Skin On The Drum Lyrics - Stay Human - Michael Franti

I was born botanical 

the soul of an animal 

deep beneath the layers, I sink my roots 

no need for mechanical 

I come strictly organical 

when I need to feast, I look to the East 

that's why I'm never scared of the beast 

even though they try to prey upon me 

I'm protected by the one always greater than me 

so now I reveal to thee 

because you wanna see 

the contour of my mystery 

the strength of my arches 

the colour of my conscience 

and the way that I process my diction 

some fact some diction some mystery 

some future fantasy 

I'm the trunk that holds the branches 

the leaves who do the dances 

my flowers romantic 

my love gigantic 

from Africa, transplanted translantic 

in the heat of the sun 

I bring shade for everyone 

like the beat on the one 

I'm the skin on the drum 

(chorus) 

I keep on living with the fullness of the one 

like the heat of the sun or the skin on the drum 

I'm fully marinated and now I'm ready for the fire 

so you can fire one 

fire one 

fire two 

See I've been fully marinated 

and now I'm ready for the fire 

see I'm beginning to perspire 

from deep within to the skin 

yo, the feminine and the masculine 

the pieces of the puzzle 

see my reflections in the puddle 

after the storm the purple of the sky 

brings to mind another time 

when we resided 

below the water line 

life was fine there human divine 

but in the years following 

evil men came swallowing 

everything in sight 

some learned to run, some stayed to fight 

I kneeled at the tomb of the soldier 

said I would love to behold her 

the magic in store there 

she touched me on the shoulder 

she said, "in time all is revealed, box of light be unsealed 

now listen to me son, be like the skin on the drum" 

(chorus)