Black, Brown And White

Album: Black, Brown & White (1938)
Play Video
  • This little song that I'm singin' about
    People, you know it's true
    If you black and gotta work for a livin'
    Now, this is what they will say to you

    They says, "if you's white, be all right"
    "If you was brown, stick around"
    "But as you black, oh brother, get back, get back, get back"

    I was in a place one night
    They was all having fun
    They was all buyin' beer and wine
    But they would not sell me none

    They said, "if you was white, should be all right"
    "If you was brown, stick around"
    "But as you black, oh brother, get back get back get back"

    We went to an employment office
    Got a number an I got in line
    They called everybody's number
    But they never did call mine

    They said, "if you was white, should be all right"
    "If you was brown, stick around"
    "But as you 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 paying him a dollar an hour
    And they was paying me fifty cent

    They said, "if you was white, should be all right"
    "If you was brown, stick around"
    "But as you black, oh brother, get back, get back, get back"

    I helped build the 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's white, she's alright"
    "If he was brown, stick around"
    "But as you's black, oh, brother, get back, get back, get back"

    I helped win sweet victory
    With my little plough and hoe
    Now, I want you to tell me brother
    What you gonna do about the old Jim Crow?

    Now, if you's white, she's alright
    If you's brown, stick around
    But if you's black, oh brother, get back, get back, get back Writer/s: William Lee Conley Broonzy
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Wixen Music Publishing
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

Loudon Wainwright III

Loudon Wainwright IIISongwriter Interviews

"Dead Skunk" became a stinker for Loudon when he felt pressure to make another hit - his latest songs deal with mortality, his son Rufus, and picking up poop.

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the Song

"Private Eyes" - The Story Behind the SongSong Writing

How a goofy detective movie, a disenchanted director and an unlikely songwriter led to one of the biggest hits in pop history.

Tony Banks of Genesis

Tony Banks of GenesisSongwriter Interviews

Genesis' key-man re-examines his solo career and the early days of music video.

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The Kingdom

Gavin Rossdale On Lyric Inspirations and Bush's Album The KingdomSongwriter Interviews

The Bush frontman on where he finds inspiration for lyrics, if his "machine head" is a guitar tuner, and the stories behind songs from the album The Kingdom.

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real Group

Modern A Cappella with Peder Karlsson of The Real GroupSong Writing

The leader of the Modern A Cappella movement talks about the genre.

Tim McIlrath of Rise Against

Tim McIlrath of Rise AgainstSongwriter Interviews

Rise Against frontman Tim McIlrath explains the meanings behind some of their biggest songs and names the sci-fi books that have influenced him.