Joriah Kwame
We Won’t Wait (The Protest Song)
[PROTESTERS]
To whom it may concern

[TERRANCE]
Here's a message from the student body
Targeting black and brown teens
Seems like a frequent hobby of

[PROTESTERS]
Officer Douglass—

[TERRANCE]
Whose conduct was so sloppy
He broke Elijah’s arm in the lobby?

[PROTESTERS & TERRANCE]
We demand that he's terminated

[TERRANCE]
Unless he's compensated to make life more complicated
We may be in class

[PROTESTERS & TERRANCE]
But we’re not concentrated

[TERRANCE]
'Cause in the halls he makes us awfully small and hated
[PROTESTERS & TERRANCE]
The revolution needs a voice

[TERRANCE]
And I've been nominated
Hi, I'm Terrance
But you can call me "Mad as Hell!"
Call my parents, explain to them why I'm expelled
While you let him stay another day
You rang the bell
Class DIsmissed

[PROTESTERS]
It's time to walk out

[IMANI]
Come on, Noelle

[MISS NICKI]
Everyone, please just calm down
Everyone...

[IMANI]
Forget it

[TERRANCE]
Not going to wait for change no more
[PROTESTERS]
Not going to wait for change no more

[TERRANCE] (another voice joins in partway through):
Until it comes we're out the door

[PROTESTERS]
Until it comes we're out the door

[TERRANCE]
Say "Aye" If you’re tired of being victimized

[PROTESTERS]
Aye

[TERRANCE]
Same time tryin’ to change a world that's stigmatized

[PROTESTERS]
Why?

[TERRANCE]
The powers that be
Want us to cower for free
But guarantee you’re gonna pay respect to me
[PROTESTERS]
Sí se puede
It can be done

[TERRANCE]
We'll endure the headache
Until we've won!
A vacation from education
We'll make the faculty display their dedication

[PROTESTERS]
Every absence is an action that demands his resignation

[PROTESTERS]
Not goin’ to wait for change no more

[TERRANCE]
Not gonna wait
Not gonna wait
Not gonna wait
Not gonna

[PROTESTORS]
Until it comes we're out the door!

[UNIDENTIFIED VOICE 1] (voiced by Joriah Kwamé)
...oooooor!

[TERRANCE]
Let's take it up a little higher
We do it for Elijah

[PROTESTERS]
Not goin' to wait for change no more

[UNIDENTIFIED VOICE 2]
Not gonna wait

[PROTESTERS]
Ooh
[PROTESTERS & TERRANCE]
Not gonna

[MISS NICKI]
Everyone just needs to calm down

[PROTESTERS]
Until it comes we're out the door

[TERRANCE]
Sí se puede
It can be done
We'll endure the headache
Until we've won

[UNIDENTIFIED VOICE 3]
Just fire officer Douglass

[TERRANCE]
Next thing we know
We've lost control
Half of the student
Population goes
Cross the street
Voices groW
Rings so loud
That the city knows
That
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait

[TERRANCE]
We won't wait

[PROTESTERS]
We won't wait