Ngaio - Blackbird Lyrics

Picture me
Flicking through memories
That you cannot see
They catch focus
Mmm outside of me
Is this it?
What was it supposed to be?
Supposed to be

Generously
They play me
Strings of heartfelt reality
But it doesn't hurt you
But it doesn't touch you
But you don't
You don't feel the truth

So when a blackbird falls
Out of the sky - did we lie?
Oh, when a blackbird falls
Out of the sky
Did I lie?

When a blackbird falls out of the sky
Did we lie?
Did we lie?
Did we lie?

When you look around your world,
Do you see the inequalities?
Where I'm labelled BAME to keep me boxed easily
Talk about equal opportunity but when I walk through the door
There's no-one representing me

So how did we get to this place?
I should feel grateful but I feel disgraced
How did they get away with this,
A facade of multicultural looking down on brown Brit-ish
Who you were happy to let fight for you

And what, am I mistaken?
To be angered by how few steps we've taken?
Tick the boxes you need,
Shake the hand of a BAME
To be that guy you want people to see as being colourblind
You think you're colourblind?

Don't tell me I'm being represented,
I represent myself whilst still feeling rejected
And I'm the girl who's in the middle,
Easy access to the ones afraid of the niggers, f*ck you

Anyone who uses that word
F*ck you. It's a term of endearment
F*ck. You. But my friends call me nigger and what, I can't say it to you?

While I stick my unwashed hands in your Afro,
Asking mm but how does it stay like that though?
Do you want me to decipher my DNA?
Explain my skin pigment, class and grade?

I'm mixed race. That's how I look like this
My mixed race is what defines my waist and my lips
You're mixed race too
You're mixed race too

Your ancestors could be Gaelic, Scottish, French
Dutch, German, Greek, you could be dench
But when you stop identifying with your identity,
That's when you snap focus onto differences you see
And instead of celebrating our collective diversity
You start talking about 'Benefit Thieves' and 'Border Security

But that's not the problem here fam trust me
You can't keep a man down and call him laz.
Paint a picture in the world of who you want him to be
Then relinquish all sense of responsibility

Because in your world, you're safe
And it's becoming such a conversation..race
Why can't we all just move on an accept our cards?
No matter conservatives another word for guard

This is world that you live in
So sit down, shut up, and be grateful you can't see the shackles
Be greatful that this time...
They're hidden

Picture me
Flicking through memories
That you cannot see
They catch focus
Mmm outside of me
Is this it?
What was it supposed to be?
Supposed to be

Generously
They play me
Strings of heartfelt reality
But it doesn't hurt you
But it doesn't touch you
But you don't
You don't feel the truth

So when a blackbird falls
Out of the sky - did we lie?
Oh, when a blackbird falls
Out of the sky
Did I lie?

When a blackbird falls out of the sky
Did we lie?
Did we lie?
Did we lie?

Blackbirds fall, blackbird fall.