[BLACK REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS & ABOLITIONISTS]
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side

[BLACK REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIERS]
Ev’ry action has its equal, opposite reaction
Thanks to Virginia law, black soldiers get no benefaction
Try not to crack under the stress, we’ll take more legal action
Abolitionists give an address, tell us to act ‘as fashioned’
I get no satisfaction witnessing their fits of passion
If we’re “more competent and virtuous” well earn our ration
Our loyal soldiers, our brothers, have yet to cash in
As freedom suits are denied, despite Quaker compassion
This court is askin’ for someone to bring ‘em to task
Somebody gimme some literate counsel for once
So we can at last surpass ‘em
I’ll get the precedent, someone just get me on the docket
While we were all watching, he got Lafayette in his pocket

[BLACK REVOLUTIONARY SOLDIER]
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side
[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SLAVES]
Rules keep being modified

[ABOLITIONISTS]
And revoked!

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SLAVES]
The ink hasn’t dried
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side

[ABOLITIONIST]
So they’ve bounded your use of attorney
It’s so unfounded, appointed counsel are
Much more detached and unwise

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIER]
Are you surprised?
It’s blacks they despise

[FREE AFRICAN-AMERICAN MAN]
Even when free we’re disenfranchised

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIER]
Any freed slave now has to exit
Virginia or their release becomes tentative
If we don’t book it, we’re sold--and forget it--
[ABOLITIONIST]
I draw a hard line
Somebody has to stand up for these men!

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SLAVES]
We can’t let these bigots prevail once again

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS]
If we risk our lives, protect and defend
We can’t just return to the way we were then

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOLDIERS]
I envy the slave that Brits well-solicited
Watching ‘em grabbin’ at freedom and kissin’ it
Y’all promised us rights for enlistin’
As disciplined militants, this is the difference:
Those guys are out!

[ABOLITIONISTS]
Oh!
Indifference won’t get these freedom suits closed
Oh!
Without strong evidence they’ll be disposed
Oh!
Let’s show these Virginians who they’re up against!
Oh!
Stubborn motherfuckin’—
[ABOLITIONISTS & AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
Abolitionist partisans!

[ENSEMBLE]
Oh!

[ABOLITIONISTS & AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
Let’s file the lawsuit and see where it goes

[ENSEMBLE]
Oh!

[ABOLITIONISTS & AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
Because every second a new law’s imposed

[ENSEMBLE]
Oh!

[ABOLITIONISTS & AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
If we petition the court, defend and succeed
Virginia concedes, black men proceed to
Follow suit till’ freed

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
It must be nice. It must be nice

[ABOLITIONISTS]
File the lawsuit and see where it goes

[ABOLITIONISTS & AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
It must be nice. It must be nice

[ABOLITIONISTS]
We need more allies, and many less foes

[AFRICAN-AMERICAN MEN]
We won’t be invisible. We won’t be denied
Still
It must be nice, it must be nice to have
Lafayette on your side