The Preacher, The Politician Or The Pimp

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
  
Listen!
When you can’t see eye to eye
You tell the truth because you’re tired of lying
Hurt feelings I never told, y’all
Both your shoulders are turning cold  
Lips are tight with sleepless nights
Leftover dinners don’t taste right
  
When you can’t finish what you start
You try to argue with a broken heart
Tired of living your life in the dark
When you can’t get together, get apart
  
Let me tell you this
Heard a song the other day
Leave your lover in fifty ways
In a house that’s so intense
Wasting time don’t make sense
Suitcases packed sitting by the door
‘Cause you can’t take no more.
  
You can’t finish what you start
You try to argue with a broken heart
You’re tired of living life in the dark
When you can’t get together, get apart

We’ve been together so many years
I cried so that I’m out of tears
When love run out on you
There’s only one thing you can do
  
Get together or get apart
Get together or get apart
Get together or get apart
Get together or get apart

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
Pinky ring, expensive suit
Three hundred dollar pair of shoes
Cadillac sitting at the curb
Sweet lies with pretty words
I mean what I scheme
Manipulate your hopes and dreams
 
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?
 
Put a dollar in my hand ha!
I’ll take you to the promised land
If you put your faith in me
I’ll save your soul, I got the key
Your eyes are closed but you think you’re blind
I’m in control, I got your mind

Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?
 
We’re one and the same
Just three different names
Don’t hate the player
Hate the game, yeah
 
Quick to take, but slow to give. Ha!
Off your sweat is how I live
You want your pie in the sky
So you believe every single lie
I’ll fulfill your every need, y’all
If you only feed my greed
 
See
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?  
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp? Hey, hey, hey, hey, yeah
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?  
Am I the preacher, the politician or the pimp?

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
Here I stand, guitar in hand
Everybody knows a Chicago man
It’s in my walk, it’s in my talk
Your woman wants me it’s not my fault
 
I broke some rules
Paid some dues
Play my blues
The Chicago Way
 
Over here, we don’t mess around
Police are called, y’all, to shut us down
They hear the music coming through the door
They say, “don’t stop, play some more”

Broke some rules
Paid my dues
Play my blues
The Chicago Way
 
Second city, try second to none
I’m tough enough, y’all, don’t need no gun
The city gets cold, but I get colder
I can take the weight, y’all, on my big shoulders
 
I broke some rules
Paid my dues
Play my blues
The Chicago Way
 
Gonna tell you once, I don’t apologize twice
Don’t play with me, I ain’t nothin’ nice
Streets are mean, don’t take no mess
I’m here to stay, don’t take no stress
 
I broke some rules
Paid my dues
Play my blues
The Chicago Way

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
My doctor said I’m going down slow
What’s ailing me he don’t know
I got a job but I’m still the working poor
He gave me one little pill and said, “Go
 
“Get some insurance
Get some insurance on yourself
Insurance
‘Cause you’re too young to die”
  
I went to the office just to see
To find some ‘surance to cover me
Most prices I can’t afford,
It made an atheist call on the Lord
 
Insurance
I need some insurance, y’all
Insurance
‘Cause I’m too young to die
  
I read the fine print, signed on the line
I hope I got enough to keep from dying
After all the questions and the third degree
It felt just like a colonoscopy
 
Insurance
I need some insurance, y’all
Insurance
‘Cause I’m too young to die

I read in the paper the other day
A man lost his spouse
She’s pushing up daisies, now he can’t pay the bills
And now he lost his house
Insurance
He needs some insurance, y’all
Insurance
‘Cause you too young to die

 Went back to the doctor with a plan
 Insurance card in my hand
 He looked at it and he said to me
 “Pre-existing conditions come with a fee”
 
 Insurance
 I need some more insurance y’all (that’s what he said)
 Insurance
 ‘Cause I’m too young to die
 
 How much for a band-aid again?
 That’s too much, I can’t afford that
 Just give me nine stitches
 I know I need twelve stitches, but just give me nine
 I’ll take nine for now
 I need a catscan, too?
 All I can afford is a kitten scan
 Insurance
 A aspirin, how much?
 Let me get two, I’ll break them in half
 Insurance
 Insurance

