I Am Not My Hair

Is that India? What happened to her hair?
Hahahahaha
Yeah, oh, oh
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Da da da da da da da da da da da da
Oh

Little girl with the press and curls
Age eight, I got a Jheri curl
Thirteen and I got a relaxer
I was the source of so much laughter
At fifteen when it all broke off
Eighteen then I went all natural
February 2002 I
Went on and did what I had to do, oh
Because it was time to change my life
To become the woman that I am inside

'97, Dreadlocks all gone
I looked in the mirror for the first time and saw that

Hey (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no, no (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

What she do to her hair?
I don't know, it's so crazy, I like it
I like it
I wouldn't go that far, haha

Good hair means curls and waves
Bad hair means you look like a slave, ah
At the turn of the century
It's time for us to redefine who we be
You can shave it off like a South African beauty
Got it on lock like Bob Marley
You can rock it straight like Oprah Winfrey
If it's not what's on your head, it's what's underneath
Then say hey

(Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no, no (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am the soul that lives within

Does the way I wear my hair make me a better person?
Does the way I wear my hair make me a better friend? Oh
Does the way I wear my hair determine my integrity?
Does it express my creativity?

Breast cancer and chemotherapy
Took away her crown and glory
She promised God if she was to survive
She would enjoy every day of her life
On national television
Her diamond eyes were sparkling
Bald-headed like a full moon shining
Singing out to the whole wide world like

Hey (Hey)

I am not my hair (I am not my hair)
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no, no (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin

I am the soul that lives within (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am not this skin
I am not your expectations, no, no (Hey)
I am not my hair
I am the soul that lives within (I am the soul that lives within)

Now if I wanna shave it close or I wanna rock locks
That don't take a bit away from the soul that I've got
If I wanna wear it braided all down the back
I don't see nothing wrong with that
Look, India, hurry
Look, she cut her hair
I don't like that, it's kinda fat
I don't know if I can do it, but that... yeah, that'd be sharp
It'd look nice on her
Nice shaved head