For Women

[Talib Kweli] (Spoken)

Yea, so we got this tune called ";For Women"; right

Originally, it was by Nina Simone

She said it was inspired by, you know

Down south. In the south, they used to call her Mother Antie

She said No Mrs.

Just Antie

She said if anybody ever called her Antie

she'd burn the whole goddamn place down

I'm over past that

Coming into the new millenium, we can't forget our elders

[Talib Kweli]

I got off the 2 train in Brooklyn on my way to a session

Said let me help this woman up the stairs before I get to steppin'

We got in a conversation she said she a 107

Just her presence was a blessing and her essence was a lesson

She had her head wrapped

And long dreads that peeked out the back

Like antenna to help her get a sense of where she was at, imagine that

Livin' a century, the strenght of her memories

Felt like an angel had been sent to me

She lived from nigger to colored to negro to black

To afro then african-american and right back to nigger

You figure she'd be bitter in the twilight

But she alright, cuz she done sseen the circle of life yo

Her skin was black like it was packed with melanin

Back in the days of slaves she packin' like Harriet Tubman

Her arms are long and she moves like song

Feet with corns, hand with callouses

But her heart is warm and her hair is wooly

And it attract a lot of energy even negative

She gotta dead that the head wrap is her remedy

Her back is strong and she far from a vagabond

This is the back of the masters' whip used to crack upon

Strong enough to take all the pain, that's been

Inflicted again and again and again and again and flipped

It to the love for her children nothing else matters

What do they call her? They