Kevin Devine - Freddie Gray Blues lyrics

I'm talking Freddie Gray blues I'm talking what happened to you You were just 25 When they ended your life When “to serve & protect” Meant break your leg, snap your neck Meant to k** you, to sever your spine No matter what, there's no good reason why When I'm talking these k**er cop blues I'm kinda talking my family to you See, my dad was a cop And his dad was a cop And my uncles were cops And my cousins were cops I'm partly here because of cops And I love all those cops And I know not every cop Is a racist, murdering cop But this is bigger than the people I love The system's broken Not breaking It's done I'm talking white privilege blues I'm talking confession to you I can't know what it's like To be afraid all my life Looking over my shoulder Behind each officer, a coroner Entrenched inequality No access, no empathy Crushed in stacked decks Institutions & d**h This is not my reality I'm afforded the luxury Of shaking my head I shut the screen, go to bed I can turn off what you never can And watch it happen again and again (and again and again and again and again, and again) I'm talking Freddie Gray blues I'm talking Freddie Gray blues