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
  
Men like to say “I’m the king of the bed”
But women know they’re talking out their head
Men say “I can go all night long”
But the women really know it won’t last past this song
Stop me when I’m lying
Stop me when I’m lying
Might sound funny to you but you know it’s true
Stop me when I’m lying
  
For all you ladies that put on some weight
I know it’s hard for some of you to take
Don’t be sad or call yourself fat-
‘Cause I know some men that like it like that, like me!
Stop me when I’m lying
Stop me when I’m lying
Might sound funny to you but you know it’s true
Stop me when I’m lying
  
He got fancy clothes and drives a new car
Always buying women drinks at the bar
He got a woman but he can’t take her home
‘Cause he lives with his mama and they won’t be alone
 
Stop me when I’m lying
Stop me when I’m lying
Might sound funny to you but you know it’s true
Stop me when I’m lying
  
My woman’s nephew is my son
Her sister never told her I was the one
My woman’s got a secret she couldn’t keep
She told me our daughter is really my niece

Stop me when I’m lying (I could be lying about that)
Stop me when I’m lying
Might sound funny to you but you know it’s true
Stop me when I’m lying

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
The woman I love
She committed a crime
The woman I love, y’all
She committed a crime
You know she fell in love with me
Now she’s doing time
 
The gun I used
She took it away from me
The gun I used
She took it away from me
Now she’s sitting in jail
Murder in the first degree

Her man used to beat her
And I couldn’t take it no more
Her man used to beat her
And I couldn’t take it no more, no
Now he’s lying dead
On her living room floor

When the cops bust in
She had the smoking gun her hand
When the cops bust in
She had that gun in her hand
She said, “Leave him alone, officer, don’t touch him
I’m the one that shot that man”

When the cops took her away
I had tears rolling down my face
When the cops took her away
I had tears running down my face
‘Cause the woman I love, the woman I love
Just took my murder case

The woman I love
She committed a crime
The woman I love, the woman I love
She committed a crime
You know she loved me more
‘Cause she’s doing my time
 
(Oh, you didn’t have to do it, baby)

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
Backbiters and haters talk behind my back
And you sit there while they attack
Maybe you agre/or don't know what to do,
But when your back is turned they’ll talk the same about you
  
I like it when people can get along,
Like understanding words to a song
When you know the truth you can’t pretend
I don’t like the silence of my friends
 
You talk about women like pieces of meat
You think I should laugh but I can’t agree
Wait a minute brother don’t go no further
What if I said that about your mother?
  
I like it when people can get along
Like understanding words to my song
When you know the truth you can’t pretend
I don’t like the silence of my friends.
  
Don’t sit and act like you don’t know
Your silence helps evil grow
You kill evil at the root
‘Cause people will do what you let ‘em do
  
They say all lives matter between me and you
But when look closely it don’t seem true
So we protest to say what’s on our minds
While you sit there quiet on the sideline
  
I like it when people can get along
Like understanding words to my song
When you know the truth and can’t pretend
I don't like the silence of my friends
 
I don’t like the silence of my friends
I don’t like the silence of my friends
I don’t like the silence of my friends
If you say you’re my friend you better speak up right now

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
  
Is that a white light headed my way?
Is that a white light headed my way?
Oh Lord, it must be, must be my judgment day
  
You gotta walk this road all by yourself
You gotta walk this road all by yourself
Just you alone and nobody else
 
The first 24, what will I see?
Will my Jesus, will he look like me?
 
Is that my grandfather reaching out to me?
Is that my grandfather reaching out to me?
I cried “Lord, have mercy,” when I saw him hanging from that tree
 
I see my friends, my enemies nowhere around
I see my friends, my enemies nowhere around
But I can hear their screams being chased by the hellhounds

The first 24, what will I see?
Will my ancestors, will they look for me?

Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Ashes to ashes, dust to dust
Back to earth we return, every one of us

The first 24, what will you see?
Will you see heaven just like me?

