Like you Taught Me
lyrics and vocals by Emcee Lynx
Living In the Shadow
copyright emcee lynx 2005

I can feel the winter, seeping through my bones
It’s cold outside and I’m glad to be home,
It’s been a long days night and I’m ready to crash
But I feel my mind wandering, on pictures from the past
My dad coming home, dead tired and depressed
He’d fall asleep on the living room floor fully dressed
Not drunk, just tired from a long days work
And he never said much about how much he hurt
But the pain was constant, my mother reminded me
Since he’d gone to Vietnam to serve his country
It was post-traumatic stress & nightmares stalkin,
Bleeding every day, like livin with a coffin
And he never talked about it, but I always knew
And he just set his mind on what he had to do
And that’s real love to me, demonstrated tangibly
So we don’t always agree, but I know my father loves me

I know you gave everything for love for your family
So I love you as you are, though I know we disagree
And we’ve had our hard times, and we’ve spoken hard words
But I’m living like you taught me, with my heart first
And I live my life for love and for our people
So though we disagree on the source of this evil
I know we’re both trying, and doing our best
So I’m livin like you taught me, hope I pass the test

I remember as a child, watchin him play
The guitar or the banjo and thinking one day
I’d like to make music, to manifest emotion
My father had a mind, deeper than the ocean
If knowledge is water, he taught me to swim
My history teachers were nothing to him,
But at the same time his god and religion came first
And I really can’t blame him, the way that he hurt
believe in his church helped to lend him strength
So he relied on god the way some men drink
And when I came of age, and outgrew my faith
I could see the pain in my fathers face
And I know it hurt him, to see me leave
The church behind, and turn my back on his beliefs
But I couldn’t keep on with something that didn’t feel right
Even though I know it made my father cry

I know you did what you did out of love for your family
So you’ve always been my hero, though I know we disagree
And we’ve had our hard times, and we’ve spoken hard words
But I’m living like you taught me, with my heart first
And I live my life for love and for our people
and though we disagree on the source of this evil
I know we’re both trying, and doing our best
So I’m livin like you taught me, hope I pass the test

Now I’m a revolutionary, and he doesn’t approve
And he’s still a Mormon, and he’s not gonna move
From the faith of his mother, the source of his strength
And ya know, that’s ok, he’s entitled to think
And believe what he believes, who am I to say otherwise?
But I can’t place my faith in salvation from the sky
I believe in people, in love and in hope
And I believe in music, so every word I ever wrote
Is in some way a testament to what he taught me
Like what it means to be a man and to raise a family
And I don’t know if I can ever fill those shoes
And be the kind of man who can make it through
Such incredible adversity, with such incredible strength
And do it all for love, and never even think
Of demanding something back he gave it freely
All I know is some day I’d like my son to see me

doing everything out of love for my family
I love you as you are, though I know we disagree
And we’ve had our hard times, and we’ve spoken hard words
But I’m living like you taught me, with my heart first
And I live my life for love and for our people
So though we disagree on the source of this evil
I know we’re both trying, and doing our best
So I’m livin’ like you taught me, hope I pass the test