I don't know where to go
I barely know where I'm coming from, mm
I never met my grandfather, from whom I got my name
But the marquee letters spell "Zaidi" all the same
He was born before partition, in a town called Ajmer
Militias stormed his school, so the family fled to Pakistan
And me, I've never been there, I don't know what it smells like
And when I say his name out loud, I can't pronounce it right
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
There's 3 religions trickling through my veins
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
By the time they can sort it out, there'll be nothing left to claim
♪
Ooh, ooh, Manzur can you hear me?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm speaking through the breeze
My father went to Tuesday school
His teacher there had numbers on his arm
The day I took my mother's name, he called me on the phone
A chill was in your voice as if the words had turned to snow
And I don't wanna do this excavation anymore
I'm stepping into salt & sand, whichever way I go
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
There's 3 divisions clawing at my name
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
By the time you can sort it out, there'll be nothing left to claim
♪
Ooh, ooh, Father, can you forgive me?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm speaking through the breeze
♪
The census form came in the mail
I always hated filling out these things
There's no word for what I am, so I'll turn the letters loose
I'll snap in half the hyphens, tear the terms out at the root
Being mixed is a mixed blessing, in a world that makes you choose
The more history you have, the more you have to lose
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
There's 3 traditions tugging at my sleeve
Sometimes I feel like Jerusalem
By the time I can sort it out, there'll be nothing left of me
♪
Ooh, ooh, America can you see me?
Ooh, ooh, ooh, I'm speaking to the breeze