We Were Beautiful

I was black as I could be
 Hearing voices telling me
 "Walk away from everything"
 Oh I wasn't meant to go
 Far away from those I know
 To some desolate below
 We were in the urban scene
 With a grind of coffee bean
 And the women are oblique
 And the boys are paper thin
 Ragged beards upon their chin
 We were on the outside looking in
 Rise above the present day
 Rise above the popular melee
 I see you the way you are
 I see you the scar
 We were beautiful before this went down
 We were beautiful the years came and turned it upside down
 We were beautiful before we got wise
 We were beautiful with sky and blanket laying low
 I am hanging on the line
 I'm on duty all the time
 I'm your Samaritan on call
 I could try my best to heal
 All the emptiness you feel
 In the giving I will be a light
 We were wrapped around our roots
 Nothing on except our boots
 We were intimate around the waist
 We were settling our scores
 We were healing over sores
 We were living out the pleasure that we lost
 We were beautiful before this went down
 We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down
 We were beautiful for all time and space
 I will tell it to the Sun and I will tell it to
 If you listen to the night
 We can hear the madmen fight
 Hear the foxes making out
 But the people all immune
 Sleeping silent in their rooms
 Growing bodies with their sleep
 Making plans inside their heads
 Making love to shadow friends
 We were beautiful before this went down
 We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down
 We were beautiful before we got wise
 We were beautiful with sky and blanket, feel me now
 We were beautiful before this went down
 We were beautiful before the years came and turned it upside down
 We were beautiful for all time and space
 I will tell it to the Sun and I will tell it to your face