Propaganda - Crimson Cord Album Lyrics

---

You Mock Me

And I asked you to be a symbol of strength
Once given yet, you mocked me
Oh, the mockery!
And I placed so much confidence in the lessons I swear you taught me
Yet, you mocked me
Oh, the mockery!
And you talked about my glory days
And you say the best is yet behind me
You just bring up old stuff
Our relationship is so unhealthy
So cold dependent , you cut me down
You blame me ,I blame me
And I'm a man and I won't crack
And I won't show emotions right
I do just like my daddy did and his did
Burry you,
I build a mausoleum with a storage attached to it
Just for you
And I've grown so very 'and failed to make you stay there
I hate it when you show up to my'
And without a note of shame
You almost ruined my marriage
You mocked me
Oh,the humanity!
And I tried to upgrade the way I speak and raise my daughter
But every time I open my mouth
All I hear is my father
And the same foolish pride, pit he installed
He's into my pores, like poring so annoying
And I put so much faith in you
But you let me down
I see my own eyes and my 8 year old
When I correct her
Why won't you go away?
You smirk when you chase me
You're a cold Helen of Troy
That toys with emotions and'
Bring boys like me fall for it every time
You mocked me!
And I'll probably do my best to convince you
That I'm the victim, but you just don't believe me
You insist you are me
And I 've rand and I've ran
Yet your strive is identical
Every step I took
Your foot fit in right
And can I shake you?
I just can't shake you
You are my past,why won' you stay there?
You 're that pain that guides us
Strings that tie us
That coincidence that proves us that gods exist
The joy I misplaced
Beautiful mistakes
My Crimson Cord

 

---

Crimson Cord

The pain that guides us
The strings that tie us
The coincidence that proves to us God's existence
Joy we misplaced
Beautiful mistakes
The scarlet thread
The Crimson Cord

Wear your scars out loud
That's the fingerprints of The Lord
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
A timeline, a scarlet thread
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
Let me celebrate your crimson cord
And that's beautiful, a crimson cord
No regrets, boy, a crimson cord
Evidence of God's love, that's a crimson cord

What it do to a boy's brain to see his father through glass walls
While Algebra homework less important than last calls
Collect calls come from up state
You eventually grow numb, it's a sad state
And it's hard to conceive, let alone believe that you're worth it
When your little brother's blood is still stained on your converse
And system leave him hanging, they still binge on syringes
Filled with self-hate, that's why we fly off the hinges
Self-medicate, still struggle at the smell of that fresh kush
Even after salvation, it's tough
Looking back at wasted life, who never had a chance to begin with
Ya'll talking about a lamb that's sinless

The pain that guides us
The strings that tie us
The coincidence that proves to us God's existence
Joy we misplaced
Beautiful mistakes
The scarlet thread
The Crimson Cord

Wear your scars out loud
That's the fingerprints of The Lord
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
A timeline, a scarlet thread
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
Let me celebrate your crimson cord
And that's beautiful, a crimson cord
No regrets, boy, a crimson cord
Evidence of God's love, that's a crimson cord

What it do to a girl's brain to see her father through face time
Why, if you call her pretty, you can have her at lunch time
American dream has filled her Mama with botox
And personalized license plates, dinner dates, he went to Jared's
Can't conceive or believe that you're worth it
When rather than hanging with you, they buy you designer purses
And you ain't pose' to be mad, your dad buys you everything, right?
We should all wish to have your life
While she self-medicates with packages and purchases
Oxycontin morning after pills no condoms
Suburbia good school, healthy church folk parents
Hittin' death, cover-up
Mac product, not enough

The pain that guides us
The strings that tie us
The coincidence that proves to us God's existence
Joy we misplaced
Beautiful mistakes
The scarlet thread
The Crimson Cord

Wear your scars out loud
That's the fingerprints of The Lord
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
A timeline, a scarlet thread
A crimson cord, baby, a crimson cord
Let me celebrate your crimson cord
And that's beautiful, a crimson cord
No regrets, boy, a crimson cord
Evidence of God's love, that's a crimson cord

The pain that guides us
The strings that tie us
The coincidence that proves to us God's existence
Joy we misplaced
Beautiful mistakes
The scarlet thread
The Crimson Cord

 

