Black and British

In all honesty, all we got is love
We can only pay you in visits
Family orientated, I'll never stray from my siblin's
Heard some war stories when uncle came from the prison
He was good at makin' money, but bad at makin' decisions
Mummy's got her hand in the pardner to make a shillin'
She'll have to put an arm and a leg in to make a difference
Daddy's out chasin' the women, breedin' the village
Breakin' all kinda records to place the blame on the Guinness
When my mother asked, it was never up for discussion
Some lessons learnt have different meanings for others
Black History Month where they taught me that I was nothin'
In the school of hard knocks where I had to fight for my cousin
Roll up your sleeves, work twice as hard just to please
Don't beg nobody fi eat and never chat to police
And on Black Boy Lane, I was caught on my own
He told me go back to my country, I thought I was home
Guess I was wrong

Really, I just wanna spread love
Know it's been a minute, still think about us
Always on a wave 'cause it gets me through
Really, I'm just tryna stay up, yeah
Really, I just wanna spread love
Know it's been a minute, still think about us
Always on a wave 'cause it gets me through

When all is said and done, don't want the baddest bitches
I just really wanna move my address, innit
Want my forty acres with my palace, innit
They don't care about you when you Black and British
Course I got a knife, you don't cut me no slack
Now you colorblind, you don't notice I'm Black
So we stay trappin' 'cause my homie mind trapped
Granny came here to build a future based on pure hope
But the road weren't paved with gold, it was paved with "Go home"
Imagine bein' a doctor and they've doctored your role
You've got the qualification, they ain't offerin' though
You came here to seek employment, didn't come here to clean toilets
Money haffi mek, now we're runnin', we're seein' bwoydem
My cousin as well, even my auntie's on bail
Fuck you, my uncle from hell
That's 'cause you keep touchin' all the family under your spell
Everyone just turns a blind eye when they know you need help
That's Black and British when you come from a sufferin' world
Stop sayin', "That's how he is"
If that's the case, he shouldn't be sharin' beds with the kids
You put our feels to the side, bills to the side
Out of sight, out of mind
Is my dad still alive? Step-dad arrives
Devil in disguise, Tina
Wanna ask your partner how it feels to be Ike?
You put on a brave face, it's the bravest I've ever seen
Got a jester for a king and you still a queen
Lyin' when they ask why I'm cryin', I kept it in
Now I'm grown, it's Game of Thrones, if I catch him it's guillotine

I swear I'd never make my mother cry
She taught me how to make a bed out of a bunch of lies
And how a man's supposed to wear his tie
I was twelve when the world let you down a dozen times
When you say Black and British, what is it that comes to mind?
How do you progress in life when you're stuck behind?
I had an attitude with my teachers at school
But soon as I got home, I knew that tone could never fly
Raisin' a teenage girl, no help, no channel of support
No fairy, no tales, barely could afford
No wishin', no wells
No hands was avail' with the hands we was dealt

Really, I just wanna spread love
Know it's been a minute, still think about us
Always on a wave 'cause it gets me through
Really, I'm just tryna stay up, yeah
Really, I just wanna spread love
Know it's been a minute, still think about us
Always on a wave 'cause it gets me through

When all is said and done, don't want the baddest bitches
I just really wanna move my address, innit
Want my forty acres with my palace, innit
They don't care about you when you Black and British
Course I got a knife, you don't cut me no slack
Now you colorblind, you don't notice I'm Black
So we stay trappin' 'cause my homie mind trapped

There's an expression about fightin' fire with fire
You're a loser by doin' that
I know, I know, I know
But for me, I know there is a day, and that day's not far
That I must die
And if I die today, I'm just dead
Because as long as I know I died to let someone else live