From the recording Malcolm X
A letter to the slain leader inspired by the news accounts of the death of his widow, Betty Shabazz, and the Autobiography of Malcolm X.
Lyrics
Malcolm I heard the news today They lynched your grandson in the press They said he took your widow's dress And lit a fire I did not believe what they had said It could not be what they had said They said your daughter was depressed And raised a hoodlum What does a blue-eyed devil Care of this situation? Tears are no justification But they flow nonetheless And I'm sorry Malcolm X So sorry Malcolm X I'm sorry for the way she died As if her life weren't hard enough I hope that she's there with you now And somehow smilingBut can you look down and not weep For those black souls you loved so deep Could things have turned out differently If you'd been with them?
What does a blue-eyed devil Care of this situation? Tears are no justification But they flow nonetheless And I'm sorry Malcolm X So sorry Malcolm X Cream in your black coffee was The only form of integration you approved You believed that hearts that bleed Were somehow worse than Klansmen But I know you came to change your mind Perhaps the rainbow should unite The Prince and King would have agreed and That's why they killed you Maybe that's why I sometimes weep The rest of us are so damn weak We need the folks like you to lead To wake our sleeping But who is brave enough these days To take a bullet in the chest We've all been warned too many times Righteousness means death And I'm sorry Malcolm X So sorry for our mess