It's been a long time comin' It's goin' to be a long time gone And it appears to be a long night 'Fore the dawn You can smell something burning But you don't know who lit the fire You can feel pavement getting hotter But you can't see things like I And it appears to be a long night 'Fore the dawn Turn, turn any corner Hear what the people say There's something that's goin' on around here That surely, surely won't stand the light of day And it appears to be a long night 'Fore the dawn Speak out, speak out against the madness Speak your mind if you dare But don't, most specially don't try to get yourself elected And if you do you'd better cut your hair Because it appears to be a long night 'Fore the dawn It's been a long time comin' It's goin' to be a long time gone But you know That the darkest hour Is always just before the dawn