I was born by the river
In a little tent
Oh
And just like the river
I been a running ever since
It's been a long
A long time coming but I know a change gon' come
Oh
Yes it will

It's been too hard living 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 gon' come
Oh, yes it will

And I go to the movie and I go downtown
Somebody keeps telling me, "Don't hang around"
It's been a long
A long time coming but I know a change gon' come
Oh
Yes it will

Then I go to my brother and I say, I say "Brother help me please"
But he winds up knocking me back down, back down on my knees
There've been times that I thought I couldn't last for long
Now I think I'm able to carry on
It's been a long
A long time coming but I know a change gon' come
Oh, yes it will
But I know a change gon' come