Beyoncé gifted fans with “Black Parade”, a special single tailored for release on Juneteenth, the annual holiday which marks the end of slavery in the U.S. The track was co-written by Jay-Z.
Wrote Beyonce on Instagram: “Happy Juneteenth Weekend! I hope we continue to share joy and celebrate each other, even in the midst of struggle. Please continue to remember our beauty, strength and power.
‘BLACK PARADE’ celebrates you, your voice and your joy and will benefit Black-owned small businesses.”
Beyoncé provided a link to her website where there is a curated list of black-owned businesses.
LYRICS
I’m goin’ back to the South
I’m goin’ back, back, back, back
Where my roots ain’t watered down
Growin’, growin’ like a Baobab tree
Of life on fertile ground, ancestors put me on game
Ankh charm on gold chains, with my Oshun energy, oh
Drip all on me, woo, Ankh or the Dashiki print
Hol’ up, don’t I smell like such a nag champa incense?
Yeah, pure ice (Ice), ice (Ice), buss down
Uh, flooded (Flooded), flooded (Flooded), on my wrist, out
Ooh, goin’ up, goin’ up, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, melanin, melanin, my drip is skin deep, like
Ooh, motherland, motherland, motherland, motherland drip on me
Ooh, yeah, I can’t forget my history is her-story, yeah
Being black, maybe that’s the reason why they always mad
Yeah, they always mad, yeah
Been past ’em, I know that’s the reason why they all big mad
And they always have been
CHORUS
Honey, come around my way, around my
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), lift that lip like lipo (Lipo)
You hear them swarmin’, right? Bees is known to bite
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Yeah, yeah, I’m for us, all black
All chrome (Yeah), black-owned (Yeah)
Black tints (Yeah), matte black (Yeah, yeah)
Roll by, my window down, let ’em see who in it
Crack a big smile (Ding)
Go figure, me and Jigga, fifty ‘leven children
They like, “Chick, how?”
I charge my crystals in a full moon
You could send them missiles, I’ma send my goons
Baby sister reppin’ Yemaya (Yemaya)
Trust me, they gon’ need an army (Ah)
Rubber bullets bouncin’ off me (Ah)
Made a picket sign off your picket fence (Ah)
Take it as a warning (Ah, ah)
Waist beads from Yoruba (Woo)
Four hunnid billi’, Mansa Musa (Woo)
Straw line to the barbeque
Put us any-damn-where, we gon’ make it look cute
Pandemic fly on the runway, in my hazmat
Judgin’, runnin’ through the house to my art, all black
Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat
(Ancestors on the wall, let the ghosts chit-chat)
Hold my hands, we gon’ pray together
Lay down, face down in the gravel
Woo, wearin’ all attire white to the funeral
Black love, we gon’ stay together
Curtis Mayfield on the speaker (Woo)
Lil’ Malcolm, I miss ’em, momma Tina (Woo)
Need another march, lemme call Tamika (Woo)
Need peace and reparation for my people (Woo)
Fuck these laid edges, I’ma let it shrivel up (Shrivel up)
Fuck this fade and waves I’ma let it dread all up (Dread all up)
Put your fists up in the air, show black love (Show black love)
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
CHORUS
Honey, come around my way, around my
Whenever momma says so, momma say
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), lift that lip like lipo (Lipo)
Hear ’em swarmin’, right? (Zz) Bees is known to bite (Zz, zz)
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, my parade
We got rhythm (We got rhythm), we got pride (We got pride)
We birth kings (We birth kings), we birth tribes (We birth tribes)
Holy river (Holy river), holy tongue (Holy tongue)
Speak the glory (Speak the glory), feel the love (Feel the love)
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
Motherland, motherland drip on me, hey, hey, hey
I can’t forget my history, it’s her-story
Motherland drip on me, motherland, motherland drip on me
CHORUS
Honey, come around my way, around my (My)
Whenever momma says so (Hey), momma say (Hey, hey)
Here I come on my throne, sittin’ high (High)
Follow my parade, oh, my parade (Hey, hey, hey)
Talkin’ slick to my folk (My folk), lift that lip like lipo (Lipo)
Hear ’em swarmin’, right? (Zz) Bees is known to bite (Zz, zz)
Now here we come on our thrones, sittin’ high
Follow my parade, oh, black parade
