I was born king

Pushing hip at '29

Son of a preacher mind

With the same name as he

Until at 35, he legally dropped it

And changed it to honor a German Protestant

I used to sing choir

Went to college at 15

Skipping 9th and 12th grade

With big dreams of sociology and systematic theology

Ima be like pops and pass the AP

In 1954 I'm just that

25 in Alabama facing lack

Of unity, in tune with omnipresent

I'm used to being Jim Crow though

Relate to that

Where I stay there's racial segregation

The measurement of a man is 98 cents

Freedom and a home to write is $28.12

But I'm a long way from all that

I admit

What's that to you?

What's that to you?

Yeah it's pushing through

I played the game of being victim too long

To be a silent opposition to authority's position

Listen, one day while beginning a book

I had a vision that would wake me in the middle of typing

Fast Forward to the signing of that very book

Harlem '58, take a closer look

I was stabbed in the chest with an envelope opener

Black woman from Georgia, named Izola now

Rewind back to that typing process

My vision of a promise land, in spite the death

People gathered, speaking rather bold

Saying I was out of touch, bus boycotts are old

Civil rights not a fight for the now

Even now in the present, I'm learning how

Maybe I should just rest

Slitter in my chest

Pushing the envelope, was not for the best

No, Ima wake from this

Escape death while I got a boat to fix

Reaper's knocking

But you can't stop when

A will to make a way is waiting over the mountain

So I wrote more books

Led our people to action

Marched on Washington for peace and passion

Led a movement in of the South to the North for Jackson

Opposed war, Vietnam back to back then

Won't sleep til' the dream is alive

Hold more rallies get the poor organized, I

Believe in a date with death

But if I gotta go now, no feelings left

Away from stress

39 years to a king

Ain't a thing, what's left?

An absolute? Nah, another living being wants to see if I'm bulletproof

Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it really doesn't matter with me now, because I've been to the mountaintop

And I don't mind

Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the Promised Land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land!

So I'm happy, tonight

I'm not worried about anything

I'm not fearing any man

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord