I WAS BO R N BY THE RI V ER

IN A LI TT LE TENT

O H JUST L I K E THE RIVER

I BEEN RUNNI N G EV ER S IN CE

IT'S BEEN A L O N G

A LONG T IME COMING

BUT I K NOW

A CHANGE IS GON NA COME

O H YES IT WI L L LOOK IT HERE

IT'S BEEN T O O HARD L I V I NG

AND I'M A F R A I D T O DIE

LOOK IT H E RE

CUZ I DON'T KNOW

WHAT'S UP T H ER E BE YOND TH E SKY

IT' S BEEN A L ONG

I WISH I COULD COME OUT THERE

WHERE YOU ARE BABY

A LONG T I M E COMI N G BU T I KN OW

LOOK IT HERE

A CHANGE IS GONNA COME

O H YES I T W ILL

LOOK IT HERE

LET M E SAY ONE MORE THING

I G O TO THE M O VIE

A ND I GO D OWN TOWN

H A H A HA BUT ALL I CAN HEAR IS

SOMEBODY KEEP TELLING ME

O H BOY DON'T HANG A ROUND

IT'S BEEN A LO NG A LO NG

IF ANYBODY KNOW WHAT

I'M TALKING A BOUT

LEMME SEE YOU WAVE YOUR HANDS

I KNOW A CHANGE GONNA COME

O H Y ES IT WILL

BUT I'VE GOTTA TAKE MY TIME

TO SAY THIS HERE

THEN I G O TO M Y BROTH E R

YES SIR

AND I TELL 'EM

I SAY BROTH E R HELP M E PL EA SE

BUT HE W I NDS U P KNOCKI N ' ME

H E KNOCKS ME BACK DOWN ON

BACK DOWN ON M Y

OH THERE'S BEEN T I M ES

WHEN I FALL

SOMEBODY SAY YEAH

L IFE COULD PASS M E O N NO NO

I KNOW I'M A BLE

I'M A BLE I'M AB LE

I'M A BLE TO C A R RY ON

IT'S BEEN A L O N G

GOOD GOD ALMIGHTY

A LONG TI M E CO MING

BUT I K N O W YEAH

A CHANGE IS GONNA C O M E

O H YES IT WILL

LOOK AT ME HERE ONE MORE TIME

THEN I G O TO M Y BROTH ER

SOMEBODY TAKE YOUR HANDS

BACK AND FORTH LI KE THIS

EVERYBOD Y EVERYBO DY

YOU SITTIN'

IN THE FIRST BALCONY TOO

HE LP M E P L E A SE

ALL O VER THE AUDITOR I UM TONIGHT

BUT HE W I NDS UP

K NOCKING M E DOWN HA

BACK DOWN O N

BACK DOWN ON M Y KN E E OH

I'VE BEEN D O WN

BUT I THOUGH T I COULD L A ST

O H I KNOW I'M AB L E

I'M A B LE I'M AB LE

OOO OOOO O OOOOOO

I K NOW I KNOW

I K N OW A CHANGE GONNA C O ME

AND O H YES I T W ILL

SOMEBODY SAY YEAH

Y OU ALL BACK HERE

LEMME HEAR YA SAY YEAH

SOMEBODY SAY OH YEAH