[00:00.05]They ever ask you where from?
[00:03.27]Like where you really from
[00:07.38]The question seems simple
[00:09.00]but the answer’s kinda long
[00:11.78]I could tell ‘em Wembley
[00:13.03]But I don’t think that’s what they want
[00:15.49]but I don’t wanna tell' em more
[00:16.83]Cos anything i say is wrong
[00:18.76]
[00:20.02]Britain’s where I’m born
[00:21.20]And I love a cuppa tea & that
[00:22.51]But tea ain’t from Britain it’s from where my DNA is at
[00:25.55]And where my genes are from
[00:27.00]That’s where they make my jeans and that
[00:28.40]Then send them over to NYC where I stack my ps and that
[00:31.87]
[00:32.27]Skinheads meant I never really liked the British flag
[00:35.00]And I just got the shits when I went back to pak
[00:37.21]My ancestors Indian but India was not for us
[00:40.20]But my people built the West - we even gave the skinheads swastikas
[00:44.41]
[00:45.08]Now everybody everywhere want their country back
[00:49.10]If you want me back to where I’m from I need a map
[00:52.26]Or if everyone just gets their stuff back that’s bless for us
[00:55.72]You only made a piece of this place, leave the rest for us
[00:58.72]
[00:59.88]maybe I’m from everywhere or nowhere
[01:01.88]No man’s land, between trenches, no one goes there
[01:05.30]But it’s Fertilised by the brown bodies who fought for Britain in the wars
[01:08.73]So when I spit A poppy grows there
[01:11.10]
[01:11.39]I make my own space
[01:13.10]In this business or Britishness
[01:14.49]Your questions just limiting
[01:15.64]It’s based on appearances
[01:17.03]
[01:17.24]Stop trying find a box for us
[01:18.80]I’ll make my own and break
[01:19.87]your whole poxy concept of us
[01:21.28]
[01:21.42]Very few fit these labels
[01:22.74]So I’m repping for the rest of us
[01:24.20]Who know that there’s no place
[01:25.40]like home and that stretches us
[01:26.80]We code switch so don’t piss me off
[01:28.33]With cricket tests for us
[01:29.64]Or question us
[01:30.41]about our loyalties
[01:31.41]Our blood and sweats enough
[01:32.22]
[01:32.81]born under a sun
[01:33.83]That you made too hot for us
[01:35.01]Kidnapped by empire
[01:36.20]And diaspora fostered us
[01:37.57]
[01:37.72]Raised by garage
[01:38.68]And halal southern fried chicken shops
[01:40.28]A junglist a jungli and I’m
[01:41.78]mowgli from the jungle books
[01:43.18]
[01:43.21]I’m John Barnes in the box
[01:44.58]I blaze hard after mosque
[01:46.00]I bend words like Brown or West
[01:47.41]Until they just spell what
[01:49.73]
[01:50.72]My tribe is a quest
[01:51.89]to a land that was lost to us
[01:53.64]And it's name is dignity
[01:55.41]So where I’m from is not your problem bruv
[01:57.97]
[01:59.13]---

They ever ask you where from?
Like where you really from
The question seems simple
but the answer’s kinda long
I could tell ‘em Wembley
But I don’t think that’s what they want
but I don’t wanna tell' em more
Cos anything i say is wrong
Britain’s where I’m born
And I love a cuppa tea & that
But tea ain’t from Britain it’s from where my DNA is at
And where my genes are from
That’s where they make my jeans and that
Then send them over to NYC where I stack my ps and that
Skinheads meant I never really liked the British flag
And I just got the shits when I went back to pak
My ancestors Indian but India was not for us
But my people built the West - we even gave the skinheads swastikas
Now everybody everywhere want their country back
If you want me back to where I’m from I need a map
Or if everyone just gets their stuff back that’s bless for us
You only made a piece of this place, leave the rest for us
maybe I’m from everywhere or nowhere
No man’s land, between trenches, no one goes there
But it’s Fertilised by the brown bodies who fought for Britain in the wars
So when I spit A poppy grows there
I make my own space
In this business or Britishness
Your questions just limiting
It’s based on appearances
Stop trying find a box for us
I’ll make my own and break
your whole poxy concept of us
Very few fit these labels
So I’m repping for the rest of us
Who know that there’s no place
like home and that stretches us
We code switch so don’t piss me off
With cricket tests for us
Or question us
about our loyalties
Our blood and sweats enough
born under a sun
That you made too hot for us
Kidnapped by empire
And diaspora fostered us
Raised by garage
And halal southern fried chicken shops
A junglist a jungli and I’m
mowgli from the jungle books
I’m John Barnes in the box
I blaze hard after mosque
I bend words like Brown or West
Until they just spell what
My tribe is a quest
to a land that was lost to us
And it's name is dignity
So where I’m from is not your problem bruv
---