Other Ways to Say Black Face

Audio produced by T Bone Burnett and David Leonard

Take the cork   he said       We were out Walking     it made me feel free  he said I stopped walking  I said  I’m Your pardon  Takethecork  do you mean Blackface   Yes that’s right    he said   It’s Natural  to want  tobedifferent   to want To    feel  free    OhWhiteBoy    oh Lord Oh tell me sir  yes  tell me  how you want To FeelFree   ole boy   here   on my street Tell me    do I    make you    free      am I Your new black face     I mean   my black Face next to yours  my    black      mouth On your mouth    does that    free     you From your     trim    white   body      like That cork     do    am I      just   your little Thick black sweet cork    screw  Youknow Howitworks   he said    After your parents Have opened the bottle  of wine  take one And     burn      the bottom         Takeone I said     One what      I said   Oh the cork I said     Oh right    oh white boy  oh Lord Oh  the street    fell away   oh    I’d let you Put your  hands    on my body       in both Of our     wanting      and now      you say Blackface   and you say   Free  and you say Natural and you look at me    and you say Free    again   and   Burnthebottom     and Before I can conjure   your     young  white Hands  with they     match    burned   cork Smudging      your face      till it         Feels Black      and          free          I am     afraid Of how much    You   don’t    know      and I am afraid     of how much    I   can  stand Oh white boy Oh Lord  Oh  Takeyourcork Put it back    in the bottle     yes      stop up Everything  left  of that  strange    nostalgia Stop looking  to    Feel free         in my skin Oh give it back to me       without the burn Without the cork                  My skin looks To you     like the freedom        your skin is