Rain Dance

[Verse 1: Oddisee]
I remembered when I discovered purpose
I was good at something, finally worth it
Told my father that I'ma be an artist
Foreign parents don't understand we got newer options
They flee their countries, protect their families, pursuing progress
They think in needs, we think of wants, the views are parted
I want to be like Dr. Dre, they want degrees from Harvard
An engineer that slide the fader, not designing rockets
I'm in the lab without a beaker but the speakers knocking
Making art in broken English, they mistake as nonsense
The only language understood is income
So I got good at business plans as well as making rhythm
I took this art so serious
It made any girl I dated so furious
And put tears in they eyes that wouldn't dry, so they turned into rain
So many lessons that I was learning through pain
Rain dance

[Verse 2: Oddisee]
When I was younger I was all about the ladies
Quick to do them wrong, even quicker to call them crazy
'Cause I ain't see the harm in leading on somebody daughter
Who wanted my commitment but instead they get a maybe
Four or five I juggled them like I'm Barnum & Bailey
Until my arms got tired of hugging women and breaking
The less that I was working, the more that I was flirting
Can't be somebody's half if you ain't a completed person
Started developing myself first
Ain't easy to take it for granted when it's self-worth
Kept promises, made money, and stayed honest
In his thick accent my father said that I made progress
Became the man that I was meant to be
Right on time, met the women that was meant for me
You know the feeling of keeping your phone face up
No interference so nothing causing a break up
Drama free

[Skit: Toine]
Man, I'ma- I'ma be real with you man. You gon' get a lot of people out here messed up thinking that it's really cool to just leave their phone face up and they got a lot of open tabs. That wrong text message will come through one day and mess up everything you was trying to do, so uh. That's just a warning man, it ain't for everybody yo, but, good job for working hard to get there man, for real

[Verse 3: Oddisee]
Nowadays I'm just trying to get paid
Stay away from trouble and avoid an early grave
Read a little more, speak a little less
My competition listens and they quick to imitate
Invited to the studio by so and so
And everybody think that I'm the one that stole the flow
Well here's a quotable, I ain't jealous or offended
I'm just glad to see reactions to a style that I invented
To me, being remembered means your time is finished
And I'd rather be the reminder with the minor presence
Not a quick rise and a long fall
For the long haul, I'm in it so just sit tight
Things don't grow if the ground stay dry
I see the good things when the clouds blown by
So when the rain comes, I presume my stance
And if I move, it’s to do my dance
Bloom

[Outro: Olivier St. Louis]
I can make it rain no matter what the time
But I'd do it less for some peace of mind
Reach out and you will understand
What God put in these hands
All will be revealed in due time