---

Daywalkers

We only take 3 minutes of your time
You can take 1 second or 2
So when they ask you about the conquer
Tell them I know it well
That's what you get when you mix Tony Harper with Ice Cube
Let me talk to him

Broken families, impostor
The average makes a man stand with his '
The music that speaks to Jim Morris and to each of us
It's the same nutrients
I set mine
They won't gonna face it
Like the awarded writers
Flowing in a king's tomb'

You won't even think twice
You won't even think twice
We like that ,let's go
We like that ,let's go
Let's go , let's go

If they ask you about the coach
Say I know it well
I know it well,I know it well
I know it well

Hey look,my homies brought me back when I was pluggin' my Nintendo
I had to stay away from windows
Cause bullets tend to hit them
Cause my momma told me when I got the peas '
Every other brother knows what colour has our community
I knew better but couldn't do better
Listening to Snoop and Ice Cube
We set the music,we use that
This is how it goes
Nowadays you might find me a '
I'm the product of great art
The reason that they hate me
Is the same reason they love me

You won't even think twice
We like that ,let's go
We like that ,let's go
Let's go , let's go

Everybody, everybody, everybody
Say I know it well
I know it well,I know it well
I know it well,I know it well
I know it well,I know it well
I know it well,I know it well
I know it well, I know it well
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go
Let's go, let's go,
Let's go
Let's go, let's go,
Let's go

 

---

Make

Then creator force set in forge the dust from an entire species
Native forces surge the mankind I appease
Pain that makes the ground further to launch artistic movements
Picking renaissance, Italian Harlem
Thought this thing is clear like squad cars
Stay under that radar, them tasers sting hard, I've been there
Hard to shine, slide in a prison, yo, let me tell ya
Elegant, brilliant, audio, health ?
Mind change is side change, compression is bliss
Didn't see it, but now I know possibility is endless
Who would have thought something as dumb as rap could spark this
Paradise shifty, only use one image turn

Came to gather up the gravel and fashion it from mud, everything we know and love
Lots of cold got sold from ?
Flood blood, mud blood, walked into ?
Something outta nothing I bear,
You will stare greater into the status grate like Duke, I scared you
The mainstream trembling on and point them out to the Savior
Till they ounced filled in awe

So push yourself, force yourself, you feel the pain leanin' to it
Growl, mend your voice like you mean to do it
The P90X of thinking, pill rapperzil, pend on your breaks makes you brilliant
At least have your catalog, update your dialogue
Fool is still build schools, thoughts that are linked in logs
The rear homie cheer you up, but Hoovie used to spuve me like
Everything in life, you either do it right or do it twice
Homie up there like you ain't gor an option
Converge thoughts, call it like you all in
When a combined force of four horsemen forced in Hell's furnaces
Challenge you to face us, show us what you made of

Came to gather up the gravel and fashion it from mud, everything we know and love
Lots of cold got sold from ?
Flood blood, mud blood, walked into ?
Something outta nothing I bear,
You will stare greater into the status grate like Duke, I scared you
The mainstream trembling on and point them out to the Savior
Till they ounced filled in awe

 

---

Bored Of Education

Dear Bored of Education,
So are we, huh, so are we
At no point in the lives that we actually live,
Do we sit in rows and listen to pontifications
At no point did momma pass written exams out on how to wash the dishes, no
She pulled the stool up next to her, at the sink,
Handed us a dishrag, like 'Watch how mommy does it, now you try!'
Learning by doing, such a crazy idea, it might work
Them stools felt like a magical ladders into an alter universe
Into the grown-up world,
Informational portholes, wormholes, into other places
Where kids were equals,
Being made privy to information only those with
Driver's licenses and facial hair had
Who knew we were learning,
No clue Pops was teaching us time management and budgeting,
Miniature project coordinators
He said, "Imma show you how to do these chores.
And if they're done when I get home
Then that allowance is yours.
Maybe some ice cream's involved too.
Remember when we were in kindergarten,
And you had to learn about worms,
Yeah, you went outside and you played with worms,
What a novel idea!
Dear Bored of Education!
Huh, so are we (so are we)

Dear Bored of Education,
All I've learned from your system is that it's just the system
That you set up
And if I just repeat what you just said,
in James Schafer method, then I passed, right?
You're just testing my ability to regurgitate
And if your best instructors are miserable,
I'm pretty sure it's not the kids' fault
This pain I know firsthand,
The grand learning moments, the innovative lesson plans
That causes eyes to sparkle
As if them students have just caught rides on shooting stars
These lessons have wings, only to get clipped, to fit,
Into the Low-Res JPEG you call "The State Standards."
Why do you insist this is still the industrial age?
My child is not a widget!
And a school should not be an assembly line
Making my daughter's diploma equivalent to an inspected by 2235 stamp
Dear Bored of Education, so are we!

