Frank John James - Gardens lyrics

[Intro] Ay yo, Bobby, I'ma come into mellow sh** right now, bruh [Verse 1] I've had a couple up and downs, yeah A couple people died and a couple trickled down tears That's part of life, though. You can't live forever That's why I make this music so, one day I'll be remembered It's kinda funny how the poor believe in God They're happier than most, giving thanks for what they got Well, maybe not all of them, but you're a good majority I thought it's be the other way around, that sh** open me Hopefully, my people never change up their humbleness That makes me really proud knowing that I come from this And maybe I, over time, became sour Because society wants gardens, but they won't water the flowers They'll plant a seed in the desert with the hopes that in the future it can grow to be a really pretty tree They're quick to brush their hands off and turn around and leave And then eighteen years later, wonder why they don't succeed I only seem to know this cos that's where they planted me But a child cannot properly grow in this environment [Jaime Escalante] "When you go for a job, the person giving you that job will not want to hear your problems; and, neither do I. you're going to work harder here than you've ever worked anywhere else. And the only thing I ask from you is *ganas.* *Desire.*" [Verse 2] I'm a product of society and the gardens that it planted And didn't get enough of the water that I wanted I was like six, and I didn't get the lesson And I really needed help, but a tutor was expensive Most of my friends didn't fathom the material, and I was ESL Can you imagine all my feelings, bro It didn't matter, we were pa**ed to the next grade Never understanding sh**, thinking it was okay We got to middle school trying to do the same And they thought that we were stupid cos we didn't make the grades We couldn't read, we couldn't write like the best of them But teachers wouldn't spend one on one to get the best of us I think that's why I would want to be a teacher one day To be that motivation on a really sh**ty Monday Being a teacher, you don't do it for the money Like being underground, you just do it cos it's lovely [Jaime Escalante] "There will be no free rides, no excuses. You already have two strikes against you... there are some people in this world who will a**ume that you know less than you do because, of your name and your complexion." [Verse 3] Let's go to high school now, it's still the same When graduation came, well, they didn't read my friends' names They didn't make it cos they didn't get the basics But since elementary they f**ed up our education No child left behind, but there's a bunch of us still back here The day I got my papers, man, I started pouring mad tears I make music from the soul, it's better quality And if I start to teach, man, I'll have the same mentality I could've had a higher paid job But figured the youth needed me more than some lame boss The world need some more Jaime Escalantes So, stand and deliver the knowledge that you were taught, kid Cos if you don't, brother, you'll fall behind them I know that life has mountains, but I know you can climb them Stay educated, man, that's all that I want to say to you Cos if you got the proper knowledge, man they'll be afraid of you [Jaime Escalante] "Those scores would have never been questioned if my kids did not have Spanish surnames and come from barrio schools. You know that. There's something going on here that nobody is talking about, and you know what it is [Dr. Ramirez] No one has the right to accuse me of racism [shouting] No one has the right to accuse me of racism [Jaime] I'm going to prove you guys wrong [Dr. Ramirez] I hope you do, because it's not between you and me [Jaime] Maybe not, but if I catch you on the street, I'ma kick the sh** out of you"