We Were Beautiful

I was black as I could be Hearing voices telling me "Walk away from everything" Oh I wasn't meant to go Far away from those I know To some desolate below We were in the urban scene With a grind of coffee bean And the women are oblique And the boys are paper thin Ragged beards upon their chin We were on the outside looking in Rise above the present day Rise above the popular melee I see you the way you are I see you the scar We were beautiful before this went down We were beautiful the years came and turned it upside down We were beautiful before we got wise We were beautiful with sky and blanket laying low I am hanging on the line I'm on duty all the time I'm your Samaritan on call I could try my best to heal All the emptiness you feel In the giving I will be a light We were wrapped around our roots Nothing on except our boots We were intimate around the waist We were settling our scores We were healing over sores We were living out the pleasure that we lost We were beautiful before this went down We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down We were beautiful for all time and space I will tell it to the Sun and I will tell it to If you listen to the night We can hear the madmen fight Hear the foxes making out But the people all immune Sleeping silent in their rooms Growing bodies with their sleep Making plans inside their heads Making love to shadow friends We were beautiful before this went down We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down We were beautiful before we got wise We were beautiful with sky and blanket, feel me now We were beautiful before this went down We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down We were beautiful for all time and space I will tell it to the Sun and I will tell it to your face