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