Tourniquet

It's time to cauterize 'em, get off this island
This might burn a bit, my whole life I said no to violence
But if I take this tourniquet, then tie it up real tight
It might hurt a bit, but, I might save your life

I will no longer be treated like living dirt
You will not use my condition to make me hurt, any longer
I'm putting my foot down
I'll always be stronger
Funny thing's you knew it first, so, you put in the talk
I pull myself up, and I put in the work

Crisis averted
In my version of life, I gotta
I gotta turn down, all the words you bring to mind
You think, you think you blurt it out
I've never been that privileged
I'm a shark amongst the fishes
If I take a bite, it's biggest

Wouldn't even face the bigots
Cuz' I knew if I started, I wouldn't have stopped 'til I finished
You couldn't of baited me anymore than you did, but I never bit it
You little minnows, didn't want and try and break you, way too brittle
I needed a challenge, so I treated you, like we're on the same level

I am a different species
Maybe that's why they treat me
Like I'm nothing like 'em
I'm not, don't want to be!
You're lucky I'm taking my medicine
You're lucky I'm back in my head again
I coulda', I coulda', I coulda' beheaded them
Nah I'm not competing, armor up
I been here, I been here reading Ephesians
I gotta feed 'em, nobody's eatin', barely breathin'
I gotta show 'em who Jesus is
The churches they're not feeding kids
They're burning them
They care about the walls, not the cornerstone

I know it, 'cuz I lived it
Lived my life below those ceilings
They look righteous, when you're watching
But no one is, revealing that
They just think they're better, 'cuz no one measures up
They conceal the sin they carry, act all perfect
I see Pharisees
Judging others for their burdens, don't you stare at me
You wouldn't last inside this furnace, I did barely
You got buildings, ain't no churches
You're selling guilt, like it be birds
You're what he came to put a stop to, but you went and flipped his words
You tell everyone he'll save you
Gives you grace, but it's conditional, might not spray it, but it's visible
You pray, but it's a ritual
This play, it's not original
We've seen it all before, I don't even have to call you hypocritical

All your fruit, it looks like fruit-loops
All the children see right through you
The traditions, that you're glued to
They're religion, they're not righteous
They're the pigeons, and they're primal
I'm not asking you to like it, I'm just painting out denial

I am a different species
Maybe that's why they treat me
Like I'm nothing like 'em
I'm not, don't want to be!
You're lucky I'm taking my medicine
You're lucky I'm back in my head again
I coulda', I coulda', I coulda' beheaded them
Nah, I'm not competing, armor up
I been here, I been here reading Ephesians
I gotta feed 'em, nobody's eatin', barely breathin'
I gotta show 'em who Jesus is
The churches they're not feeding kids
They're burning them
They care about the walls, not the cornerstone