We’ve updated our Terms of Use to reflect our new entity name and address. You can review the changes here.
We’ve updated our Terms of Use. You can review the changes here.

Black & Blue (single)

by Danny Schmidt

/

about

"We hold these truth to be self-evident." Self-evidence seems to take a long long time to propagate. Every generation seems to move forward a few steps, and then slides back a couple. This is the time for our generation to move forward . . . and finally finish the drive.

[Musical Note: The little guitar melody at the beginning and end of the song is a nod to Joseph Spence's version of "Living On The Hallelujah Side" . . . you really should go hear his whole thing. Magical.]

lyrics

BLACK & BLUE

He was black and they were blue
The colors of a bruise
The colors of another brother
Who's choking on the truth

And so tonight the street’s on fire
Cause that’s the candlelight required
That’s the holy cost of tape and chalk
That’s the crying of the choir

Tell me why, there’s another
Tell me why, in all this time
We’re still defined by color
Tell me why

Tell me when, can the humble hearts of men bend
Bend and bow
And vow to disavow
Well tell me how, then tell me when

He was black and they were white
A cost without a price
A senseless flood of black men’s blood
Now it’s time to shed some light

And so tonight the streets are red
Marking every crooked bend
One by one the march goes on
Delivering the dead

Refrain

Cause I don’t believe that victims go to heaven when they die
They're stuck here as reflections in our eyes
And of all the false confessions swearing that we’ve tried
They’re the voice of silence asking when, and the voice that answers why

He was black and they were blue
The colors of abuse
The colors of another mother
Who’s choked up on the news

And so we fight for streets of gold
Like we were promised and were told
To crown thy good with brotherhood
From soul to shining soul. Tell me why.

credits

released July 4, 2020

license

all rights reserved

tags

about

Danny Schmidt Austin, Texas

Named to the Chicago Tribune's "50 Most Significant Songwriters in the Last 50 Years," Austin, TX-based singer/songwriter Danny Schmidt is considered a preeminent writer, an artist whose earthy poetry manages to somehow conjure magic from the mundane, with lyrical depth drawing comparisons to Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt. ... more

shows

contact / help

Contact Danny Schmidt

Streaming and
Download help

Redeem code

Report this track or account

If you like Danny Schmidt, you may also like: