[USHER]

Five foot four, high school gym

Sneaking a cupcake

These are my memories

These are my memories

Shooting hoops off the rim

Slow on the uptake

These are my memories

These are my memories

After gym, the locker room, my eyes photographing

Naked me measures in a four and a half inches

These are my memories

These are my memories

Of one lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

One lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

Guilt and shame, Jesus's name

Church every Sunday

These are my memories

These are my memories

Eat His body, drink His blood

Communion buffet

These are my memories

Sweet, sour memories

After church we're driving home to radio crackle

Jazz, muzak or Motown blues and skin is a shackle

For one lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

One lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

These are my memories

Sweet, sour memories

This is my history

This is my mystery

[THOUGHTS]

Hmm...

[USHER]

Mom is napping on the couch, and dad cuts the grass

While I watch TV all day long, Young & the Restless

Like one lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

One lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

Dad is drunk and on the couch while mom eats a pork chop

"Daily bread" mill, daily treadmill won't ever stop

One lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

One lone black gay boy I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

I am lying on the couch, I dream that I'm flying

Flapping both my wings so hard to keep me from dying

With a crown of godforsaken thorns on my head

Like all those black gay boys I knew who chose to go on back to the Lord

And all those black gay boys I knew who chose to go on back to the Lord

All those black gay boys I knew who chose to go on back to the Lord

I'm one of those black gay boys I knew who chose to turn his back on the Lord

Instead