I got pulled over in west Texas
so they could look inside my car
he said are you an american citizen
I said
yes sir
so far
they made sure I wasn`t smuggling
someone in from Mexico
someone willing to settle for america
`cause there`s nowhere else to go
and every state line
there`s a new set of laws
and every police man
comes equipped with extended claws
there`s a thousand shades of white
and a thousand shades of black
but the same rule always applies
smile pretty, and watch your back
I broke down in Louisiana
and I had to thumb a ride
got in the first car that pulled over
you can`t be picky in the middle of the night
he said
baby, do you like to fool around
baby, do you like to be touched
I said
maybe some other time
fuck you very much
and every state line
there`s a new set of laws
and every police man
comes equipped with extended claws
there`s a thousand shades of white
and a thousand shades of black
but the same rule always applies
smile pretty, and watch your back
I`m in the middle of alabama
they stare at me where ever I go
I don`t think they like my haircut
I don`t think they like my clothes
I can`t wait to get back to New York City
where at least when I walk down the street
nobody ever hesitates
to tell me exactly what they think of me
and every state line
there`s a new set of laws
and every police man
comes equipped with extended claws
there`s a thousand shades of white
and a thousand shades of black
but the same rule always applies
smile pretty, and watch your back
a little town in pennsylvania
there was snow on the ground
a parked in an empty lot
where there was no one else around
but I guess I was taking up too much space
as I was trying to get some sleep
`cause an officer came by anyway
and told me I had to leave
and every state line
there`s a new set of laws
and every police man
comes equipped with extended claws
there`s a thousand shades of white
and a thousand shades of black
but the same rule always applies
smile pretty, and watch your back
