MACKLEMORE feat JAMILA WOODS, RYAN LEWIS – White Privilege II

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This single was released on Jan 22, 2016.
I enjoyed the production and the arrangement of this song. The background music, especially with those vocals made the song really touching and moving. The energy and the power of the vocals made the whole song sound a lot better.
SongRating: 8.5/10


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Scale: C# Minor
Time Signature: 4/4
Tempo: 110
Suggested Strumming: DU,DU,DU,DU

[INTRO] C#m
[VERSE]
C#m
Pulled into the parking lot, parked it
C#m
Zipped up my parka, joined the procession of marchers
C#m
In my head like, “Is this awkward, should I even be here marching?”
C#m
Thinking if they can’t, how can I breathe?
C#m
Thinking that they chant, what do I sing?
C#m
I want to take a stance cause we are not free
C#m
And then I thought about it, we are not we
C#m                             Abm
Am I in the outside looking in, or am I in the inside looking out?
C#m
Is it my place to give my two cents
Abm
Or should I stand on the side and shut my mouth for justice? No peace
Abm                                           C#m                 Abm
Okay, I’m saying that they’re chanting out, “Black lives matter”, but I don’t say it back
C#m                            F#m
Is it okay for me to say? I don’t know, so I watch and stand
                       C#m
In front of a line of police that look the same as me
        F#m
Only separated by a badge, a baton, a can of Mace, a mask
F#m
A shield, a gun with gloves and hands that gives an alibi
F#m
In case somebody dies behind a bullet that flies out of the 9
F#m
Takes another child’s life on sight
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[HOOK]
C#m
Blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
C#m
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
C#m
There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
C#m
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free


C#m                         B        F#
Blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
     C#m               B             F#
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
         C#m                      B             F#
There’s blood in the streets, no justice, no peace
     C#m                  B           F#
No racist beliefs, no rest ’til we’re free
F#
(Ben, think about it)

[VERSE]
C#m
You’ve exploited and stolen the music, the moment
      B                      F#
The magic, the passion, the fashion, you toy with
         C#m
The culture was never yours to make better
       B                         F#
You’re Miley, you’re Elvis, you’re Iggy Azalea
C#m
Fake and so plastic, you’ve heisted the magic
         B                      F#
You’ve taken the drums and the accent you rapped in
         C#m
You’re branded “hip-hop”, it’s so fascist and backwards
          B                     F#
That Grandmaster Flash’d go slap it, you bastard
          C#m
All the money that you made
                         E
All the watered down pop bullshit version of the culture, pal
            F#
Go buy a big-ass lawn, go with your big-ass house
F#
Get a big-ass fence, keep people out
         C#m
It’s all stubborn, anyway, can’t you see that now?
         E
There’s no way for you to even that out
         F#
You can join the march, protest, scream and shout
F#
Get on Twitter, hashtag and seem like you’re down
                C#m
But they see through it all, people believe you now
           E                       F#
You said publicly, “Rest in peace, Mike Brown”
     C#m
You speak about equality, but do you really mean it?
            E                     F#
Are you marching for freedom, or when it’s convenient?
        C#m
Want people to like you, want to be accepted
             E                 F#
That’s probably why you are out here protesting
         C#m
Don’t think for a second you don’t have incentive
     E                   F#
Is this about you, well, then what’s your intention?
C#m
What’s the intention? What’s the intention?

[INSTRUMENTAL] C#m F#m  C#m F#m x2

[VERSE]
Am
Psst, I totally get it, you’re by yourself
Am
And the last thing you want to do is take a picture
Am
But seriously, my little girl loves you
Am
She’s always singing, “I’m gonna pop some tags”
Am
I’m not kidding, my oldest, you even got him to go thrifting
Am
And “One Love”, oh, my God, that song – brilliant
Am
Their aunt is gay, when that song came out
Am
My son told his whole class he was actually proud
Am
That’s so cool, look what you’re accomplishing
Am
Even an old mom like me likes it cause it’s positive
Am
You’re the only hip-hop that I let my kids listen to
Am
Cause you get it, all that negative stuff isn’t cool
Am
Yeah, like all the guns and the drugs
Am
The bitches and the hoes and the gangs and the thugs
Am
Even the protest outside – so sad and so dumb
Am
If a cop pulls you over, it’s your fault if you run
Am
Huh?

