A Change Is Gonna Come

I was born by a river, oh man, in this little old tent, oh
 Just like this river I've been running ever since
 It's been a long, long time coming
 But I know, but I know change is gotta come
 Ooh, yes it is, on my, oh my, oh my, oh my
 It's been too hard living, oh my
 And I'm afraid to die
 I don't know what's up there
 Beyond the clouds
 It's been a long, long, long time coming, but I know
 But I know change is gotta come
 Oh, yes it is
 There was a time I would go to my brother
 I'd ask my brother, "Will you help me, please?"
 He turned me down
 And then I ask my dear mother, oh
 I said, "Mother!"
 I said, "Mother! I'm down on my knees"
 It's been a time that I thought
 Lord, this couldn't last for very long
 But somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on
 It's been a long, long, long time coming
 But I've known a change is gonna come
 Oh, yes it is, uh
 Just like I said
 I went to my little bitty brother, my little brother
 I asked my brother, "Brother, help me please?"
 He turned me down
 And then I go to my little mother, my dear mother
 I said, "Mother!"
 I said, "Mother! I'm down on my knees"
 But there was a time that I thought
 Lord, this couldn't last for very long
 Somehow I thought I was still able to try to carry on
 It's been a long, long time coming
 But I know, but I know a change is gotta come
 Oh, it's been so long, it's been so long
 A little too long, but a change is gotta come
 So tired, so tired of suffering, standing by myself
 Standing up long, but change is gotta come
 You know, and I know, you know that I know
 I know that you know that a change is gotta come