Intro

This is in remembrance of our ancestors
Sam Cooke and
Marvin Gaye and
Donny Hathaway
And all that came before
You opened up a door
Cause of you
A change gon' come

Interlude

John Coltrane and
Miles Davis
Dizzy Gillespie
This is a song for you
Jimi Hendrix
Stevie Ray Vaughn
And Robert Johnson
And Charlie Patton
The list goes on and on and on

Ma Raney
Bessie Smith
And Memphis Nanny
Manny Riperson
Sister Puma
Harry Torelan
Karen Carpenter
Ah
Billy Holiday
Ella Fitzgerald
Sarah Vaughn
Your memory still lives on in me

Video

Sometimes I shave my legs and sometimes I don't
Sometimes I comb my hair and sometimes I won't
Depend of how the wind blows I might even paint my toes
It really just depends on whatever feels good in my soul

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be the
India.Arie

When I look in the mirror and the only one there is me
Every freckle on my face is where it's supposed to be
And I know my creator didn't make no mistakes on me
My feet, my thighs, my lips, my eyes, I'm loving what I see

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be the
India.Arie

Am I less of a lady if I don't where panty hose
My momma said a lady ain't what she wears but what she knows
But I've drawn the conclusion, it's all an illusion
Confusion's the name of the game
A misconception, a vast deception,
Something's got to change

Don't be offended this is all my opinion
Ain't nothing that I'm saying law
This is a true confession
Of a life learned lesson
I was sent here to share with y'all
So get in when you fit in
Go on and shine
Clear your mind
Now's the time
Put your salt on the shelf
Go on and love yourself
Cause everything's gonna be alright

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be
India.Arie

Keep your fancy drinks, and your expensive minks
I don't need that to have a good time
Keep your expensive cars and your caviar
All I need is my guitar

Keep your crystal and your pistol
I'd rather have a pretty piece of crystal
Don't need you silicone, I prefer my own
What god gave me is just fine

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

I'm not the average girl from your video
My worth is not determined by the price of my clothes
No matter what I'm wearing I will always be
India.Arie

I'm not the average girl from your video
And I ain't built like a supermodel
But I learned to love myself unconditionally,
Because I am a queen

Always in My Head

You're like a cool breeze, on a summer's day
You're always in my head
You're always in my head

You're like a cool breeze on a summer's day
You are a river running through the desert plain
You are my shelter, from the pouring rain
You were my comfort, even before the pain

I can hear the sound of five drummers in the wind
Leaves blowing in the breeze, ring out like guitars
A tin can rolls across the gravel like a tambourine
I am but a vessel, and so I sing, because you are

In my head, you're always in my head
In my dreams, you're always in my head
In my pain, you're always in my head
In my peace, you're always in my head

A rainbow of rhythm stretches across the sky
An airplane in the distance, plays a beautiful cello line
It's no coincidence, it's in tune with the music in my ears
If you were a shoulder you're where I would rest,
But I am your vessel so I hear, you

In my head, you're always in my head
In my fears, you're always in my head
In my joy, you're always in my head
In my tears, you're always in my head

You're like a cool breeze, on a summer's day
You are a river, running through a desert plain
You've been my shelter, from the pouring rain
You were my comfort, even before the pain, cause I hear you

In my head, you're always in my head
In my dreams, you're always in my head
In my pain, you're always in my head
In my peace, you're always in my head

How can I live a day without music
How can I live a day without you

In my head, you're always in my head
In my fears, you're always in my head
In my joy, you're always in my head
In my tears, you're always in my head

How can I live a day without music
How can I live a day without you
You are always in my head
Oh, you are, you are liked
You are, you are loved
You are you are joy
You are, you are peace

Promises

When I think about the turn my life has taken
I know it's because of you,
That I receive so many blessings
I had a home but no privacy,
I didn't know a thing about my legacy
When I realized you were there for me,
Call on your name and you came
And you did, just what you said, for that I'll love you forever
You kept, your word to me, for that I'll love you forever

A promise, is a promise in my eyes
Can't say you're gonna just to compromise
The very thing that keeps two hearts intertwined
A promise is a promise you can't deny, there's no way

I think of when there was a young boy, not even two years old
Blessed with a mother who loved him so,
She abandoned her dreams to nourish his own
It wasn't easy for the two of them,
But she knew she had to give him a chance
At a better life, it was only right,
So she worked, she prayed
And she did, just what she say, for that he'll love her forever
She kept her word to him, for that he'll love her forever

