1) He was a black man in a white man’s world
Where Jim Crow lived and hatred swirled
But people followed him into the street
Marchin’ and singin’ in the southern heat
Chorus
He said the river is risin’ won’t be long
River is risin’ big and strong
Comin’ down from the mountain in a mighty stream
River is risin’, I have a dream
2) They raised their voices, you could hear them callin’
They were done with waitin’, tired of stallin’
Demanding justice and a piece of the pie
Not just the crumbs or another lie Chorus
Bridge
He talked about slavery and blood on the land
Strange fruit hangin’ and the shadow of the Klan
Selma, Memphis and Birmingham
Washington and Wall Street and Vietnam
3) He understood it was more than race
Keepin’ the poor down in their place
He called the game of empire a sin and a crime
When he said those words he crossed a line Chorus
