I was born by the river, oh, in a little ol' tent
Oh, just like that river, I've been running ever since
It's been a long, long time coming
But I know a change has gotta come
Oh yes, it will

It's been too hard living, oh, but I'm afraid to die
'Cause I don't know what's up there beyond the sky
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change is gonna come
Yes, it will

And I go to the movie, and I go downtown
Somebody keep on telling me, don't you hang around
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change gonna come
Oh yes, it will

And I go to my brother
I say, brother, brother, won't you help me, please
But he just winds up knocking me down
Oh, back down on my knees

There's been times when I thought I couldn't last for very long
But now, I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know a change has gotta come
Oh yes, it will
Yes, it will
There's a time when I go to my brother
I say, brother, I say, brother, won't you help me, please
But he just winds up knocking me down, down, down
Down on my knees

There's been times that I thought I couldn't last for very long
But now, I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long, a long time coming
But I know, but I know, I know, I know, I know a change has got to come
Oh yes, it will