Living Color

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

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

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

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

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

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

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