Dear Bored of Education,
There's not a Scranton on the planet that can measure inspiration
This is what our teachers pass on that matters
But you'd rather them do a jig to the tune of an AYP score
As to avoid losing ...., right?
Nickel bee got us shocking and jiving,
But you can't measure a kid inviting their teacher to a Quincenera or a soccer game,
Or waiting rooms at free clinics.
I can name ten kids off hand who would still be in handcuffs if it wasn't for Mr. Singer
Nick Luvanno runs his own design firm
And he failed the exit exams twice! Failed!
Dear Board of Education, I mean, can we not Google when the Magna Carta was signed?
If your brightest stars are always dim,
Something must be wrong with your glasses
If every place on your body that you touch hurts,
Then your fingers must be broken
You are PhDs, you have five suffixes at the end of your names,
you're the people that know
A lot, how come you're not smart enough
To know that you don't know what you don't know?
Did anyone ever suggest, that maybe, we should test the test?
Dear Bored of Education, my dear Bored of Education, so are we
So are we, so are we!

 

---

Thanks Rev

A memorandum?
Is that what it is?
Memorandum, right?
Oh,I 'm sorry,Propaganda,I'm sorry
Please forgive me with the forgiveness of the Lord
Look , my name is doctor Bishop
Pastor of the mountain Dew
Missionary 'of the greater riverside area
I just wanted to say that ,that new album
That new album blessed my soul
Brother,I don't even know if you know
I had to use it in my Sunday morning service
See,I told the Congregation that this album right here
Was named directly after Denzel Washington 's movie
Crimson Tide
It's kind of and audio sequence
With Denzel and Jesus starring in it
Going to war against the devil
No,it's called Crimson Cord,oh,I see
Well,it doesn't matter
It's the same difference
But I like Crimson Cord
That's even better
Cause the Bible says that in the book
Chapter2,verse no 1..
That all the disciples had
Was in one place'.
Alright,in this case,I like to say Crimson Cord
A brick went under cord
Do you hear me?
See I don't know if it was 2 door or if it was a 4 door
But what I know
Is they were right about Jesus
Is Jesus gonna take the wheel?

 

---

I Ain't Gave Up On You Yet

I met this girl when I was 8 years old
What I loved most,she has so much soul
...mirrors the size of buildings, L.A river
When you're blocking their essays
Gang-bang ain't an option
...made a bother feel alive
Feel like you created a big boom just for me only
Radio made the night not so lonely
That's why I wanna fight when I hear these phonies
You gangsters act like 'was our Savior
And there are times when I can't stare at you
But stand you I must
The patience and long suffering is only in your head

And there are times when hip-hop makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up on it,yet
And there are times a miracle makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up it you yet
And low key people make me very upset
But still I ain't give up on them yet
And there are times my own city makes me very upset
But I still ain't gave up on it yet

The family tree is a groundhog of ignorance
'DC was so crazy
'they all suffer from the typically false
'I got motion curse through your veins
White collar pre-great repression
You say New York is trying to escape the same thing'

And there are times when hip-hop makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up on it,yet
And there are times a miracle makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up it you yet
And low key people make me very upset
But still I ain't give up on them yet
And there are times my own city makes me very upset
But I still ain't gave up on it yet

Yo,brother I feel you
Vans with no plates
He's second generation
I'm from the 626
And I know it well,down at 1 .10
Grandpa still works hard
Only one with good sense
Dime a donde vas?
Vaya con Dioes mis 3 hijos,puntos
Calmate,hombre,correle ,correle
I see it in his ojos
You feel trapped ,don't you?
It's stupid, you are like me
But it's all in your head,all in your head

And there are times when hip-hop makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up on it,yet
And there are times a miracle makes me very upset
But I ain't gave up it you yet
And low key people make me very upset
But still I ain't give up on them yet
And there are times my own city makes me very upset
But I still ain't gave up on it yet

 

---

Framed Stretch Marks

Dimelo!
Eres mi alma!
Siempre!

