A Change Is Gonna Come

I was born by a river, oh man, in this little old tent, oh Just like this river I've been running ever since It's been a long, long time coming But I know, but I know change is gotta come Ooh, yes it is, on my, oh my, oh my, oh my It's been too hard living, oh my And I'm afraid to die I don't know what's up there Beyond the clouds It's been a long, long, long time coming, but I know But I know change is gotta come Oh, yes it is There was a time I would go to my brother I'd ask my brother, "Will you help me, please?" He turned me down And then I ask my dear mother, oh I said, "Mother!" I said, "Mother! I'm down on my knees" It's been a time that I thought Lord, this couldn't last for very long But somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on It's been a long, long, long time coming But I've known a change is gonna come Oh, yes it is, uh Just like I said I went to my little bitty brother, my little brother I asked my brother, "Brother, help me please?" He turned me down And then I go to my little mother, my dear mother I said, "Mother!" I said, "Mother! I'm down on my knees" But there was a time that I thought Lord, this couldn't last for very long Somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on It's been a long, long time coming But I know, but I know a change is gotta come Oh, it's been so long, it's been so long A little too long, but a change is gotta come So tired, so tired of suffering, standing by myself Standing up long, but change is gotta come You know, and I know, you know that I know I know that you know that a change is gotta come