all set to run, cracked off the alarm

no sense is slow, no sense is a horoscope

twisting off slopes end sly, end back around again, wise

turn back around again twice

tapping the glass, daring the Pleistocene

moving the nouns, stealing the room

I finally found your back

to aim my speech patterns

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

and someday we’ll know somehow that shit matters

at the school, writing rehearsed retorts

after school, teachers burning our book reports

we’ll disfigure and blame our speech patterns

after class, you’ll try to be nice to me

I’ll pass a letter of bright catastrophes

at least you tried to show me

that all of this matters

when we get old, will you pass it back to me?

well, Nigger Jim will always be black to me

I guess nobody told them then that shit matters

if growing old, you’re turning your back to me

if that’s all I find

to aim my speech patterns

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi

gonna sail straight down to New Orleans

through the shadows of the trees

of the Mississippippi