Race Issues in Music

CHORUS]
I see your true color, shinin through
I see your true color, an' that's why I love you
I see your true color, shinin through
I see your true color, an' that's why I love you

[VERSE 1]
Yo, father forgive, we all tryin to survive where we live
I'd rather feed the homeless eight times than talk to da kids
Show 'em life ain't no walk on the bridge
Damn as hard as it is, when I be dreamin I be talkin to B.I.G
In my hood it ain't no yellow brick road, we hear the shots echo
Sneakers hangin from a telephone pole
In my ghetto aint no rainbow wit pots a gold
but tha was love from tha family when tymes are cold
I seen n analyzed tha world from my project roof
An' seen the hope in tha eyes of a troubled youth
A good kid, I kept this burna in dis motha goose
A motherless child,lost in these streets loose
in the waterworlds away these are rainy days
My man got poped at an early age
These cowards run n say he flipped into his early grave
They say the good die young, we're headed for dem early gates

CHORUS

[VERSE 2]
yo,they say this love wasnt meant to be
2 people from 2 different worlds,we wasnt meant to be
it musta been fate you were sent to me
we'll make it through these hard tymes,eventually
tha standard fight,walk by faith n not by sight
we're all tha same color when you turn off tha lights
i take tha sunshine with tha pain
wear my Saraguards sad,dats when it rains
no fridge,kept tha food on tha window payne
we all breathe tha same air so we all tha same
im trapped in this ghetto maze tryna make it out
if you dont know me dont judge me,wuthcu talkin bout
im far dividable of ard of tha broken dreams
single mothas yall my heroes,yall my queens
to get my moms out tha hood,thats my hope n dreams
to raise my son to be a soldier by any means

CHORUS TO FADE



These are the lyrics for the song True Color, the version from “Save the Last Dance”. This is a remake of the Cyndi Lauper song, originally written about the true colors of the gay community. She was talking about the importance of accepting people who are different from you, even if they have a different sexual orientation. In this version, by Fredo Starr, the true colors being spoken about are different races. The song attempts to state that race issues should not matter, and that we are all truly the same color. The song states :

2 people from 2 different worlds,we wasnt meant to be
it musta been fate you were sent to me

Although the people are in love, others do not approve because they feel black and white people are not from the same world. In the movie, there is considerable tension when a white girl falls in love in a black man and their friends and family do not approve. Starr makes other comments about how race should not affect relationships by commenting that “we're all tha same color when you turn off tha lights” and “we all breathe tha same air so we all tha same”. Although they are different colors, the color should not affect the relationships between people. What matters is we are all together in the same world, and there is no need for blacks and whites to be treated different. This song shows both how relationships of different races are not approved of, along with the perspective that although we look different we should all be treated equally. Although this is not as much of an issue anymore, the song is able to successfully comment on past problems with bi-racial relationships.