A promise is a promise, in my eyes
Can't say you're gonna just to compromise
The very thing that keeps two hearts intertwined
A promise is a promise you can't deny, there's no way
A man's only as good as his word

Check this out
Her wedding day and she's thinking
About the way he won her affection
She was so cynical about love
Cause she didn't want to be heart broken again
He looked her in her eye with sincerity,
Said he only wanted to protect her so she
Took a chance on him and she's glad she did
Because he came for real
And he did, just what he said, for that she'll love him forever
He kept his word to her, for that she'll love him forever

A promise is a promise, in my eyes
Can't say you're gonna just to compromise
The very thing that keeps two hearts intertwined
A promise is a promise you can't deny, there's no way
No way, no, there ain't no way
A man's only as good as his word

I See God in You

Every day that you pass my way, I wonder,
I wonder about your life
What is your age, are you connected if so, does she treat you right
Now please, excuse me for being so forward
Bur I couldn't let this chance go by without lettin' you know I

I wonder, I wonder if you really knew, that I see God in you
And I wonder if you can see, how much you mean to me
I know you cannot read my mind, but I hope you feel the vibe
I think it's time I let you know that, I see the God in you
Ah yeah, oh yeah

Every time that I see your face, I wonder,
What lies beneath your smile
What are your dreams, what are your fears,
What does your heart hold in
I know, that you don't know me at all
But if you know yourself, well then you know me very well

I wonder, I wonder if you really knew, that I see God in you
And I wonder if you can see, how much you mean to me
I know you cannot read my mind, but I hope you feel the vibe
I think it's time I let you know that, I see the God in you
Oh yeah

Yeah, I wonder, I wonder if you really knew, that I see God in you
And I wonder if you can see, how much you mean to me
I know you cannot read my mind, but I hope you feel the vibe
I think it's time I let you know that, I see the God in you
Oh yeah
Oh yeah

Brown Skin

Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then oh hey

Where are your people from? Maybe Mississippi or an Island
Apparently your skin has been kissed by the sun
You make me want a Hershey's kiss, your licorice

Every time I see your lips,
It makes me think of honey-coated chocolate
Your kisses are worth more than gold to me
I'll be your almond joy, you'll be my sugar daddy

Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then oh hey

Every time you come around,
Something magnetic pulls me and I cant get out
Disoriented, I cant tell my up from down
All I know is that I wanna lay you down

Every time I let you in, abracadabra magic happens as we swim
Higher and higher finally we reach heaven
Come back to earth and then we do it all again
Yeah

Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then oh hey

Skin so brown, lips so round
Baby how can I be down?
Beautiful mahogany, you make me feel like a queen
(You make me feel like a queen)
Tell me what's that thing you do
That makes me wanna get next to you, yeah
Oh hey

Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then oh hey

Brown skin, you know I love your brown skin
I can't tell where yours begins, I can't tell where mine ends
Brown skin, up against my brown skin
Need some every now and then oh hey
Hey, yea, hey yea oh

Simple

Now that you're right here,
Let me whisper in your ear
Now that you're listening,
Let me tell you how I feel
I've been trying to formulate
The perfect words the perfect way
I can't hold it back no more
I gotta let you know today
Its

Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)
Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)

Now that you're listening let me tell you what I need
Now that your holding me let me show you what I mean
I've been trying to analyze
just what it is I feel inside my heart
But now I realize it don't have to be so hard
Cause it's

Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)
Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)

Once the power is for real
And I gonna say it again
And again and again
I Love you
I Love you
I Love you

I Love you
I Love you
I Love you, oh

Now you know how I feel
Tell me what are you gonna do
Now that I've said the words
Tell me what do you have to lose
I know that you feel it to
I can see it when I look into your eyes
You're scared, but you don't have to be
It's alright cause it's

Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)
Simple (What more can I say)
So Simple
I Love you (What more can I say)

Strength, Courage & Wisdom

Inside my head there lives a dream that I want to see in the sun
Behind my eyes there lives a me that I've been hiding for much too long
'Cause I've been, too afraid to let it show
'Cause I'm scared of the judgment that may follow
Always putting off my living for tomorrow

It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my face
It's been illusive for so long, but freedom is mine today
I've gotta step out on faith, It's time to show my face
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found

