THE BALLAD OF GEORGE FLOYD & POEMS TO INSPIRE THE MOVEMENT

Ramon Navarro Johnson - SV De-Bug - June 12, 2020 - 7 minute read

Editor's Note:

Ramon has been a victim of police violence and has been extremely horrified and moved by the lynching of George Floyd, and uplifted by the protest movement that has followed. Inspired by George Floyd's murder he is composing a series of poems/songs that he hopes to get in the hands of the George Floyd family and perhaps to serve as a source of inspiration to the protest movement.

The Ballad of George Floyd

When people get angry
City's going to burn
When people get angry
City's going to burn
When police kill another black man
Evil's going to get what evil’s earned.

MUSIC BREAK

In the face of injustice
People going to March
In the face of injustice
People going to March
When police kill another black man
We're going to tear this world apart.

When people get angry
City's going to burn
When people get angry
City's going to burn
When police kill another black man
Evil's going to get what evil's earned.

MUSIC BREAK

When the President speaks lies
People demand a leader who shows heart
When the President speaks lies
People demand a leader who shows heart
What we need is change
A new President's a start.

When people get angry
City’s going to burn
When people get angry
City’s going to burn
When police kill another black man
Evil’s going to get what evil's earned.

MUSIC BREAK

George Floyd will live forever
We'll keep George Floyd's memory alive
George Floyd will love forever
We'll keep George Floyd's memory alive
To win our fight for justice
We've got to keep our eyes on the prize.

We want justice
For George Floyd
George Floyd.

We want justice
For George Floyd
George Floyd.

Never forget
George Floyd
George Floyd.

I CAN’T BREATHE

I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
There’s evil on top of me
And this evil is killing me.

What the hell's wrong
With American society
That allows black men
To be killed indiscriminately.

I know what we must do
I know what we must seek
Is justice for all of those
Who now can't speak.

People of color
Have never been free
So how can we say honestly
America's the Land of Liberty.

So let me tell you now
My Truth of a black persons reality
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe.

I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
There’s injustice on top of me
And this injustice is killing me.

I may exist
I may dream
But I'm not equal
And nobody listens to me when I scream.

I know what we must do
I know what we must seek
Is justice for all of those
Who now can’t speak.

People of color
Have never been free
So how can we say honestly
America’s the Land of Liberty.

So let me tell you now
My Truth of a black persons reality
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe.

I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
The racism of America
Keeps killing me.

I'm just as American
As any one of you can be
But my humanity
Is something white America never sees.

Every day every day
I feel your hatred constantly
Once I suffered in silence
Now you will hear me speak.

Once born
I've never been free
So how can you tell me honestly

America's the Land of Liberty.

So let me tell you now
How your hatred is killing me
I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe.

I can’t breathe
I can’t breathe
But you can’t kill
You can’t kill my dignity.

And one day one day
I'll live to see Doctor King's dreams become a reality
Then I can breathe
Then I can breathe.

I'm a child of God
And my God's in heaven
Shining her love down on me
Shining her love down on me.

Though white America
Doesn't give a damn about me
I still believe
I still believe.

I'll be free
I'll be free
Then I can breathe
Then I can breathe.

8 Minutes

8 minutes
8 minutes
Things have got to change.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Injustice lit our flame.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Don't forget George Floyd's name.

8 minutes
8 minutes
We won’t go back again.

A policeman thought he had the right
To take another black man's life
We unite in sorrow
So we march tonight.

Evil persists so we resist
We resist with love
So go ahead and gas us
You can't stop the righteousness of our cause.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Things have got to change.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Injustice lit our flame.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Don’t forget George Floyd’s name.

8 minutes
8 minutes
We won’t go back again.

Your normal is abnormal
But your hate won’t keep us down
You think your color gives you power
Well God marches with us now.

Right gives us might
Might comes when We The People unite
We rejoice as your old world crumbles
As the Flame of Liberty ignites.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Things have got to change.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Injustice lit our flame.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Don’t forget George Floyd's name.

8 minutes
8 minutes
We won't go back again.

Black, red, yellow, white, and brown
Join hands in solidarity
We all now share a vision
Not of what we were
but of what we all can be.

Old gives way to new
New welcomes in the age of equality
Mother’s father's sister's brother's
The spirit of George Floyd lives
His spirit lives inside of us eternally.

8 minutes
8 minutes
George Floyd
Never forget him.

8 minutes
8 minutes
Any one of us
Could be him.

Tags: , , George Floyd , police violence