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 a change is gotta come

Ooo yes it is

Oh 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 time coming

But I know but I know a change is gotta come

Oh yes it is

Oh my oh my oh my

There's a time I would go to my brother oh my

I asked my brother will you help me please oh my oh my

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 oh now

But somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on

It's been a long long time coming

But I know a change is gonna come

Oh yes it is

Just like I said I went to my little bitty brother

Oh my little brother now

I asked my brother brother help me please oh now

He turned me down and then I go to my little mother

My dear mother oh my

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 oh my

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 ooo

It's been so long it's been so long a little too long

A change has gotta come

So tired so tired of standing by myself

And standing up alone

A change has gotta come

You know and I know and you know that I know

I know that you know honey

That a change is gonna come oh yeah oh I gotta