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