Dear mom, Alana's in her second trimester
Stressed out 'cause I'm gone, she acting all extra
We're happy ‘cause she knows it's a girl
But we doubtful if we should bring another one in the world

An' the pic you sent with you, and the kids is da bomb
I'm keepin’ all my photos in my 23rd Psalm
My best friend Armani lost her arm at the border
Just tryin’ to restore a little peace and order

An’ it's strange ‘cause she reads the Koran
Torn between what side she needs to be on
Haven't slept for days, I squeeze Visine
‘Cause no man's eyes should see what I've seen

Soldiers lost their mind, robbin’, pillagin’
Tomahawk missiles into civilian villages
And they ease the pain with narcotics
I'm scared but I'm tryin’ to remain patriotic

My father, forgive us
‘Cause we know not what we doin’
And my brothers, how we gonna tie up
All these loose ends?

And my mother, tryin’ to use
Ev'rything you taught me to keep it movin'
And my brothers and sisters, how we gonna tie up
All these loose ends?

New message from mom, at [bad word] At home they 'Nam, so sad you had to miss Shavonne's prom
Just some songs off the Marvin Gaye 'What’s Going On’ album
And her smile lit up the room

She asks me if at night when she stares at the moon
Is it possible at the same moment of time
You're starin' as well? 'Cause you two were in tune

Your dad's Purple Heart now hangs over his ashes
An' Trini's alive and wake up with hot flashes
They say the disease's gastric
Have yet to explain the migraines and rashes

And have you seen what the price of gas is?
We can't afford the property taxes
We just want you back at home
Where you belong with your family
You're the backbone

My father, forgive us
'Cause we know not what we doin'
And my brothers, how we gonna tie up
All these loose ends?

And my mother, tryin’ to use
Ev'rything you taught me to keep it movin'
And my brothers and sisters, how we gonna tie up
All these loose ends?

Tell me how can we live this way
We've gone so far astray, no one knows what to say
We got young peoples lives at stake
What is it gonna take for us to find a way?

The world is changin’, we in danger
'Cause we ain't changin our behavior
We behave like calm is nothing
Ain’t concerned with repercussions, ain’t that somethin’

Check 'em out now, pointin’ fingers
When they know how we got to this point of terror
Precaution could have made the road clearer

But we stuck with mediocre leadership
So we'll just suffer
Who knows what the [bad word] is going on
With conflicts they keep on growing

It's a [bad word] up situation
When you ain't got no education
On the problem or know what it’s about
You gotta help me out