Ain't No Scholar

I came to learn, wonder, and discuss,
I was told this would get me out of poverty.
I came to find knowledge, but I found debt.
Your arbitrary rules and your arbitrary grades
And your policies and expectations
Stand in the way of my education
Yet you taunt me with a piece of paper (and call it a degree).

I’ve learned
The hard way
That this is the way to stay
In poverty
Systematically.

I disagree with your unpaid internships
That can’t pay the bills
But I can pay attention to the things you don’t say.
I’ve seen friends and neighborhoods murdered.
I don't know what's right
But I know what's wrong:
The scholars and graduates,
Who were bailed out with the people’s money,
Who can break the law, the economy
Get away with it.

Nah, I ain’t no scholar,
Never was, never will be.
I ain't no scholar,
Even though I like books and I’m always thinking.
I ain’t no scholar,
Even though my mind’s gushing and my hand’s got a pen in it.
I ain’t no scholar,
And I know education ain’t confined to the classroom.