Vague

he said I like your music but you gotta tone it down
it’s the wrong kind of people in the wrong part of town
don’t be comin’ on so strong
gotta take it easy if you want to get along

I said what do you mean he said you’re too realistic
try to be a little more artistic
don’t hit the nail so hard on the head
try to be a little vague instead

I said “vague?” He said “vague”
I said “I’ll think about it”
so I thought about it, and I said

cancer isn’t vague when there’s poison in your water
like rape isn’t vague when it happens to your daughter
you see a whole lot better when the fog bank clears
prison ain’t vague when you’re facin’ 20 years

homeless isn’t vague when you’re livin on the street
like a blister isn’t vague when it’s burnin’ on your feet
like hunger isn’t vague when there’s nothin’ to eat
are you gettin’ the picture?

And he said well yeah, but you’re so hardcore
So I told him some more, I said

ain’t nothin’ vague about a jack boot state
it’s just a ruse that they use when they want to relate
to a vague population that’ll swallow it whole
it pays to be vague when you’re takin’ control

change isn’t vague when the tables are turning
like a fire isn’t vague when your house is burning
it’s hard to grasp but I think we’re learning
are you getting’ the picture

and he said yeah, but what do want from me?
And I said…

every rapper every singer every guitar slinger
every poet every writer if you call yourself fighter
everybody with a brain and a way to explain
you better get jumpin’ while your blood’s still pumpin’

‘cause the clock is tickin’ with a great big grin
and the hammer don’t wait for the votes to come in
like a fox in the hen house greasin’ his chin
there ain’t nothin’ vague about the state we’re in

there ain’t nothin’ vague about it
there ain’t nothin’ vague about it
you can cover you can lie about it
there ain’t nothin’ vague about it