From the recording Routes
Diali Keba Cissokho - Kora, Lead Vocals | John Westmoreland - Electric Guitar | Jonathan Henderson - Bass | Austin McCall - Drum Kit | Will Ridenour - Congas, Karinyan | Yaye Boye, Tamisha Waden, Shana Tucker - Vocals | Beverly Botsford - Shekere, Sound Colors
Lyrics
This song talks about how judging people without knowing their story is wrong. In 2010, I fell in love and immigrated from Senegal to the U.S. to be with my wife. I had no idea how this would affect my family back home, but they supported me. On visits back to Senegal, I started to notice that some friends were treating me different. The distance of our lives had translated to distance within our relationships. They were judging me and my life in the U.S., without even talking to me or knowing what’s going on in my life, my struggles, my successes. They didn’t understand how firmly I guard my culture, because it means the world to me. After they took the time to sit and talk to me, they realized it was wrong to judge. It’s so easy, but it can be a powerfully divisive force.
Judging people you don’t know is wrong / it’s a hurtful thing to do / God doesn’t like when a person looks down on another / when you say beautiful things about another, you will sleep well / today I’m singing so you will know this / so you can consider not judging other people / because you don’t know their story