[Verse 1] Shortest month longest story Posters up pain and glory They give us twenty-eight days for the struggle and the praise Then it’s back to the program same script, same cage We watch clips of the marches black coats, locked arms Then scroll past a headline same harm, same alarms They preach “we are equal” on a stage for a fee But in a dark parking lot they don’t see me as me [Chorus] It’s time to break the cycle time to call it by its name We ain’t just a theme for February we ain’t here to play that game Treat me like a human not a number, not a file If we really want change gotta change more than the style (yeah) It’s time to break the cycle break the cycle, not my spirit If the truth make you uneasy maybe you the one should hear it [Verse 2] Channel on in the bedroom teen eyes wide They selling him a lifestyle but never how to survive Hooked on the flex but not the facts, that’s clear They mute the elders’ voices turn the volume on fear They chant “we together” ’til the cameras go black Same hands that clap for us dial on us when we Black They love the slang, love the drip love the dance, love the slang But when we talk about the hurt they say, “Here y’all go again” They paint kids as a problem before they learn to drive Profile in the hallway just for being alive History in the textbook shrunk to half a page But the comments got chapters full of venom and rage [Chorus] It’s time to break the cycle time to call it by its name We ain’t just a theme for February we ain’t here to play that game Treat me like a human not a number, not a file If we really want change gotta change more than the style (hey) It’s time to break the cycle break the cycle, not my spirit If the truth make you uneasy maybe you the one should hear it [Bridge] Don’t just post my pain learn my joy, learn my roots Learn the names they never taught learn the cost of this pursuit Teach the kids they more than ratings more than profit, more than views Teach ’em love is daily labor not a line you just reuse (wake up) [Chorus] It’s time to break the cycle time to live it, not pretend Black history is our breathing not a hashtag, not a trend Treat me like a human same heart, same fragile soul If we really want freedom gotta heal, that’s the goal It’s time to break the cycle break the cycle, that’s the plan You and me across this line eye to eye human to human hand in hand
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