Someone I Knew

A young man died today

What have we to show?

A country split in two

A left wing and a joke

What remains when we tear away the mask?

Who will be around to face the coming task?

Never someone I knew

How much longer 'til we're through? (Yeah)

How much longer 'til we're through?

How much longer 'til we're through? (Yeah)

How much longer 'til we're through?

Hardly show up on time to the party, yes, we the tardiest

Never good at chronology, I measure time in memories (Memories)

Where were you when the towers fell? I was seven

Sittin' at home, Aunty bust through the door in a frenzy

Face in horror, shocked, yelling at Mom's in the kitchen

I pretend I wasn't listenin', but still paying attention

Life is a gift and if God wills it, live it

Inshallah, we don't face the world with a stigma

Where were you when you first held a gun? I was five

Playing hide and seek in my parents' room

Went under the bed, the perfect spot for me to hide

Dark brown mahogany handle on my hand like camouflage

Where were you when Michael died? I was fifteen

The singer I idolized, immortalized in my mind

Livin' with my cousins in a foreign land (Foreign land)

Sittin' in living rooms, wishing my spin move could hang

My nose used to look like his

Maybe God's a magician and we look like twins

Maybe one day, I'm takin' off the runway

And floating with the sun rays around

Though my tongue weighs me down

My mind roamin' 'cause I'm fly, homie

In and out of states, I done spent way too much time zonin'

I try look up to skies with my eyes open

But I'm blindfolded by the lies that they all told me, goddamn

It was someone I knew

But he died for me and you

How much longer 'til we're through?

How much longer 'til we're—

How much longer 'til we're—

How much longer till we're through?

Oh, oh, baby

Far from religious, close to his intuition

Praying for forgiveness from the patron saint of sinners

Left hand on the scripture, right hand to the heavens

This vision was God-given, it's worked on in the shadows

We the '04 Pistons, no stars, just winners

No TayShauns, just princes, Kings 'cause legacy build bridges

Tryna be the best man I can can you Taye Digg it?

Not a pawn in no military state prison

Paid off piglets

Treat men like villains that's based off pigment, gotta be kidding

Ah, man, we on war times

Sometimes, I ask myself

"Am I an artist or an archive of hard times?"

Seen life long ties split apart like apartheid

Fuck outta here, got me wondering where the light

Ain't no light at the—, ain't no light at the—, nah

Fuck a light at the end of the tunnel, homie, I am the light

Exposing tarnishin', promise, you really ain't half as bright

Me and homie ain't that alike, no more vigils by candlelight

See 'em slippin' banana-like, mission splittin' banana-like

They been tricking us all our life and I'm moving to get it right, we're through

It was someone I knew

But he died for me and you

How much longer 'til we're through?

How much longer 'til we're—

How much longer 'til we're—

How much longer till we're through?

Hey, listen, everybody, this is Phil Ranelin

And you're listening to TOBi

And welcome to PANIC