Zimbabwe in My Blood

From Harare dust to American avenues
Zimbabwe in my blood

I grew where the red earth stains the school shoe brown
Where the kettle sang before the sun came down
Ma counted every coin by the window fan
Still found a way to put a book inside my hand
Grandma's stories under the jacaranda tree
Told me small beginnings don't decide what you will be
We shared one room, but the dream had extra space
I learned to build a future from a little in my place

Crossed an ocean with a suitcase and a prayer
A phone full of numbers, not a promise waiting there
I didn't leave home behind
I brought its strength

Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)

In my blood (in my blood)

USA in my plans
From the dusty yard to the skyline
My people in my hands

In my blood (in my blood)
In my blood

Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)
My people in my hands

In my blood (in my blood)
In my blood

First winter hit hard, had me laughing at the snow
Two jackets from a thrift store, still I showed up for the road
Worked late shifts, learned the language of the grind
Sent a little back home every single time
Now the elevator opens to a floor with my name
But I remember every hand that helped me through the rain
My accent is a map, every word a little scar
I tell them where I'm from before I tell them who we are

Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)
USA in my plans
From the dusty yard to the skyline
My people in my hands

Called my mother from my own front porch
She went quiet, then she praised the Lord
I could hear the old kettle through the phone
Same boy, different ground, same home

Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)
My people in my hands

In my blood (in my blood)

I bought my mama a porch
Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)

Zimbabwe in my blood (in my blood)

In my blood

From the dusty yard to the skyline
My people in my hands

Red earth in my memory

My people in my hands

In my blood (in my blood)