[Interlude: Multiple voices]
So, they feel that the police are discriminating against the, the black people? 
I have an advantage? Why? Cause I’m white? What? Haha. No. 
People nowadays are just pussies. 
Like, this is the generation to be offended by everything. 
Black Lives Matter thing is a reason to take arms up over perceived slights.
I’m not prejudiced, I just–. 99% of the time across this country, 
The police are doing their job properly

[VERSE]
Cm                           Bb
Damn, a lot of opinions, a lot of confusion, a lot of resentment
           Ab
Some of us scared, some of us defensive
        F
And most of us aren’t even paying attention
          Cm
It seems like we’re more concerned with being called racist
Bb
Than we actually are with racism
Ab                                       F
I’ve heard that silences are action and God knows that I’ve been passive
      Cm
What if I actually read a article, actually had a dialogue
Bb
Actually looked at myself, actually got involved?
Ab                                                F
If I’m aware of my privilege and do nothing at all, I don’t know
Cm
Hip-hop has always been political, yes
Bb
It’s the reason why this music connects
               Ab                                                                  F
So what the fuck has happened to my voice if I stay silent when black people are dying
F
Then I’m trying to be politically correct?
     Cm
I can book a whole tour, sell out the tickets
Bb
Rap entrepreneur, built his own business
Ab
If I’m only in this for my own self-interest, 
          F 
Not the culture that gave me a voice to begin with
         Cm
Then this isn’t authentic, it is just a gimmick
     Bb
The DIY underdog, so independent
         Ab
But the one thing the American dream fails to mention
   F 
Is I was many steps ahead to begin with
Cm
My skin matches the hero, likeness, the image
Cm
America feels safe with my music in their systems
Cm
And it’s suited me perfect, the role, I’ve fulfilled it
Cm
And if I’m the hero, you know who gets cast as the villain
Cm                                          Bb
White supremacy isn’t just a white dude in Idaho
                                          Ab
White supremacy protects the privilege I hold
Ab
White supremacy is the soil, the foundation, 
       F 
The cement and the flag that flies outside of my home
Cm                                          Bb
White supremacy is our country’s lineage, designed for us to be indifferent
     Ab                                         F
My success is the product of the same system that let off Darren Wilson guilty
              Cm                                        Bb
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
     Ab                                      F 
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?
             Cm                                          Bb
We want to dress like, walk like, talk like, dance like, yet we just stand by
     Ab                                      F 
We take all we want from black culture, but will we show up for black lives?


 [Interlude: Multiple voices]
 Cm
Black Lives Matter, to use an analogy, is like if there was a subdivision and
Cm 
A house was on fire. The fire department wouldn’t show up and start putting water
Cm
On all the houses because all houses matter. 
Ab
They would show up and they would turn their water on the house that is burning 
Ab
Because that’s the house that needs it the most. My generation has taken on the 
Ab
Torch of a very age-old fight for black liberation, but also liberation for anyone, 
Ebm
And injustice anywhere is still injustice everywhere.
    B                                F#
The best thing white people can do is talk to each other. 
B                      F#                            C#
And having those very difficult, very painful conversations with your parents, 
Ebm                                  B
With your family members. I think one of the critical questions for white people 
            F#
In this society is what are you willing to risk, 
Abm                                                       C#
What are you willing to sacrifice to create a more just society?



[Outro: Jamila Woods]
 Ebm                B   F#  B F#               C#
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
Ebm                 B   F# Abm  F#          C#
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
Ebm                 B  F#  Abm  F#          C#
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
Ebm                 B  F#  Abm  F#          C#
Your silence is a luxury, hip-hop is not a luxury
Ebm                   B       F#
What I got for me, it is for me
Abm            F#             C#
Why we may, we may to set us free
Ebm                    B      F#
What I got for me, it is for me
Abm                F#        C#
Why we may, we may to set us free
Ebm                   B      F#
What I got for me, it is for me
Abm        F#                 C#
Why we may, we may to set us free

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