If I could I'd frame you stretch marks
You only get them two ways
Giving birth or dropping weight,
Either way, serious pain.
She is my pride, my bride
But before her I thought my pride was my bride.
The pitch of endurance, gave birth to a miracle
In lines of memorial, freedom from the...
And pounds you put on with the defense mechanism
Like maybe I was ugly, then he would stop touching me.
If you would do... fat girl on a track team and kept running
Huh, you're tuned down to ridicule and every calorie burn
A cause for celebration,
Them lines of victory laugh, eternal gold medals.
When I see 'em, I'm reminded of the freedom, I'm so proud of you
How can I ever question the strength and ever doubt you?
And your struggles inspire, it's physical literature
But the pain who gave life with the scars
To prove it, if I could, I'd frame them.

It isn't love if doesn't hurt
If you don't feel it, then it doesn't work!
The pain removes the scales, pulls back the veil,
The bruises in the blood will always tell the tale
Of the grace of grief, the beauty of brokenness,
The piece of pain, the hope of hopelessness,
The ease of emotion, the frame for the feelings,
The scars and stretch marks, the proof of God's healing.

Yeah, the birth pains have changed,
Stretched to the limits, stretched marks from giving birth
To the death of a cynic and cinematic.
My emotions like motion pictures imagine
A world with no beauty in it, all I see is the negative,
Undeveloped negatives, nothing worth framing in my frame of mind
It's like an empty gallery with white painted balls.
All the flaws are hitting, I just wanna adjust my focus
Cause all I ever noticed is the thrones on the roses.
And it's moments like this when my hope is misguided
And I'm looking for perfection in a place I can't find it.
My body bears the marks of missing the mark daily
The only hope I hope is knowing that my God will never fail me.
Even though I fall short and that's no told tale
Now I drive my point home with that new car smell.
I see beauty in the scars, like colors in a collage
The greatest love gave me life through his death on the cross, yeah!

It isn't love if doesn't hurt
If you don't feel it, then it doesn't work!
The pain removes the scales, pulls back the veil,
The bruises in the blood will always tell the tale
Of the grace of grief, the beauty of brokenness,
The piece of pain, the hope of hopelessness,
The ease of emotion, the frame for the feelings,
The scars and stretch marks are the proof of God's healing.

It isn't love if doesn't hurt
If you don't feel it, then it doesn't work!
The pain removes the scales, pulls back the veil,
The bruises in the blood will always tell the tale
Of the grace of grief, the beauty of brokenness,
The piece of pain, the hope of hopelessness,
The ease of emotion, the frame for the feelings,
The scars and stretch marks are the proof of God's healing.

 

---

I Don't See It

We took it so long to get here
And he ain't realy that special
Was it all worth it?
Was it all you hoped for and wished for?
And I remember the day dreams of a pre-teen
In grandma's Porsche
'yeah,that's my car and it's nice to drive it by
In that summer afternoon sunset
Let's fly on the concrete eyes
Straight to the sky
Out from the smog and the drug transactions
We were obviously surrounded by
One day I'mma make it
But what is ''ít''?
Objects?Things?
He ain't really that calm
And the struggle is much more enjoyable
'I guess it means you made it
But hear how uncomfortable it is
When we get too comfortable

When they're closing the curtains cause it's night time
Don't believe them,don't believe them
Don't believe them,don't believe them
When they tell you it's a must have
You can't live without it
You don't need it ,you don't need it
You don' t need it,you don't need it
When they say that all of his is beautiful
I don't see it,I don't see it
I don't see it,I don't see it
Don't believe them,don't believe them
You don't need it,you don't need it
I don't see it,I don't see it
I don't see it,I don't see it

It's kind of like that notion
If you accept that set of notions
It means your soul is insecure, right?
And you're searching for new mountains to climb
As if you conquered the first one
You ain't done,you're just comfy
And you immediately line trees
And perfectly manicured lawns
They say that schools or parks is a perfect place to raise a beer belly ,right?
'could feel a little claustrophobic
You're right
And then you realize there is no other ''they''
This type of perfect,boy it just ain't workin'
Don't you dare close the curtains
It ain't night time
You don't need another objet
And that right there is not beauty
Hold a theory
How uncomfortable it is when you get too comfortable

