“Can’t you tell that life is out of tune? Where is the love that will make us do what is right? “
Videos by American Songwriter
STEVIE WONDER: Hi, it’s me again. Even in a pandemic, life has its own rhythm. Measured more than in seconds, minutes, and hours, our time here will be measured by how we carefully consider or deliberate our reality.
As time is evolving, it seems so much has changed, so much is moving to a different rhythm. The way we work, live, love, meet and greet. Can’t you feel we’re changing the way we see and hear our life in reality?
I know you understand. You can feel there’s a beat that they’re drumming and it’s off. Even if you’re not a musician you can hear when the music is not right. Can you tell that life is out of tune? Do you feel our reality is offbeat?
We’re out of sync listening to spirits that conflict against the truth we know to be true.
Truth: mail-in voting is and has always been safe, the current president uses the system.
Truth: black and brown people want safety, just like everybody else.
Truth: you better believe people have come to our communities, co-opted our cause, incited violence. The community knows that even if you don’t and won’t report it.
Truth: no amount of money has ever brought a life back.
Ask yourself why so long for Brionna Taylor? Why would we accept anyone calling a fallen soldier anything less than the ultimate hero?
Why can’t we hear love the greater truth as opposed to being consumed and bombarded by conspiracies and lies? Where’s our love for each other?
Where’s our love for our country? Where is the love that will make us do what is right?
Conscious people: no matter your color your political persuasion, religion, or geography, you know the truth. You know the truth. You’re not like those that go deaf when they don’t want to hear or become blind when they choose not to see.
You will do something about it because we can’t take the chance that someone else will do what we have to do. We can’t put it in the hands of fate.
You say you’re sick and tired of us protesting.
I say not tired enough to make a change.
You say just you hold on. I say no way because we can’t put it in the hands of fate.
You say you believe that all lives matter. I say I don’t believe the fuck you do.
You say all things in time. I say that’s why I’m not gonna put it in the hands of fate.
Ain’t nobody got time to wait. We can’t put it in the hands of fate.
When I was a teenager, here’s something I heard an old man say to me:
“In a not so distant future, tomorrow, robins will sing your lullaby.”
And I said, “But I’ve seen so many of my generation live and die for that pie in the sky. Not I.”
You say those innocent lives should have not been taken, and I say for them is why we take a knee.
You say is that the right play? I say first amendment every day because we can’t put it in the hands of fate, we can’t put it in the hands of fate, my brother my sister my friend. Ain’t nobody got time to wait.
You say now you really truly get it. I say how what you do will let me know. you say I’m so ready. I say let’s do this, and not just put it in the hands of fate.
We can’t put it in the hands of fate, all people, we can’t put hate in the hands of fate, can’t put voting in the hands of fate, so don’t!
Do it as John Lewis said: do good trouble, and for me, good trouble is bringing our nation, this nation, back together again. And the way we do that is to vote justice in and injustice out. We just can’t put November in the hands of fate, but we can put it in our hands.
