Song for Oscar Grant

There was a man who had a little girl
And she was his one and only daughter
Not every oyster has a little pearl
But this one did and they lived by the water
On the eastern side of San Francisco bay
Where the mountains meet the ocean
Together there they would greet the day By Fruitvale Station
And now the trains seem louder than they used to be
There by the Oakland ocean side
When you look out at the horizon now what do you see
Since the day your daddy died
He dropped her off at school for the day
Looked for work, tried to make some money
Obstacles, road blocks in the way In this land of milk and honey
Dad and mom went out one winter night
Their only plan, to greet New Year
Fireworks and blunts, it’s only right Til 2009 was here
They were coming back from the celebration
On a train that rode beneath the rising tide
They got off at Fruitvale Station On the day your daddy died
They just wanted to go home and go to bed
They stepped off the train onto the platform
Punches thrown, angry words were said
Then came the men in uniform
Face down, cuffs behind his back No way to fight or run
That’s the time the cop chose to attack That’s when he fired his gun
Prayers were prayed as the sun rose And how his momma cried
Time stood still and the world froze On the day your daddy died