Strength, courage, and wisdom
It's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

Behind my pride there lives a me, that knows humility
Inside my voice there is a soul, and in my soul there is a voice
But I've been, too afraid to make a choice
'Cause I'm scared of the things that I might be missing
Running too fast to stop to listen

It's time to step out on faith, I've gotta show my face
It's been illusive for so long but freedom is mine today
Step out on faith it's time to show my face
Procrastination had me down but look what I have found, I found

Strength, courage, and wisdom
And it's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

I close my eyes and I think of all the things that I want to see
'Cause I know, now that I've opened up my heart I know that
Anything I want can be, so let it be, so let it be
So let it be, so let it be
So let it be, so let it be
So let it be, so let it be

Strength, courage, and wisdom
It's been inside of me all along,
Strength, courage, wisdom
It's been inside of me all along, everyday I'm praying for

Strength, courage, and wisdom
To find me, yeah,
Strength, courage, and wisdom
Inside of me

I found it in me, I found it finally
I'm sure to keep it' so I say thank you
I found it

Part of My Life

Can you be a part of my life?
Can you be a part of my life?

Oh it's easy to find some one to play with
And almost anyone will do to fill your idle time
But that very special someone,
You can share all your dreams with is so hard to find

And it use to be like me to settle for the physical
But these days it ain't too easy to make up my mind
Cause apparently your body's
Just to temporary to take up my precious time

I've got to know that
That I can be free with you and
You've got to show that
That you're worthy of my time
Can you stimulate my mind?

And I know that it looks good,
But can you be a part of my life
And I'm sure that it feels good
But can you be a part of my life
And it probably even tastes good
But can you be a part of my life
I've got to know (I've got to know oh)

I still appreciate the beauty of a man
But there's more to what I need now than what meets the eye
And if beauty's only skin deep,
Then your pretty skin won't send me to my highest high
Oh it's been along time coming for maturity
And I believe that it's truly what it has to be
Cause as much as I admire you
My sexual desire ain't controlling me

Hey I've got to know that
That I can be free with you and
You've got to show that
That you're worthy of my time
Can you stimulate my mind?

And I know that it looks good,
But can you be a part of my life
And I'm sure that it feels good
But can you be a part of my life
And it probably even tastes good
But can you be a part of my life
I've got to know (I've got to know oh)

I know that it looks good,
But can you be a part of my life
And I'm sure that it feels good
But can you be a part of my life
And it probably even tastes good
But can you be a part of my life
I've got to know (I've got to know, I got to know, I got to know oh)

Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that
Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that
Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that
Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that
Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that
Can you be a part of my life?
I got to know that I got to know
Can you be a part of my life?
Can you be a part of me

Nature

I know
Oh, Oh Yeah

Hey baby
Why you rushing
Let's sit back and watch the flowers grow
Why you want
To swim against the tide
Let's lay and watch the river flow

Here in god's creation
There is always a reason
I know, that love is there for us
Yeah

Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show
Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show

I don't wanna watch no movie
Let's sit and watch the stars put on a show
If you want to win my favor
Be creative, and show me your flavor
Cause here in god's creation
For everything there is a season
Let go, Let life
Let love let god

Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show
Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show

Like the sun shines and
The wind blows
Like the birds fly
And the moon glows
I am meant for you and
You are meant for me
Then we will flow together
Everlastly

Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show
Where we'll go, baby I don't know
Maybe we should just let nature run the show

Baby we should sit, watch the flowers grow
Baby we should sit, back and watch the moon glow
Baby, we should feel the wind blow

First you plant a seed
And let it grow and
Then it blooms
Then it dies
That the cycle of life
Same goes for you and I
Maybe this time we'll get it right

Go with the flow, go with the flow, go with the flow
Maybe we'll get it right
Go with the flow, go with the flow, go with the flow
Maybe we'll get it right
Go with the flow, go with the flow, go with the flow
Go with the flow, go with the flow, go with the flow

Beautiful

The time is right
I'm gonna pack my bags
And take that journey down the road
Cause over the mountain I see the bright sun shining
And I want to live inside the glow
Yeah

I wanna go to a place where I am nothing and everything
That exists between here and nowhere
I wanna got to a place where time has no consequence oh yeah
The sky opens to my prayers

I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful

Please understand that it's not that I don't care
But right know these wall are closing in on me
I love you more than I love life itself

