[Verse 1: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, piano answering] Six a.m., I'm cracking eggs at the Eastside school Hairnet on, white apron, and I run it by one rule Nobody eats ashamed on a line that I serve Every child gets the tray that every child deserves Then the office sent a memo on a Monday in the fall Said the kids who owe a balance get a sandwich, that's all Cold cheese on white bread and a stamp on the hand Says lunch money owed so the whole room understands I watched a little girl push her hand in her sleeve Hiding that ink from her friends like she caught a disease Stood in my kitchen and I prayed on the steam Lord, I'm just a cook, but I know what you mean [Hook: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, full band behind him] Hot tray, hold your head up, step on through Nobody eats ashamed on a line I run for you Put the stamp away and put the cold bread back Hot tray, hot tray, ain't nobody eating that [Verse 2: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, organ rising] Every Friday after shift I took my check to the front Paid the balances off, every name, every month Ninety here, forty there, that's my gas and my lights Wife said Leon, we're behind, I said the babies eat right Three years, nobody knew, I kept the receipts in a can Then an auditor came with a pen in his hand Said I broke the policy, said it's tampering with books Said a cook can't decide who gets fed and who looks So they wrote up my firing, needed one more name New superintendent signs it Monday, all the same I hung my apron on the hook and I scrubbed my last pot Told the Lord, if I'm wrong, then I'm wrong a lot [Hook: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, full band behind him] Hot tray, hold your head up, step on through Nobody eats ashamed on a line I run for you Put the stamp away and put the cold bread back Hot tray, hot tray, ain't nobody eating that [Bridge: Testifying church-raised male MC, amen answers, piano and organ answering each line] Can I get a witness from the ones I fed Can I get an amen for the cornbread Can I get a witness from the ones who came late Can I get an amen for a full hot plate [Verse 3: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, all the way up] Monday morning she walks in to my kitchen herself Takes the papers from her bag, sets 'em down on the shelf Says Mister Leon, you don't know me, but I know you Third grade, cold sandwich day, and you slid me the stew Pulled a hot tray from the back and told me hold up my head Says I run the whole district now, and tears it up instead Then she wrote it into policy for every school by noon No stamps, no cold bread, hot trays in every room [Final Hook: Testifying church-raised male MC, church-raised, full band behind him] Hot tray, hold your head up, step on through Nobody eats ashamed on a line I run for you Put the stamp away and put the cold bread back Hot tray, hot tray, ain't nobody eating that [End]
