**** out here stackin' they army, tryna enlist us

You **** us off enough to clique up on your ****

The last shall be first and the first shall be last

No average, no savage, this King Ruler

Billion dollar freedom fighter and I take it if I gotta, ****

Oh, Mother Magnolia

Your daughters and your sons

Made the sky start cryin'

As they hung lifeless from your arms

Please, Mother Magnolia

Although the fruit is strange

It's been such a long time comin'

When will the seasons ever change?

Let me, let me try to offer y'all a whole 'nother perspective really quick

Now, this African American officer was an undercover

Who lost a little brother because of a gang color

Which eventually accelerated the cancer that killed his mother

And he was married to a white woman that they called a **** lover

And it became a full time job not to kill a ****

I wonder does he still consider that he's still a ****

We've all got choices, and the real recognize what's real and chose

But he's basically still undercover in his civilian clothes

All the right reasons, but he may not even get that love again

His salary's still not enough to be a Republican

Issues of growing up without a dad

Had one too many one night and forgot his badge

A brawl ensued with a racist cop, didn't stop and ask

'Cause he was sure that he was a **** when he shot his ****

Oh, Mother Magnolia

Your daughters and your sons

Made the sky start cryin'

As they hung lifeless from your arms

Please, Mother Magnolia

Although the fruit is strange

It's been such a long time comin'

When will the seasons ever change?

If a tree could speak

It'd probably shed a tear and weep

For the skin like mines

For being there behind Confederate lines

Mighty Magnolia

Mighty Magnolia