Restrictions - Aaron Abernathy

Outside, I must go

Where I’m greeted by the pusherman

Rain, sun, sleet, or snow

Lord have mercy

Outside, I pass corners filled with love and hate

Mama wish me well

And pray for my fate

From the fast woman, crime, and cars

That patrol my boulevard

And I’m astounding that I grew up around this

And somehow I survived it

The hustlers and gangstas know them well

They’ve tried to recruit me since I was twelve

And I have fought it

I have fought it

You know nothing bout these projects

And the people who come up out of it

It’s your restrictions

That creates this jurisdiction

If you’re not willing to fix them

Don’t go judging our conditions

There’s no economic balance

Disadvantage is our challenge

Don’t you turn your back

What you look down on you created that

Didn’t ask for this environment

Inside, I must go

Didn’t know I was a child adult

‘Til I left my household

Mama worked and I had job since I was ten

Cutting grass to make some dividends

Bagging groceries to help pay the rent

The hustlers' game was tempting me

But poppa he died out in the streets

Lord knows I miss him

He’s a victim of the system

A real job he couldn’t get them

He was arrested at 17

Once you’re in the system you can’t get clean

It’s hard to manage

When you’re caught inside this gambit

Knowing there’s no second chances

No

It’s your restrictions

That creates this jurisdiction

If you’re not willing to fix them

Don’t go judging our conditions

There’s no economic balance

Disadvantage is our challenge

Don’t you turn your back

What you look down on you created that

Didn’t ask for this environment

No No

Lord have mercy

Lord have mercy on us my God

Lord have mercy

How am I suppose to survive on eleven dollars an hour

Yeah

Mmm mmm mmm