He Was a Human

The Story

One Sunday morning I was walking home and turned the corner to see a taped off crime scene and the fatal result of a drive-by shooting. The Copse of a man lay on a tarp, his hands twisted. Neighbors began to gather around and speak of the deceased man saying “He was a gang banger”, “He sold drugs” I didn’t know what to think but as I watched him, his twisted hands looked like he was clutching the sky, and when I returned home this song came out.

Lyrics

What am I supposed to say?
Its only natural it happens every day,
I didn’t know him but it is better this way,
Better this way?

Closer than I have ever known,
At the end of the day the actors won’t go home.
All that’s left is a crumple dead and cold, dead and cold.

But he had cold hands, dead hands,
Clutching the sky.

All for the good,
They say one less gang banger in my neighborhood.
Well if they kill each other off,
Then someday it would,
Tell me would it be better?

For the news paper will say,
Hispanic man died yesterday,
Small print in the corner of the page,
Well no one knew him anyway.

But he had cold hands, dead hands,
Clutching, touching holding, grasping
I can’t leave it alone
No I can’t leave it alone
How can you say its better this way?
How can you say its better this way?

For he was a human and that’s enough,
Dam it I don’t care if he deserved it or if he lived long enough,
For he was a human like you and me,
He had a wife, a life, a family, a whole history.
And when I die and a human takes my life,
Don’t you dare try to avenge me,
For he was a human,
And that’s enough.
Hate is to small a word for all of us.

For you are a human and that will always be enough.

(Copyright 2006)