Paul Robeson

joy beats oppresion,
but oppression will make you pay,
cause our joy is fleeting while oppression never goes
away. you look them right in the eye,
yea you shout and sing them down,
but joy, our joy, don’t really care for fighting
while oppression will just wait around for you to blink.
joy beats oppresion,
but oppression will make you pay.
speak up, black out, black listed, full blooded, red-
he gave us all he could
but when he got tired
and we all get tired
when we ain’t thinking so good
when he got tired this country
it took everything damn back
had freed that it god damn could.
bullies will always take back everything they can,
from the joyous, from the free
lucky drunks who don’t give a damn
this country will always take back everything it can.
speak up, black out, black listed, full blooded, red
speak up, black out, black listed, full blooded, red
he wasn’t in it for hisself
he was in it for you and for me
but he fought it alone
and that just makes you bitter and mean
For a while this could be so good
For tonight we make the rules here inside this club
Me and the girls are here to tell you
they’re fucking with you 'cause they want what you have
and that things are really pretty damn funny
and that things aren’t really quite so bad
take this one thing with you to work and to school
and to home to mom and to dad
there are moments when you can stop the world
remember that friends don' t be sad
take this one thing with you to work and to school
and to home to mom and to dad
don’t hang a man out to dry again,
don’t make a man fight it alone again.
speak up, black out, black listed, full blooded, red
speak up, black out, black listed, full blooded, red