Mississippi Goddam

The name of this tune is Mississippi Goddam And I mean every word of it Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn Can't you see it? Can't you feel it? It's all in the air I can't stand the pressure much longer Somebody say a prayer Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn This is a show tune, but the show hasn't been written for it, yet Hound dogs on my trail School children sitting in jail Black cat cross my path I think every day's gonna be my last Lord, have mercy on this land of mine We all gonna get it in due time I don't belong here, I don't belong there I've even stopped believing in prayer Don't tell me, I'll tell you Me and my people just about due I've been there, so, I know They keep on saying, "Go slow" But that's just the trouble (do it slow) Washing the windows (too slow) Picking the cotton (too slow) You're just plain rotten (too slow) You're too damn lazy (too slow) The thinking is crazy (too slow) Where am I going? What am I doing? I don't know, I don't know Just try to do your very best Stand up, be counted with all the rest 'Cause everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn I bet you thought I was kidding, didn't you? Picket lines, school boycotts They try to say it's a communist plot All I want is equality For my sister, my brother, my people, and me Yes, you lied to me all these years You told me to wash and clean my ears And talk real fine just like a lady And you'd stop calling me Sister Sadie Oh, but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you anymore You keep on saying, "Go slow" Go slow But that's just the trouble (too slow) Desegregation (too slow) Mass participation (too slow) Reunification (too slow) Do things gradually (too slow) But bring more tragedy (too slow) Why don't you see it? Why don't you feel it? I don't know, I don't know You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about Mississippi Everybody knows about Alabama Everybody knows about Mississippi, goddamn That's it!