When I Said... Video (MV)

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I meant we have a hard time dreaming
We drink too much poison
Because we don't know where to find water
Holy water
Cleansing water
Water that will cure our thirst
For Life

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I was talking about the way
We see justice as one of two things:
Being locked in a box of shame
Or executed
By a system that set us up to fail

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I meant we can't move
That we are binded by binaries
Of gender and race and political parties
That we are taught to take what is
As all that can be
See, they want us to believe we've lost our vision
They want us to feel blind
They don't understand
That the Wonder of Stevie
Is how the light shines from his mind
That a genius is only a human
Who recognizes his gift
And then puts in the work to lift up himself
So he can shine light on his brothers
So they can mine their own wealth
So they can unshackle confusion
And start improving their health
Because the poison we've taken
Is designed to destroy
First a thousand small knife wounds
From our feet to our neck
Then we're covered with hatred
That is meant to infect

But we don't have to believe we're out here all alone
We've got healers among us
They can knit broken bones
They put us back together
They've got balm for our wounds
If you let them, they'll teach you
How thorns are removed
If you let them, they'll teach you
To open your eyes
If you let them, they'll teach you
It's all right when you cry
That's how the toxins leave you
It helps to clean out your mind

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I was talking about the exhaustion
That makes your bones hurt
That exhaustion that makes you believe
That you are weak, that you need to sleep
And when you do fall to sleep, you don't even dream
And if you do, it's a nightmare
Mixed with reality
I know that you're tired
But the cure isn't sleep
In fact, sleep is the poison
That is keeping you weak
Sleep is the poison that is keeping you weak
Sleep isn't dreaming
Sleep is just sleep

You see, When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I was implying we need to get up out of prison
But first, we need to understand
What this prison really is
How this prison was built
And more importantly why this prison was built
This prison isn't any ordinary prison
This prison does not discriminate for any reason
It does not matter what colour your skin is
Or with what gender you identify
This prison just added bars to the Tower of Babel
This is a very diverse prison
So, imagine
Imagine what it would be like for
The community that is chained up inside
To co-exist lovingly outside this prison

You see, when we say
"We have a duty to fight for our freedom"
This is what we are talking about
When we say
"We have a duty to win"
This is what we are talking about
When we say
"We must love each other and support each other"
This is what we are talking about
When we say
"We have nothing to lose, but our chains"
When we say
"We have nothing to lose, but our chains!"
This is exactly what we are talking about

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I was talking about that Voice that tells you, No
That Voice saying, Don't say that
They don't want to hear your idea
That Voice saying you don't belong there
You don't belong out there
You don't belong with them
You don't have the right colour skin
That's the Voice keeping you In
The Voice doesn't want you Out
The Voice wants you
The Voice wants you to doubt
That you deserve freedom
That you deserve to feel loved
That you deserve to experience the Wonder
That these sisters and brothers have to offer
That you can support them
Without stealing from them
You see, if you do this
You will gain life
You will gain their support
You will start to feel free

When I said, We are imprisoned
By a lack of imagination
I did not mean that's the way it has to be
But we have to wake up enough to want to be free
We have to wake up enough to want to be free
We must listen and learn and act like we're free

Tonight, I've been thinking what it means to believe
That the first shall be last
And the last ones shall lead
We are all in this struggle
And we all need to be heard
But will you learn to be humble
And give up the last word?
Take a minute
And step back
Take a minute
And Breathe
Be quick to listen
Slow to anger
Slow to speak
Together, we're stronger when we open our eyes
And we learn to go farther when we organize
When we let go of our doubt
And we let go of our fear
And we start falling in love
With the freedom right here