> Well, all I've ever known is poor
Owe my skin to the country store
Throw my walls, my roof, my door
But he tells me I'm free
But I fight the will to live
Hell might take but heaven gives
It's the only one so I'll forgive
And Im not the one to grieve
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
I gotta work to feed my wife and baby
I work so god damn hard that it's a crime
Well, I went down to the polling place
The white men there just laughed in my face
Saying boy, this aint no nigger's race
You best get on your way
Sir, I believe I've got the right
Said you aint got nothing if you aint white
And I thought I said get out of site
Well, what was I to say?
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
I gotta work to feed my wife and baby
I work so god damn hard that it's a crime
When I was 'bout the age of five
Watched my daddy burned alive
They cut him low and they hung him high
Swayin' in the breeze
The last words I heard him say
Before they stole his life that day
Was forgive them lord, they gone astray
Now take me to my knees
And the summer day make a white man lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy
Might make me do something out of line
Well, I dont know but I heard tell
Of a fungus below a place called hell
And who would catch me if I fell?
Who would pray for me?
But one thing I see for sure
It's hot as hell up here I know
And the devil lives right down the road
It's all the same to me
And a summer day make a white man feel lazy
He sits on his porch killing time
But the summer day make a nigger feel crazy
Might make me do something out of line
But if you should see my wife
Tell her that I wont be home tonight
So dont leave on the light
I got a little buisness down the road
And If I'm dead by sunrise
Kiss my baby girl for me
It aint life if it aint free
I got a mighty buggin' to one love