Everything but the Man
Exploitation doesn’t need a passport
It moves freely from north to Johannesburg
Each season, new names like hurricanes:
Colonization, globalization, democratization
Ever since I became impossible to enslave
I have become persona non grata
Airport and border control repellent
They want everything I have but my backbone
Maybe I should be bauxite, gold, or cocoa
The best part of waking up, the coffee in your cup
The froth on your mouth, before hate foams over
How’re you gonna hate me when you kiss me
Maybe I’m just a little too black on the outside
If I were coltan I wouldn’t have to worry about visas
I’d be your girl’s best friend if I were diamond
You would invite me over and say I was precious
But a full-fledged human, you call that an alien.