Discover the poetic beauty in ‘BEFORE’ by A Tribe Called Red. This lyric breakdown takes you on a journey through the artist’s thoughts, emotions, and the story they aim to tell. From clever metaphors to evocative imagery, we delve into the nuances that make this song a lyrical masterpiece. Whether you’re a fan of A Tribe Called Red or a lover of well-crafted words, our detailed analysis will give you a deeper understanding and appreciation of this song.
You have a collect call from an inmate at an ALie Nation correctional facility
To accept the charges press one
Thank you, connecting now
It’s me Jack, listen you got to find Charlie
You guys got to find, you gotta find him
You gotta find him and pass this on to him before it’s too late
I think it’s too late already but I’m begging you, try for me
You guys got pull, you do
People listen to you, you know they do
So maybe, just maybe that kid Charlie, he’ll hear this too
Charlie I don’t know how I’m going to survive in here
I think I want to die, I mean it
I’m surrounded by animals, beasts without nations
It’s a human zoo with the hyenas in charge
And I’m just at the start of the sentence and I got no relations
When you guys find him, please tell him this
You still come to me sometimes Charlie
Your thin face, your cheekbones sharp as knives
You were lost, no doubt about it
You ran away from that residential school
And all you wanted, you said, was just to get home
Your face still haunts me and it’s always
At moments when I least want to remember you
When another news reports announce the find of another murdered Indian woman
And I wonder is this is the one who will be mom
I think of you Charlie when I’m walking in my hood and
The cops throw me on the concrete because I rock my colors
I remember you when I’m jonesing for something I know I can’t have
I hate to say it, but sometimes I wish I never met you
I wish they never did in that school what they did to you
You’re still hurting Charlie, we’re going to hurt for a long time
We hurt from the before and it makes us hurt so bad right now