Ballad of the Empty Bamboo

At the end of the day I don't know where I stand
When I pledge all my allegiance to a prison island
Well we might as well talk before it's goodbye to you
I know you're an imposter and I know that you're doomed
Suck it, rice bucket

I tried my best at protecting your friend
I really did, kid
I figured I can tell you since you're basically dead
Yeah yeah yeah

Chinese are never gonna get the respect that we deserve, man
Chinese-American or fresh immigrant, it's all the same

For F.O.B.-y and jook sing and every in between
It's laundry or cooking or sell your self-esteem
Well here I am, an open book, a piece of hollowed-out bamboo
I guess that's a lot of depth for a jook sing like you

At first I thought Lee is so evil, she's betraying her people
Like what kinda Chinamen come out American born?
Yeah but then one simple thought occurs
My dream is the same as hers
To scrape and claw and make it, take a chance, escape our circumstances

You want the same as me, as I understand, a better life, right?
We might have been good friends, in a different lifetime

You're a jook sing, so snobby, but I know what you mean
It's cooking or laundry, or sell your self-esteem
Here I am, in prison, talking to some hollowed-out bamboo
It's not the kind of thing a paper son should do

You're not really Sam Kai Chung, are you?
Can I ask you for one favor?
Sure
Give this note to my "sister", Sam Kee Lin
Well I can't read Chinese, so what's it say?
It says, "Fat Pork is gone"

Here I am, passing messages for a paper son like you
It's not the kind of thing a jook sing should do
Make it in or make it out
Whatever fate is true
Maybe you'll think someday of this jook sing you knew