Story Behind The Song
A letter to the slain leader inspired by the news accounts of the death of his widow, Betty Shabazz, and the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Song Description
A letter to the slain leader inspired by the news accounts of the death of his widow, Betty Shabazz, and the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
| Song Length |
4:44 |
Genre |
Unique - Unclassified, Pop - Alternative |
| Tempo |
Slow (71 - 90) |
Lead Vocal |
Female Vocal |
| Mood |
Moving, Poignant |
Subject |
Race/Ethnicity, Civil Rights |
| Similar Artists |
Tori Amos |
Language |
English |
| Era |
2000 and later |
| |
Lyrics
Malcolm I heard the news today
They lynched your grandson in the press
They said he took your widow?s dress
And lit a fire
I did not believe what they said
It could not be what they had said
They said your daughter was depressed
And raised a hoodlum
What does a blue-eyed devil
Care of this situation?
Tears are no justification
But they flow nonetheless
And I?m sorry Malcolm X
So sorry Malcolm X
I?m sorry for the way she died
As if her life weren?t hard enough
I hope that she?s there with you now
And somehow smiling
But can you look down and not weep
For those black souls you loved so deep
Could things have turned out differently
If you?d been with them?
What does a blue-eyed devil
Care of this situation?
Tears are no justification
But they flow nonetheless
And I?m sorry Malcolm X
So sorry Malcolm X
Cream in your black coffee was
The only form of integration you approved
You believed that hearts that bleed
Were somehow worse than Klansmen
But I know you came to change your mind
Perhaps the rainbow should unite
The Prince and King would have agreed and
That?s why they killed you
Maybe that?s why I sometimes weep
The rest of us are so damn weak
We need the folks like you to lead
To wake our sleeping
But who is brave enough these days
To take a bullet in the chest
We?ve all been warned too many times
Righteousness means death
And I?m sorry Malcolm X
So sorry for our mess