Verse 1
Whatever happened to Carlton Bell?
My best friend in the seventh grade
We played our snare drums side by side
In the middle school marchin’ band Disney parade
Verse 2
Raised our money to ride the bus to Orlando
Knockin’ on doors up and down the street
Sellin’ those bars of the World’s Finest Chocolate
And splittin’ every third one between him and me
Chorus
And his skin was black, and my skin was white
And the sky was blue, and the future was bright
And our blood ran red in both our veins
And wе were lookin’ at the world in living color
Verse 3
Hе moved away the first year of high school
No phones, no internet so we just lost touch
But I’d think about him every now and then in marchin’ band
Laughin’ loud, windows down in the back row of the bus
Chorus
And his skin was dark, and my skin was light
But all we saw was a friend in each other’s eyes
And our blood ran red in both our hearts
And we were lookin’ at the world in living color
Verse 4
So I did a little search and I found his picture
I recognized his smile immediately
He moved out west, raisin’ kids, workin’ in a factory
Got sick, passed away in 2016
Verse 5
Lookin’ at his face as a grown man got me thinkin’
How different life can be while so much stays the same
His friends said he was a good man, loved his God and loved his family
Did not surprise me that his good heart remained
Chorus
But his skin was black, and I wonder if my friend
Felt judged and afraid in ways that I’ve never been
And it weighs heavy on my heart, but then I think of where he is now
In living color
Instrumental Break
Verse 6
Well, I know these things are all way more complicated
So much is so broken beyond fixing, it can seem
And if I’m honest, I’m scared to even write and sing this song
I don’t wanna somehow say the wrong thing
Verse 7
But I was thinking, maybe if I told our story
Maybe I could help someone remember and believe
There’s a lot of goodness and wonder left in this broken world
Just like there was back then for Carlton and me
Chorus
And his skin was black, and my skin was white
And the sky was blue, and our future was bright
And the blood ran red in both our veins
And we were lookin’ at the world
In living color