The Gates

Tell the Reverend Harris to pray for me, Lord
I aint gonna live
I dont believe Im gonna live to get much older
[Tonedeff]
Lights out, so peaceful, stressless
Things used to seem so restless
Forgive me please, see I need to address this
Just havent been this breathless since I met this
Woman who lept into my life when I was reckless
Mothered my blessed kid , but was destined to exit early
Guess you can say Ive been blessed with the best gifts
Reminiscing, holding her neckless in my clenched fist
Ha, its funny how we move in sudden directions
Dedicated my life to the publics protection
Never remarried cause loves an investment
Besides, I had a baby girl to worry about
That would struggle to blend in
Now as I think, a weightlessness is interrupting my senses
A pulsing tension carries my very frame
I rise up in ascension - WAIT!
I try to escape, but I arrive at these gates
I see a figure standing guard who invites me to pray
[Chorus]
Ive tried it all
At the gates of Hell
Im going to lay
Down, down
[Tonedeff]
I walk towards the figure thats extending its hand
I move to enter past the gates yet Im met with its grasp
[Deacon]
Slow down son, theres things to discuss such as family
But first, let us talk about vanity
[Tonedeff]
Vanity?? Man, youre sadly mistaken
Either that or your sanitys shaken
If youd examine me patiently
You'd retract on your statement
I havent sinned flagrantly, Ive acted as faithfully
As any other single father
Who raised a baby girl graciously
[Deacon]
Nakedly, she was at your door after her mothers death
Ignorant to racial anger and other stress
Later had a mixed baby at her sweet sixteen
How did that fit within your picnic scene?
[Tonedeff]
Sometimes its too late to fix these things
The pristine dream was over
Had to face the fact she split these genes with his sick seed
With skin the darkest pigment seen
And so I kicked and screamed
Until we found the peace that distance brings
[Deacon]
A mixed raced queen, that was your thoughts about her mama
Up yonder went her soul, your hate growed from ponders
On life , being less trife with a white wife
So any instance of yalls differences it was slice-slice
[Tonedeff]
Oh my, its not her race, my daughters love flies blind
I couldnt take her making the same mistakes that crushed my life
Im dumbstruck by these baseless allegations
Ive saved too many lives of all creeds
For you to paint me as a racist
Ive endangered my own safety to save babies from blazes
Black, white, latino, even asian on occasion
[Deacon]
But why so?
[Tonedeff]
How dare you question my motivation!
[Deacon ]
No need to second guess, your only aim was to be famous
Lord knows, youve left behind scorched souls
Black children left chilling, later found burnt whole
So sadly, your glorys to come urgently
Sentenced to fight fires for eternity