When they're closing all the curtains and convince you that is night time
Don't believe them,don't believe them
Don't believe them, don't believe them
When they tell you it's a must have
You can't live without it
You don't need it ,you don't need it
You don' t need it,you don't need it
When they say that all of his is beautiful
I don't see it,I don't see it
I don't see it,I don't see it
Don't believe them,don't believe them
You don't need it,you don't need it
I don't see it,I don't see it
I don't see it,I don't see it
Don't believe them,don't believe them
You don't need it,you don't need it
I don't see it,I don't see it
Don't believe them,I don't need it
I don't see it,I don't see it

 

---

Three Cord Bond

 

---

How Did We Get Here

How you feeling?
It's the blood of my ancestors resting in my chest, bro
And I was so great,
Yeah, 'cause I remember karaoke mics,
Pointed at the speaker
Bum bum, play the track
CD skipped, wash the rap
Open mics, nights sided by ghetto
But I hope you gon' get home
Better careful with your words,
Birthplace, earthquake
Hometown goes down [...]

I got a feeling I can't describe
I see this place when I close my eyes
Wake me up if we ever around
And tell me how did we?
How did we get here?
Tell me how did we?
How did we get here?!
Tell me how did we?
How did we get here?!
Tell me how did we?
How did we get here?!
Tell me!

 

---

Redeem

So what they gon' say about us, huh?
21st century, humanity, when history tells the truth
America on the brink of war, with three countries
Consecutive within the church
Well, one part was making reality shows about decadence
The other? Well, they wrote blogs about how the first court was wrong in the west
Well, they ain't even have water, and the government too wrong to practice
Their faiths, so they just died off
And say our nation's on it's way to hell, as if it's ever been to heaven
The first place, it's time to redeem
Time, hey

He be morphing to pimp, hustler and rapist to cold laborers
And ? female canines, come see the change in 'em
It relates to the lane, and I'mma say don't go to waste boy
The redeem did just that, sent us white back to ya
Wake up, come join the winnin' circle and come hang wid us
Swoop to, we strollers, royalties and fill regalia
And don't love the oldest, that's pitiful leprofania
Nasty made cleanness, no rewind, just redeem

It's a fortunate failure, been tossed into that sea
I forget when it's redeem redeem
Helpless to change our past, but rape was that old deed
Redeem redeem
It's no rewind, a just redeem redeem

It's pieces of perfect symphony, a Mozart of perfect irony
The Vincent Van Gogh that only paints with serendipity
He be dippin' his brushes into dirty bloches of coincidences
Attacking that canvas like every splatter had a destiny
Part your eyes a little wider, you'll see that perfect symmetry
Redeemed, boy, it's all on purpose
I'm still off on purpose, my papi takes the worthless
And branish is a stamp of one of a kind and priceless
A cosmic thread shot a macamour can only imagine
I am stuffed and made from dust and worms and other worm's us
And this is all my confidence, put a sixty six and an X to thus
If it's certain you was blood purchased, please come steer with us

It's a fortunate failure, been tossed into that sea
I forget when it's redeem redeem
Helpless to change our past, but rape was that old deed
Redeem redeem
It's no rewind, a just redeem redeem

My dad was a preacher and a doctor
But with me he did it marvelous
Section 8 was momma's wisdom
Always sleep and it was warmer
Always grief with the dishonor
I was speak but it was drama
Sleep while she was workin' harder
So that we could make it further
Failed scholar, killed the money, found them sleeping on my father
As if his absence was reason for making my momma a weeping martyr
My effort's sand passes that just waits for beaching waters
Until I heard who wrote my life, and saw that Jesus was in office
See, a bastard is rolled in curses, with manic disposed as worthless
Got chose to bestow a purpose, it shows when it close the curtains
Blows on it's calls and words, in our bellies it blow a furnace
The soul of a person that knows that his soul will explode in worship
I hear stories that have passed, these invitations try to end
Past pervades a pageant of his races
Missiles of bomb, believe this blood is act of validation

It's a fortunate failure, been tossed into that sea
I forget when it's redeem redeem
Helpless to change our past, but rape was that old deed
Redeem redeem
It's no rewind, a just redeem redeem

 

 

---

Tell Me Yours