Whatever happened to Carlton Bell
My best friend in the seventh grade
We played our snare drums side by side
In the middle school marching band Disney parade
We raised our money to ride the bus to Orlando
Knocking on doors up and down the street
Selling those bars of the world’s finest chocolate
And splitting every third one between him and me
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 we were looking at the world
In living color
He 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 marching band
Laughing loud, windows down
In the back row of the bus
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 looking at the world
In living color
So, I did a little search
And I found his picture
I recognized his smile immediately
He moved out west
Raising kids working in a factory
Got sick and passed away in 2016
Looking at his face as a grown man got me thinking
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
But his skin was Black
And I wonder did my friend
Feel 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
Well, I know these things are all way more complicated
So much is 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
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
And his skin was Black and my skin was white
And the sky was blue and the future was bright
And the blood ran red in both our veins
And we were lookin’ at the world
In living color