I'm a little under the weather today Too much of pepper spray can make a brother congested You know what I'm saying But the harder they hit us the louder we become Kinda like the skin on the drum, you what I'm saying?
I was born botanical, the soul of an animal Deep beneath the layers, I sink my roots No need for mechanical, I come strictly organical When I need to feast, I look to the East That's why I'm never scared of the beast Even though they try to prey upon me I'm protected by the one always greater than me
So now I reveal to thee because you wanna see The contour of my mystery, the strength of my arches The color of my conscience and the way that I process my diction Some fact, some fiction, some mystery and some future fantasy
I'm the trunk that holds the branches The leaves who do the dances My flowers romantic, my love gigantic From Africa, transplanted to transatlantic In the heat of the sun, I bring shade for everyone Like the beat on the one, I'm the skin on the drum
I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum
I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum
I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two See I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two Fire one, fire two, fire one, fire two, fire one, fire two
See I've been fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire See I'm beginning to perspire from deep within to the skin Yo, the feminine and the masculine
The pieces of the puzzle, see me reflections in the puddle After the storm the purple of the sky brings to mind another time When we resided below the water line, life was fine there human divine But in the years following, evil men came swallowing everything in sight Some learned to run, some stayed to fight
I knelled at the tomb of the soldier, said I would love to behold her The magic in store there, she touched me on the shoulder She said, "In time all is revealed, box of light be unsealed Now listen to me son, be like the skin on the drum"
I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum
I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum I keep on living with the fullness of the one Like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum
I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two See, I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two
See I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two See, I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire So you can fire one, fire one, fire two Fire one, fire two, fire one, fire two
And as the pepper gas clears and police and protesters go home Just as the morning dew are tear drops of the night My emotions are always there for you and will never leave you dry Bless