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...