To the man that waited on me at the down on Main, I hope you understand When I put on that t-shirt, the only I meant to say is I'm a Skynyrd fan The red flag on my chest somehow is the elephant in the corner of the south And I just walked him right in the Just a proud rebel son with an 'ol can of Lookin' like I got a lot to learn but my point of view
I'm a white man comin' to you from the southland Tryin' to what it's like not to be I'm proud of where I'm from but not we've done And it ain't like you and me can history Our generation didn't this nation still pickin' up the pieces, walkin' on eggshells, fightin' over yesterday And caught between pride and southern blame
called it Reconstruction, fixed the buildings, dried some tears We're still siftin' through the rubble after a years I try to put myself in shoes and that's a good place to begin But it ain't like I can a mile in someone else's skin
'Cause I'm a white man in the southland Just like you I'm more what you see I'm proud of where I'm from but not we've done And it ain't like you and me can re-write Our generation didn't start this And still paying for the mistakes That a bunch of folks long before we came And caught between pride and southern blame
Dear Mr. White Man, I wish you What the world is like when you're livin' in the hood Just because my pants are doesn't mean I'm up to no good You should try to get to know me, I really wish you Now my chains are but I'm still misunderstood I wasn't there when Sherman's March the south into firewood I you to get paid but be a slave I never could Feel like a new fangled Django, invisible white hoods So when I see that white cowboy hat, I'm thinkin' it's not all I guess both guilty of judgin' the cover not the book I'd to buy you a beer, conversate and clear the air But I see that red flag and I think you I wasn't here
I'm a white man (If you judge my do-rag) Comin' to you the southland (I judge your red flag) Tryin' to understand it's like not to be
I'm of where I'm from (If you judge my gold chains) But not we've done (I'll forget the chains) It like you and me can re-write history (Can't history baby)
Oh, (The relationship between the Mason-Dixon needs fixin') I hope you understand what this is all (Quite frankly I'm a black Yankee but I've been thinkin' this lately) I'm a son of the new (The past is the past, you me) And I just to make things right (Let be bygones) all that's left is southern pride (RIP E. Lee but I've gotta thank Abraham Lincoln for freeing me, know what I mean) It's real, it's truth