Intro:
Prince, thanks for dropping by the studio. Audio Stepchild let's do this, when will we be paid, take one... rolling

Chorus:
When will we be paid for the work we've done
When will we be paid for the work we've done

Verse 1:
We fought in your wars in every land
To keep this country free, y'all, for women, children, and men
But every time we ask for pay or a loan
That's when everything seems to turn out wrong
We been beat up, called names, shot down and stoned
Every time we do right, somebody say we're wrong

(Repeat Chorus)

Verse 2:
Listen, we worked this country from shore to shore
Our women cooked all your food and washed all your clothes
We picked cotton and laid the railroad steel
Worked our hands down to the bone at your lumber mill

(Repeat Chorus)

Verse 3: (Spoken Word by Jonathan Hay)
I refuse to back down in the face of violence
As I protest
I'm attacked dogs, mobs, police and military force
We've been beaten, blackmailed, tortured and maimed
But I'm still on strike, holding this sign that say we can't be tamed
The unfair brutal violence you inflict
So we protest to resolve this conflict
They throw their tear gas, I put on mask
I get zapped by a stun gun, I'm numb
I get thumped with a stick
I'm brave, not a slave, and I'm fed-up with this shit
I'm an activist, with an active stand to fight for what is right
So we picket strike and form blockades
They bring their soldiers, but we are soldiers in a different way
And we won't stop until we are free (free, free, free, free)
Verse 4:
Will we ever be proud of "My country, tis of thee"?
Will we ever sing out loud, "Sweet land of Liberty"?
When will we be paid for the work we've done?
I wanna know
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna know (when, when, when, when)

(Repeat Chorus)

Bridge:
Why can't we be paid?
Oh, oh when, when will we be paid?
We've given up our sweat, now, and all of our tears
Stumbled through this life for more than 300 years
I, I wanna know, the work we've done