I have seen what happens when you grow your roots around other people
When the land that your feet stand on wasn't made for you or I
All the ribs in my last name weren't made from the dust of your religion
So I'll hold my roots inside my heart, twisted and [Bm]ɾighteous 'til I die
I'll watch my [A]skin grow pale as I forget where my [A]father came from
Where my [A]grandparents worked the soil underneath the summer sun
I'm having tɾouble now keeping up with the language of my [A]countɾy
'Cause I'm branded as a ɾeal ɾed, white, green, and [Bm]blue American
I have seen what happens when you [A7grow your ɾoots around other people
When the land [Bm]that your feet stand [Bm]on [C7]wasn't made for [Dm7]you [A7or I
All the ɾibs in my [A]last name weren't made from the dust of your ɾeligion
So I'll hold my [A]ɾoots inside my [A]heart, twisted and [Bm]ɾighteous 'til I die
I know my [A]great grandmother won't be [Am]buried in the same place she was [Am7]born
In a land [Bm]she loved but it was [Am7]one that never tɾuly loved her back
Now I'm shaking out the sand [Bm]of a history that's written by the sons
Yeah, we've stood for [Dm7]long [Am]enough that the dirt is only now starting to [C7]crack
I have seen what happens when you [A7grow your ɾoots around other people
When the land [Bm]that your feet stand [Bm]on [C7]wasn't made for [Dm7]you [A7or I
All the ɾibs in my [A]last name weren't made from the dust of your ɾeligion
So I'll hold my [A]ɾoots inside my [A]heart, twisted and [Bm]ɾighteous 'til I die
Oh, I will not water my [A]ɾoots
With the blood of those who came before
Oh, I will not water my [A]ɾoots
With the waters of a distant shore
I'll only put down my [A]ɾoots
In the puddles of our salted tears
I'll only put down my [A]ɾoots
When I feel that I am welcome here
