Last year I discovered Jose James due to his work with LA producer, Flying Lotus when the two had teamed up to release a 12”. On one side was a track titled “Visions of Violet” which is also an amazing song but what caught my attention was the other single, “Park Bench People.” I recognized the title because it was first performed by a lesser known hip hop group, Freestyle Fellowship, a very slept on group during the West Coast alternative hip hop movement of the 90s. So before even hearing his voice or if he even did the cover justice, I was intrigued by James simply because he even knew who Freestyle Fellowship was and that he would decide to cover one of the tracks from their classic album, Innercity Griots.
Well, not only did James do the cover justice, he gave it a certain twist that most other artists miss when they do covers. James has one of the most powerful voices out of recent artists of the Soul/Jazz genre and he shows it beautifully in the cover. Not to mention that he even did a video for it as well which was shot at a homeless shelter in New York (The song is about the strife of the homeless) and it also included on his album, The Dreamer. It is a must have for fans of Soul, Jazz or just great music.
Lyrics
I see an old man sittin’ on a park bench
lookin’ in the skies when
he can see the mouth-stench
of the range
of the people
walkin’
and talkin’
nonsense
In the park
I see a man
sittin’ there
with a newspaper
under his head and hair
I think
he would be down for me
to tell him
that he’d been waiting ‘round here
for all
of his life and
it took time
for the soul to come
when it came
I saw the same
old scene
over and over again
my friend
people’s talkin’ and squackin’ in
the park
and
sittin’ on a bench
thinkin’ ‘bout things
I think of all the
people of the park
sleepin’ in the street
livin’ from their hearts
sleepin’ in the street
livin’s kinda hard
sleepin’ in the street
people fall apart
There’s a park bench
that’s painted
black and white
and when you
sleep there
it won’t get wet when you wake up
because the trees are withered
and so you dry in the sunlight
you sit there and you
prepare to make
a move
and so you go through
each and every can
lookin’ inside
tryin’ to see somethin’
that you didn’t
see last night
wantin’ to get somethin’ to eat
and you go down the street
you see some friends of yours
and then they all speak
sayin’ what’s happenin’ man
you sleepin’ in the park again
yeah nothin’ but a survival thang
you know what I’m sayin’
Insha’Allah
then again my friend
all they want to
do is play you
like you are a fool
but I know better
you’re safe from school
through this stay cool
mark you are mis-skewed
an’ now I know better
I maintain black
We’ll overcome
in the Sun
on the bench
in the park
where you lay
when it’s dark
and it’s wet
cuz it’s raining on you
you have newspapers and you’d like to go home
but you can’t
cuz you just got put out
on your own
you’re thinkin’ ‘bout your kids
you’re thinkin’ ‘bout your girl
you’re thinkin’ of all the
things you did
you see the children play
you hear the people barely look at you
laughing while they
run away
sleeping in the street
living from the heart
sleeping in the street
people fall apart
in the park
where are
they’s every people
walkin’ round
lookin’ at themselves far
as if they were somethin’
but they ain’t nothin’
they frontin’
not a people nowhere standing
aw these people are something
Earth
perched on
the edge of all time
and yet they search
for drums imperial dreams
similarly so barred
can’t buy my soul
won’t sell my soul
to the Devil
on the other level
never
with another rebel
under trouble
aw no
I’ll never see you go down
my people can’t go down
oh no
(please don’t mind this repost, i had to upload it again for your daily crack.)
