See How We Are
There’s too many rats in this cage of the world
And the women know their place
They sit home and write letters
And when they visit once a year
Well they both just sit there and stare
See how we are
Gotta keep bars in between us
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Now there are seven kinds of Coke
500 kinds of cigarettes
This freedom of choice in the USA drives everybody crazy
But in Acapulco
Well they don’t give a damn
About kids selling Chiclets with no shoes on their feet
See how we are
And the Mexico City tourist says to the Indian, “Get the fuck out of the way”
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Now that highway’s coming through
So you all gotta move
This bottom rung ain’t no fun at all
No fires and rockhouses and grape-flavored rat poison
They are the new trinity
For this so-called community
See how we are
Gotta keep bars on all of our windows
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Well this morning the alarm rang at noon
And I’m trying to write this letter to you
About how much I care and why I just can’t be there
To draw your bath and comb your hair
Last night in a nightspot
Where things aren’t so hot
My friend said, “I met a boy and I’m in love”
I said, “Oh really… What’s this one’s name?”
She said, “His first name is Homeboy”
I said “Could his last name be Trouble?”
See how we are
Homeboy… Isn’t that a South central gangster name?
See how we are
We only sing about it once in every twenty years
See how we are
Oh see how we are
Yeah see how we are
March 20th, 2005 at 10:03 am
Nicely woven piece about a very torn piece of fabric, Rox. Thank you for slipping me in there. We are at a moment (in a long series of moments) that define us as a nation. Any one with more interest in this topic is invited to stop by and comment at Blessed Is The Prisoner.
Roxanne, your passion and humor in the face of darkness inspire me daily. Thank you.
March 20th, 2005 at 4:41 pm
Damn that’s good.
March 25th, 2005 at 8:11 am
It is good, but I don’t think it’s by Rox. It was written by John Doe of the Los Angeles new wave band “X”, and is the title track of the album “See How We Are”. If you’re not familar with “X”, I’d highly recommend them, both for their music and for John Doe’s superb lyrics, many of which touch on similar themes to this song.
Rox, thanks for posting this.