People, you know it’s true,
If you’re black and gotta work for livin’,
Now, this is what they will say to you,
They says : « If you’s white,
You’d be alright,
If you’s brown,
Stick around,
But as you’s black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back. »
I was in a place one night,
They’s all havin’ fun,
They’s all buyin’ beer and wine,
But they would not sell me none.
They said: « If you was white,
You be alright,
If you was brown,
Stick around,
But as you’s black, oh brother,
Get back, get back, get back. »
I went to an employment office,
Got a number and I got in line,
They called everybody’s number,
But they never did call mine.
They said: « If you was white,
Should be alright,
If you was brown,
Stick around,
But as you’s black, oh brother,
Get back, get back, get back. »
Me and a man was workin’ side by side,
This is what it meant :
They was payin’ him a dollar an hour,
And they was payin’ me fifty cent.
They said: « If you was white,
Should be alright,
If you was brown,
Stick around,
But as you’s black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back. »
I helped build this country
And I fought for it too,
Now I guess that you can see
What a black man have to do.
They says : « If you was white,
It’s alright,
If you’s brown,
Stick around,
But as you’s black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back. »
I helped win sweet victories,
With my little plow and hoe,
Now, I want you to tell me, brother,
What you gonna do ’bout the old Jim Crow ?
Now, if you’s white,
It’s alright,
If you’s brown,
Stick around,
But if you’s black, oh, brother,
Get back, get back, get back.
