José James - Park Bench People (Live at Levon Helm Studios) (Official Video)

José James - Park Bench People (Live at Levon Helm Studios) (Official Video)

"José James: New York 2020" (Live) is the first highly anticipated live album from an artist with a decade long career built on his electric live show. Despite an entire year without shows, James found a way to create & connect with audiences during the peak of Coronavirus NY lockdown. José James is known for assembling some of the best live bands in the world, & his "New York 2020" crew is no exception. Each song resonates with the creative urgency of an effervescent, resilient 2020 New York City.

José James - vocals

Big Yuki - piano, Fender Rhodes, Hammond B-3, synth

Marcus Machado - guitar

Ben Williams - bass

Jharis Yokely - drums

Produced by Framework Productions

Director: Steven Pierce

Producer: James Allerdyce

Line Producer: Matt Mundy

Camera: James Allerdyce, Igor Kropotov, Andrew Trost, Chris Willmore

Assistant Camera: Toby Sprague

Editor: Steven Pierce

LYRICS

I see an old man

Sittin' on a park bench

Lookin' in the skies when

He can see the mouth-stench

Of the range of the people

Walkin' and talkin' nonsense

In the park

I see a man sittin' there

With a newspaper

Under his head and hair

I think

He would be down for me to tell him

That he'd been waiting 'round here

For all, of his life and

It took time for the soul to come

When it came i saw the same

Old scene over and over again

My friend

People's talkin' and squackin' in the park, and

Sittin' on a bench, thinkin' 'bout things

I think of all the people of the park

Sleepin' in the street

Livin' from their hearts

Sleepin' in the street

Livin's kinda hard

Sleepin' in the street

People fall apart

There's a park bench

That's painted black and white

And when you sleep there

It won't get wet when you wake up

Because the trees are withered

And so you dry in the sunlight

You sit there and you prepare to make

A move and so you go through

Each and every can

Lookin' inside tryin' to see somethin'

That you didn't see last night

Wantin' to get somethin' to eat

And you go down the street

You see some friends of yours

And then they all speak

Sayin' what's happenin' man

You sleepin' in the park again

Yeah nothin' but a survival thang

You know what i'm sayin'

Insha'allah

Then again my friend

All they want to do

Is play you like you are a fool

But i know better

You're safe from school

Through this stay cool

Mark you are mis-skewed

An' now i know better

I maintain black

We'll overcome

In the sun

On the bench

In the park

Where you lay

When it's dark

And it's wet

Cuz it's raining on you

You have newspapers and you'd like to go home

But you can't

Cuz you just got put out on your own

You're thinkin' 'bout your kids

You're thinkin' 'bout your girl

You're thinkin' of all the things you did

You see the children play

You hear the people barely look at you

Laughing while they run away

Sleeping in the street

Living from the heart

Sleeping in the street

People fall apart

In the park, where are

They's every people walkin' round

Lookin' at themselves far

As if they were somethin'

But they ain't nothin', they frontin'

Not a people nowhere standing

All these people are something

Earth, perched on

The edge of all time, and yet they search

For drums imperial dreams

Similarly so barred

Can't buy my soul

Won't sell my soul

To the devil

On the other level never

With another rebel

Under trouble

I'll never see you go down

My people can't go down

My people can't go down

Sleeping in the street

Leaving from the heart

Sleeping in the street

People fall apart

Copyright Rainbow Blonde Records 2021