Us Gon' Be Alright

 

I's had ma' fill of jigs
Totin' cotton bales
And scrapin' along
Cain't eat no mo' fatback and cornpone
Ma' body needs mo'
Course I knows I deserve it
Cause I's free now
And I's gon' be alright

I done had ma' back split open mo' times than I care ta remembuh
Jess cause I's the cula' of night
Got this here tree on ma' back
'Minds me that some hearts don't feel
I 'spect they thought I would break
But naw suh
I's gon' be alright

Brought me to dis here land
Put me 'round folk that thank diffrant
'Spect me to shuffle and bow
Cause I's not like dem
But I's gon' be what I be
Dey gon' have ta deal wit' dat
And I's gon' be alright

I's sick and tired of bein' sick and tired
Gon' push back on dis here wall dat's been placed frona' me
I needs a break cause
Ma' feets hurt
And ma back aches
Mind been weary
But I's gotta keep pushin' on
I 'spect ma' sufferin' will do a lot fo' some
Sho' 'nuff gon' see da lawd smile one day
Gonna be dancin' and singin' in the sun
Wind gon' smell sweet too
No mo' worries
Cause we's free
Dat's what I 'spect
Us gon' be alright

Freedom had a song
And I knew da words
Came from da bottom of ma' soul
Called out ta ma ancestas
"Give me da strength oh lawd"
Ta rise up and meet ma enemy
Look 'em in da eye and say
Us gon' be alright

See, time brings change
And us gon' rise ta da top
Like da cream in massas' coffee
Yeas, we gon' be the bes' of da crop
Doin' thangs dey neva thought we could
But da day gon' come
Yeas, yeas
Us gon' be alright

Us gon' mend hearts
Us gon' create medicines
Us gon' do the figurin' fo' lots of folk
Us gon' sing the songs of love
Us gon' win games of skill
Us gon' teach at universities
Us gon' navigate the stars
Us gon' change the way dey clean clothes
Us gon' write the bes' ever writ'
Us gon' star in movin' pictures
And write 'em too
Us gon' be the captain of eva' thang
Us gon' be heard 'round the world
Us gon' make things neva befo' saw
From da cotton gin
To da street light
Steam engines
And 'frigerated cars and such
Us gon' change the world fo' the betta'
Dat's right!
Us gon' be alright
Us gon' be alright
Us gon' be alright

Cause us is watched ova' by God

 

--Leslie Harris

 

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