Verse 1:
It started in the Philippines, Francis M to Killa Beez
‘Til I was 13 spittin soliloquies on Dilla Beats
Silly me for thinkin these, television imagery
Representin’ me when most these people never looked liked me
Red, white, and blue’s really blonde, white, and blue
I see my people wanna lighten but enlightenment’s in you
Reflection of the hues, deflection of the truth
Attention to the cues, we neck to neck and start to lose
How can we be free and be a POC? cuz what do PO see?
What’s their POV? When they see no me?
They see you as a DOB or better yet a DOD, they hoping that you do OD, statistics of that lottery
They playing yellow face, the other half are playing two face
I feel they ain’t used to my face up in this new place
New dreams to chase, too much baggage like my suitcase
Feeling out of place and we got here on a Tuesday
Hook:
The grass is greener on the other side, forget your dreams, is you down to ride?
The grass is greener on the other side, come fuck with me, is you down to ride?
The grass is greener on the other side, follow me, they’ll eat you alive
The grass is greener on the other side, now I’m feeling lesser brown inside
Verse 2:
I’m from a country where lightened means you enlightened
But what’s a color when the hue (you) is never brightened?
And what’s your skin if the texture be reptile?
Half these snakes reading this text be thinkin’ that they less bile
That crab mentality, in actuality, reality
Why you mad me when we just look the same to them? they put kuya in the pen
So I put life into this pen, so when I write, I'm puttin’ light and I rewrite myself again
Mama, why don't they like me? Comma, they don't look like me
Papa, they ask his ID, ego, it wants to fight me
Ruby, don't take it lightly, just focus on plottin’ nightly
‘Cuz we know, it’s never likely, If I don’t, then who will write me?
I pray to a white God, prey to this system
Put on a white mask, hating this brown skin
Slave to the green bills, faker than Green Hills
Hoping the fame will
Make me escape, red pill or blue pill, a head filled with no real
True feel of self, will, I choose fate or own will?
See, we hopped up on that plane with the nosebleed seats
And if we learn too much English, it’s a “nosebleed me”
Juxtaposed with self hate, this flat nose goes deep
‘Cuz we know they turn they nose up when they don’t need me
It always on their terms, any percent you earn
They wanna sell your urn, but melanin don’t burn
4 counts in a bar - 4 counts behind bars
How u make your voice count when they don’t even count ours?
POCs be getting vilified, dreams be gettin nullified
Kuya with that bullseye target when he walkin’ by
Ruby Ibarra, first generation immigrant
Tryna make a difference but times I’m feeling’ ignorant myself
How can I lay a verse when I’m just lyin to myself?
How can I start a movement when I’m frozen, I can’t help but think about the days
My mama used to sit and pray, that all our problems go away, they knockin for that rent today
My sister never learned to say our language cuz my moms afraid
That she will turn to me someday and struggle to assimilate
My father, he just looks away, I see the lines that changed his face
I wanna tell him face to face, forgive him, and we'll find a way
But anger's always in the way, my heart's consumed by pain and hate
This country told us welcome but never asked if we wanna stay
Chorus:
Welcome to that place you know, a million miles from home
Welcome to this place alone, this is now your home
Bass Guitar by: Chris Baylon
