[Stanza 1]
I get the sho' 'nuff blues
checkin' out the Daily News
no matter which way it's comin' from
I'm told I'm not supposed to choose
just accept the newsman's views
but that sho' ain't no happy medium

[Stanza 2]
You see all I want is the facts
but blow-dried hairdos is getting' into the act
because reporters are expert observers
they establish social trends
decidin' who's out and who's in
and rush in with the tragedies that unnerve us

[Stanza 3]
Syndicated columnists
lookin' to get their asses kissed
cause thеy're the big shots o political affairs
and the anchorman's job
is to look еxtra suave
while they're trying to convince us that they care

[Stanza 4]
The radio commentator
is a five minute narrator
whose news is perpetually grim
and his ego is blown
he's hot a great baritone
but the cameras ain't never on him
[Stanza 5]
but the message is clear
they want all black folks to hear
that the price you got to pay to be free
you get told how to feel
you get told what is real
to be exactly how they want you to be

[Stanza 6]
you get the rational logical
sound philosophical
poetic distortions
political contortions
cause white folks still ain't ready yet
so what you hear ain't gonna be what you get

[Stanza 7]
Now some folks may call me a radical
or remind me that at best I'm not practical
to keep pointing out what everyone should know
but we're still looking for justice
while other folks devise ways to bust us
so we spend more time in court than McEnroe

[Stanza 8]
Because when the time for freedom came
folks started feeling only the surface had changed
instead of celebrating 'Free at last!'
'Cause all the racists had said 'Okay'
because equality can work both ways
and they promptly started kicking poor white folk's ass
[Stanza 9]
How can the issue be race
when every citizen can take his or her case
and be heard by a jury of their peers?
meanwhile I'm listening to the rundown
about four young brothers who was gunned down
by some psycho with imaginary fears

[Stanza 10]
When you get down to the real nitty-gritty
you're on a subway in New York City
and Bernhard, the gunman, shows upon the set
and he decides these four young Blacks
are about to launch an attack
though they hadn't attacked anybody yet

[Stanza 11]
Regardless, Bernie makes his play
and he's like Eastwood saying 'Make my fuckin' day!' and
in self-defence he even shoots someone wounded on the floor.
then he confesses on video tape,
but since he was in an 'agitated state'
he's acquitted and let out to shoot some more

[Stanza 12]
Now does this mean every sister and brother
mexican, Indian, Oriental or other
won't ever see homicide put them behind bars?
Because it legitimately terrifies me
to know that the next sumbitch I see
might be armed and just as crazy as Bernhard
[Stanza 13]
Or is this proof the system works
or are we all being treated like jerks?
Take your chance and step right up to place your bets
and I'm gonna put my money down
saying if it's ever the other way around
we'll find out that what you see ain't what you Goetz