[Verse 1: Brad Paisley]
To the man that waited on me at the Starbucks down on Main
I hope you understand
When I put on that T-shirt, the only thing I meant to say
Is I'm a Skynyrd fan
The red flag on my chest somehow is
Like the elephant in the corner of the south
And I just walked him right in the room
Just a proud rebel son with an ol' can of worms
Lookin' like I got a lot to learn, but from my point of view
[Chorus: Brad Paisley]
I'm just a white man coming to you from the Southland
Tryin' to understand what it's like not to be
I'm proud of where I'm from, but not everything we've done
And it ain't like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn't start this nation
We're still picking up the pieces, walking on eggshells, fighting over yesterday
And caught between Southern pride and Southern blame
[Verse 2: Brad Paisley]
They called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some tears
We're still siftin' through the rubble after a hundred-fifty years
I try to put myself in your shoes and that's a good place to begin
It ain't like I can walk a mile in someone else's skin
[Chorus: Brad Paisley]
'Cause I'm a white man livin' in the southland
Just like you I'm more than what you see
I'm proud of where I'm from, but not everything we've done
And it ain't like you and me can re-write history
Our generation didn't start this nation
And we're still paying for our mistakes
That a bunch of folks made long before we came
And caught somewhere between southern pride and southern blame
[Verse 3: LL Cool J]
Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you understood
What the world is really like when you're living in the hood
Just because my pants are saggin' doesn't mean I'm up to no good
You should try to get to know me, I really wish you would
Now my chains are gold but I'm still misunderstood
I wasn't there when Sherman's March turned the south into firewood
I want you to get paid but be a slave I never could
Feel like a new fangled Django, dodgin' invisible white hoods
So when I see that white cowboy hat, I'm thinking it's not all good
I guess we're both guilty of judging the cover not the book
I'd love to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air
But I see that red flag and I think you wish I wasn't here
[Chorus: Brad Paisley & LL Cool J]
I'm just a white man
If you don't judge my durag
Comin' to you from the southland
I won't judge your red flag
Tryin' to understand what it's like not to be
Yeah
I'm proud of where I'm from
If you don't judge my gold chains
But not everything we've done
I'll forget the iron chains
It ain't like you and me can re-write history
Can't re-write history baby
[Outro: Brad Paisley & LL Cool J]
Oh, Dixieland
The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs some fixin'
I hope you understand what this is all about
Quite frankly I'm a black Yankee
But I've been thinkin' about this lately
I'm a son of the new south
The past is the past, you feel me
And I just want to make things right
Let bygones be bygones
Where all that's left is southern pride
RIP Robert E. Lee
But I've gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me
Know what I mean? It's real, it's real
It's