But I need to find a place were I can breathe
I can breathe
I wanna go to a place were I can hold the intangible
And let of the pain with all my might
I wanna go to a place where I am suspended in ecstasy
Some where between dark and light
Where wrong becomes right

I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
I wanna go to beautiful, beautiful, beautiful,
Beautiful

Back to the Middle

She is twenty five, spent over half her good life
So afraid to speak her mind, it's such a shame
'Cause what a brilliant mind she has

And now she's been introduced to confidence
She doesn't see, that she is bordering on arrogance
When will she learn, to come back to the middle

He is a young black man, grew up without his father
And now it falls into his hands, to protect his mother
'Cause if he doesn't, well then who will, his older brother, he lives in fear
Of everything, especially, trying to fill his father's shoes

Respectively, they go to extremes, of masculine and feminine
Chasing dreams, but they keep on falling
'Cause they don't know no balance
When will they learn, to come back to the middle

You gotta take the good with the bad, and you might hit the wall
Sometimes you'll fly and sometimes you will fall
There isn't any way, to avoid the pain
But it's getting burned, that's how you will learn
To come back to the middle
Come back to the middle yeah
Yea, yeah

Needing to protect yourself now that is just a part of life
If you let your fears keep you from flying,
You will never reach your height
To get to the top you must come back to the middle
When will we learn, to come back to the middle
When will we learn

Come back to the middle, (come back) Come back to the middle (come back)
Come back to the middle
Don't make no mind about falling down
'Cause it's when you're in that valley
You can see both sides more clearly
Back to the middle
Back to the middle
Back to the middle
Come back to the middle
Yeah
Come back
Yeah
Come back
Yeah
Come back to the middle

Outro

Grandma Lousie
Uncle Joe
Aunt Joanne
Uncle Para
And to all of those names
That I do not know
But whose blood runs through my veins
This is a song for you
Cause of you a change gonna come

Ready for Love

I am ready for love
Why are you hiding from me
I'd quickly give my freedom
To be held in your captivity

I am ready for love
All of the joy and the pain
And all the time that it takes
Just to stay in your good grace
Lately I've been thinking
Maybe you're not ready for me
Maybe you think I need to learn maturity
They say watch what you ask for
Cause you might receive
But if you ask me tomorrow
I'll say the same thing

I am ready for love
Would you please lend me your ear?
I promise I won't complain
I just need you to acknowledge I am here

If you give me half a chance
I'll prove this to you
I will be patient, kind, faithful and true
To a man who loves music
A man who loves art
Respect's the spirit world
And thinks with his heart

I am ready for love
If you'll take me in your hands
I will learn what you teach
And do the best that I can

I am ready for love
Here with an offering of
My voice
My eyes
My soul
My mind
Tell me what is enough
To prove I am ready for love

I am ready

Wonderful (Stevie Wonder Dedication)

I love you
All of the joy
All of the love
All over you

Yeah, ooh, oh
You are the sunshine of my life
Another Shakespeare of your time
You're like a ribbon in the sky
You are a poet's endless rhyme
You take me to a higher ground and
Then you knock me off my feet
Lately I been thinking 'bout you,
Cause you been creeping in my dreams

You inspire me the way you make me feel inside is amazing
Your honesty your artistry is engaging
You are everything I hope to be

You have touched my soul
I want you to know you are my hero
You got so much soul
To put it plain and simple you are wonderful

I am your woman in red,
I am girl blue,
I am the black orchad
I am a golden lady too
You bring the music of your mind
To elevate human kind
That's why I'm sharing my inner visions I explode

You inspire me the way you make me feel inside is amazing
You're honesty your artistry is engaging
You are everything I hope to be

You have touched my soul
I want you to know you are my hero
You got so much soul
To put it plain and simple you are wonderful

You so beautiful
Yeah
You are wonderful
You are beautiful
You are powerful
You are you are
You have touched my soul
And I just want to say thank you
You have touched my soul
In such a special way
You are wonderful
You are beautiful

Stevie Beautiful
Stevie Powerful
Stevie Spiritual
Stevie Wonderful
Stevie Wonderful

You have touched my soul, you're so divine, you're so sublime
You're wonderful
You have touched my soul, to put it plain and simple you are wonderful
You have touched my soul, you're so divine, you're so sublime
You're wonderful
You are wonderful
You are powerful
You are wonderful
You are beautiful