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
  
 I hate when you snore in your sleep
Toe nails cutting up my bed sheets
You never put down the toilet seat
You’re always making promises you know you won't keep
 
We might argue all the time
But I’m glad that you're mine all mine
That's what I love about ‘cha
That's what I love about ‘cha
  
Every time we go out do you wear a short dress
Blouse too tight showing off your chest
All the men looking at you only add to my stress
If I didn't know no better I’d think it was a test
 
We might argue all the time
But I know you're mine all mine
That's what I love about ‘cha
That's what I love about ‘cha
  
You hang out with your friends and leave me alone
Getting’ mad at me when I'm gone
But I got your back, baby, sure as you’re born
No one can touch us when we’re in our zone
 
We might argue all the time
But I know you're mine all mine
That's what I love about ‘cha
That's what I love about ‘cha
  
No matter what I do you still complain
The things you do to me is gonna drive me insane
But if you left me, girl, my heart would be in pain
I know you love me and I feel the same
 
We might argue all the time
But I know you're mine all mine
That's what I love about ‘cha
That's what I love about ‘cha
  
Our love ain't perfect that's true
But the things I hate I love about you
That's what I love about ‘cha
That's what I love about ‘cha, baby

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
  
Give me an ordinary woman
Give me an ordinary girl  
I said, give me an ordinary woman
Give me, baby, an ordinary girl 
 
Five foot four from her head to the ground
Just over 150 pounds
Pretty face but missing two teeth
But they in the back so that’s all right with me

Give me an ordinary woman
Give me an ordinary girl  
 
A hard working woman she pay her own bills
She keeps me around for her thrills
Fine seasoned woman, a silver fox
She don’t mind making love in her socks

Give me an ordinary woman
Give me an ordinary girl 
 
We keeping it together
Trying to do the best we can
Ain’t nothin’ wrong with an ordinary woman
Cause I’m just an ordinary man

Give me an ordinary woman
I said, give me an ordinary girl 
 
She talks too much keep me up all night
I pretend to listen ‘cause I don’t want to fight
It’s three a.m. and she’s trying to sleep
Now I wanna disturb her peace.
  
I said, give me an ordinary woman
I said, give me, baby, an ordinary girl  
I said, give me an ordinary woman
I said, give me, babe, an ordinary girl 
I said, give me an ordinary woman
I said, give me, baby, an ordinary girl

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
I see your picture, my feelings start
I begin to realize how far we’re apart
Long distance love can be hard sometimes
I got to trust, baby, that you are mine
Talkin’ on the phone won’t do
Gotta lay my love on you
 
I want to be there to zip your dress
To smell your hair when you lay your head on my chest
Sit across the table holding hands
And tell you face to face that I’m your man
Talkin’ on the phone won’t do
Gotta lay my love on you
 
I might be a fool, baby, for loving you this long
Can’t see you when I need you but it keeps our love strong
Keep your love for me, keep it nice and hot
‘Cause when we meet again, it’ll be all that I got
Talkin’ on the phone won’t do
Gotta lay my love on you

So be cool, baby, be patient with me
We’ll be together eventually
Just me and you for the rest of our lives
I’ll be proud to call you, baby, call you my wife.
Talkin’ on the phone won’t do
Gotta lay my love on you

(Toronzo Cannon, Cannonball Express Music admin. by Small Scale Music, ASCAP)
 
These are the voices of those who refuse to be victims
 
He put his hands on me out of anger for the very last time
I’m gonna take a life either it’s his or it’s mine
How did I get this way I’m ashamed of myself feel like a fool
Love shouldn’t hurt, how can he treat me so goddamn cruel?
 
I’m not scared of a little heartache
I’m not scared of a little pain, no, no
I’m not scared of what you put me through
I’m gonna get over you
 
Kids me call me names, laugh at me and say I act strange
I can’t help myself, this is who I am, I refuse to change
I like girls but not that way, I just want to be friends
I’m not ashamed I was born this way and I won’t pretend

I’m not scared of a little heartache
I’m not scared of a little pain
I’m not scared of what you put me through
I got to live, I got to live my truth
 
Looking for a better life for my family just like you
If your country change for the worst, tell me what would you do?
Propaganda working overtime telling so many lies
But all I see is the hunger and tears falling from my daughter’s eyes.

I’m not scared of a little heartache
I’m not scared of a little pain
I’m not scared of what you put me through
I have dreams just like you