Outdoorsy

Is that India.Arie? What happened to her hair? Ha ha ha ha ha
Dat dad a dat da [4x] Dad a ooh

[Verse 1]
Little girl with the press and curl
Age eight I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen I got a relaxer
I was a source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen and went all natural
February two thousand and two
I went and did
What I had to do
Because it was time to change my life
To become the women that I am inside
Ninety-seven dreadlock all gone
I looked in the mirror
For the first time and saw that HEY....

[Chorus]
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations no no
I am not my hair
I ma not this skin
I am a soul that lives within

[Verse 2]
Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave
At the turn of the century
Its time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off
Like a South African beauty
Or get in on lock
Like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight
Like Oprah Winfrey
If its not what's on your head
Its what's underneath and say HEY....

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend? Oooh
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)
I am expressing my creativity..
(Whoa, whoa, whoa)

[Verse 3]
Breast Cancer and Chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy everyday of her life ooh
On national television
Her diamond eyes are sparkling
Bald headed like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like HEY...

[Chorus 2x]

[Ad lib]
If I wanna shave it close
Or if I wanna rock locks
That don't take a bit away
From the soul that I got
Dat da da dat da [4x]
If I wanna where it braided
All down my back
I don't see what wrong with that
Dat da da dat da [4x]

[Talking:]
Is that India.Arie?
Ooh look she cut her hair!
I like that, its kinda PHAT
I don't know if I could do it.
But it looks sharp, it looks nice on her
She got a nice shaped head
She got an apple head
I know right?
It's perfect.

(Explanation)
This song talks about how she(India Irie) is not her hair. In other words she means that what she wears does not determined what kind of person she is, she is the soul that lives within. For example she says "Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?'. India Irie is trying to explain that your outside appearance does not or should not determined what kind if person you are. I believe that this song pertains to modern days because, we now rely on whats the new trend. For example hair styles, we now think that if your hair is not straight it's a mess. I believe that the song really is positive and shows us that it's not the clothes or materialistic things that matter it's what's in side.

By:Loni Medley

My name is Loni Medley and my ancestor is Effie May Smith. Effie May Smith was born in Jackson vill/Flordia 1913, she would be 95 years of age. She was the mother of three kids, Jean, Conread, and Grildean. I was told that Effie was a kind and loving person.

Furthermore my Great Grandmother was head strong and always willing to help another. My grandmother also said that "she know when to put her foot down". Whatever she said goes. Grand mom Jean stated "I wouldn't even think about doing something dumb". Aunt Grildean stated that she was a loving mother also". It was said that she loved to bake

My grandmother Jean said "she would cook until she droped". My grandmother also said that Effie always made sure that her kids were clean and didn't have to want for anything. Uncle Conread said she loved church. He stated "If she broke her neck she would always make sure that she was at bible study the next day.

In result Effie was a loving mom and person.

I choose this song because it just puts people down. For example he said "on my block dyin' all time it's natural you gon be next". I felt like he was saying that theres nothing out there for us but the streets.He also said "i gotta live life by tha gun". That like really crazy how I don't think that he even thought of how his music could effect a child.
♥ loni medley ♥