Accidental Racist

[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