Black Parade

"Black Parade" is a nonprofit charity single. It was surprise released on June 19, 2020, also referred to as Juneteenth, a day that originated in Beyoncé's home state of Texas commemorating the end of slavery in the U.S. Also released in the wake of George Floyd's death and the protests that followed it, the song serves as a celebration of African American culture and the support of Black activism. All proceeds from the song benefit BeyGOOD's Black Business Impact Fund in collaboration with NAACP, which has since helped nearly 250 Black-owned small businesses in need. An online directory of Black-owned small businesses called "Black Parade Route" was launched alongside the single's release. 

1. I'm goin' back to the South
I'm goin' back, back, back, back
Where my roots ain't watered down
Growin', growin' like a Baobab tree
Of life on fertile ground, my ancestors put me on game
Ankh charm of gold chains, with Oshun energy, oh
Drip all on me, woo, Ankara Dashiki print
Hold up, don't I smell like such a nag champa incense?
Yeah, pure ice (Ice), ice (Ice), buss down
Uh, flooded (Flooded), flooded (Flooded), on my wrist, out
Ooh, goin' up, goin' up, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like
Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, yeah, I can't forget my history is her-story, yeah
Being black, Maybe that's the reason why
They always mad, yeah, they always mad, yeah
Been past 'em, I know that's the reason why
They all big mad and they always have been

Honey, come around my way, around my hive
Whenever mama say so, mama say
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Honey, come around me way, around my hive
Whenever mama says so, mama says so
Here I come on my throne, sittin' high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin' slick to my folk (My folk), nip that lip like lipo (Lipo)
You here them swarmin' right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin' high
Folow my parade, oh, my parade

2. Yeah, yeah, I'm for us, all black
All chrome (yeah), black-owned (yeah)
Black tints (yeah), matte black (yeah, yeah)
Roll by, my window down, let 'em see who in it
Crack a big smile (ding)
Go figure, me & Jigga, fifty 'leven children
They like, "Chick, how?"
I charge my crystals in a full moon
You could send them missiles, I'm-a send my goons
Baby sister reppin' Yemaya (Yemaya)
Trust me, they gon' need an army (ah)
Rubber bullets bouncin' off me (ah)
Made a picket sign off your picket fence (ah)
Take it as a warning (Ah, ah)
Waist beads from Yoruba (woo)
Four hunnid billi', Mansa Musa (woo)
Stroll line to the barbeque
Put us any-damn-where, we gon' make it look cute
Pandemic fly on the runway, in my hazmat
Children runnin' thru the house to my art, all black
Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat
(Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat)
Hold my hands, we gon' pray together
Lay down, face down in the gravel
Woo, wearin' all attire white to the funeral
Black love, we gon' stay together
Curtis Mayfield on the speaker (woo)
Lil' Malcolm, Martin mixed with mama Tina (soo)
Need another march, lemee call Tamika (woo)
Need peace & reparation for my people (woo)
Fuck these laid edges, I'ma let it shrivel up (shrivel up)
Fuck this fade & waves, I'ma let it dread all up (dread all up)
Put your fist up in the air, show black love (show black love)
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me

(bridge) We got rhythm (we got rhythm), we got pride (we got pride)
We birth kings (we birth kings), we birth tribes (we birth tribes)
Holy river (holy river), holy tongue (holy tongue)
Speak the glory (speak the glory), feel the love (feel the love)
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
I can't forget my history, it's her-story
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me

(We do not own this song. All rights reserved by the original copyright holders.)