Do The Work - Marlon Craft

But now it gets to the point of doing the actual work that comes with being

informed and doing the self-work that comes with being informed — that’s what

people don’t like to do, is the internal work that comes with learning and

unlearning

I don’t want to do the work

I could turn off my cable

Stop the fables

But I ain’t tryna do the work

I could give away my clothes and pick five shirts

But that would change the way I view my worth

And I don’t wanna do the work

I want to make a change

To move all my money into a bank

That don’t invest it into oil

Into weapons, into tanks

But I might have to walk further to the ATM for change

And, yo, I ain’t tryna do the work

Homie, I could keep it vegan

But fuck free range, I need free range feasting

On anything, eat my dollar fries and I won’t apologize

I’m tryna economize and I ain’t tryna do the work

I could go to community college

Stay my ass out of debt

Be hellbent on pursuing knowledge

Do me some fellowships and find a route that don’t cost so much

But I need the best four years now, even if all four suck

Ayo, it’s complicated

I could learn about your peoples' history and about all the rights that were

confiscated from you

I could understand my privilege, consider it daily

But, see, I won’t, because that would so require me to face these insecurities

And I don’t want to man, it’s work to me

I’m tryna chill

What is this?

Surgery?

Homie, pass the blunt

See, I could smoke less

But then I’d think more

And I ain’t hopeless

I just think you’re

A little immature if you think I could make a change

I’m just tryna make some change, homie, I ain’t tryna do the work

I’ll make a Facebook status when I want to be heard

I ain’t do the research to back it up, ain’t no goofy nerd here

I could be kind to folks, I could volunteer

I could block out time each week

To contribute to all the neighborhoods that I live near

But I ain’t tryna do the work

I’m just tryna party, dab, milly rock, and do the jerk

I could move to a city, contribute to culture

But I ain’t tryna do the work, ain’t tryna get to know you

Rather vulture what I want and drive the prices up

Thank God they put these high-rises up because I ain’t tryna do the work

And police brutality’s wack

But I don’t got time for a protest, Sons of Anarchy’s back

And I’m tryna watch it

To stand up to my white friends on topics

And try to reframe their optics but I don’t want to do the work

It’s hard

It’s taxing

Searching for the facts and retracting the past

And accept that I’m walking on the backs of mad people who laid the tracks for

me

I’d rather have a brew

And do all the things that I want to do

Who the fuck are you to tell me otherwise?

I’m not a bad man, don’t make me feel this way

I ain’t ask for this

I don’t want to do the work

But don’t call me passive, shit

I could fight but my ambition a pacifist

I could respect women

I could assess her soul first and that ass second

Ask questions, I ain’t tryna do the work though

I could appreciate her strength instead of letting it make me feel weak and

inhumane

I ain’t tryna do the work

Homie, I got pain too

I was raised a certain way too, I’m ashamed too, I know deep down that I was

gave too much

But if I admit it, then I don’t know how to face you

So I don’t want to do the work

I protect my own feelings and I watch you get hurt

Because there’s nothing I could do

There’s nothing I could do, that I could have

But there’s just so much I could lose, lose