Rain Dance

[Verse 1: Oddisee]

I remembered when I discovered purpose

I was good at something, finally worth it

Told my father that I'ma be an artist

Foreign parents don't understand we got newer options

They flee their countries, protect their families, pursuing progress

They think in needs, we think of wants, the views are parted

I want to be like Dr. Dre, they want degrees from Harvard

An engineer that slide the fader, not designing rockets

I'm in the lab without a beaker but the speakers knocking

Making art in broken English, they mistake as nonsense

The only language understood is income

So I got good at business plans as well as making rhythm

I took this art so serious

It made any girl I dated so furious

And put tears in they eyes that wouldn't dry, so they turned into rain

So many lessons that I was learning through pain

Rain dance

[Verse 2: Oddisee]

When I was younger I was all about the ladies

Quick to do them wrong, even quicker to call them crazy

'Cause I ain't see the harm in leading on somebody daughter

Who wanted my commitment but instead they get a maybe

Four or five I juggled them like I'm Barnum & Bailey

Until my arms got tired of hugging women and breaking

The less that I was working, the more that I was flirting

Can't be somebody's half if you ain't a completed person

Started developing myself first

Ain't easy to take it for granted when it's self-worth

Kept promises, made money, and stayed honest

In his thick accent my father said that I made progress

Became the man that I was meant to be

Right on time, met the women that was meant for me

You know the feeling of keeping your phone face up

No interference so nothing causing a break up

Drama free

[Skit: Toine]

Man, I'ma- I'ma be real with you man. You gon' get a lot of people out here messed up thinking that it's really cool to just leave their phone face up and they got a lot of open tabs. That wrong text message will come through one day and mess up everything you was trying to do, so uh. That's just a warning man, it ain't for everybody yo, but, good job for working hard to get there man, for real

[Verse 3: Oddisee]

Nowadays I'm just trying to get paid

Stay away from trouble and avoid an early grave

Read a little more, speak a little less

My competition listens and they quick to imitate

Invited to the studio by so and so

And everybody think that I'm the one that stole the flow

Well here's a quotable, I ain't jealous or offended

I'm just glad to see reactions to a style that I invented

To me, being remembered means your time is finished

And I'd rather be the reminder with the minor presence

Not a quick rise and a long fall

For the long haul, I'm in it so just sit tight

Things don't grow if the ground stay dry

I see the good things when the clouds blown by

So when the rain comes, I presume my stance

And if I move, it’s to do my dance

Bloom

[Outro: Olivier St. Louis]

I can make it rain no matter what the time

But I'd do it less for some peace of mind

Reach out and you will understand

What God put in these hands

All will be revealed in due time