(1963) nina simone The name of this tune is mississippi goddam And I mean every word of it Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about mississippi goddam Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about mississippi goddam Can't you see it Can't you feel it It's all in the air I can't stand the pressure much longer Somebody say a prayer Alabama's gotten me so upset Tennessee made me lose my rest And everybody knows about mississippi goddam This is a show tune But the show hasn't been written for it, yet Hound dogs on my trail School children sitting in jail Black cat cross my path I think every day's gonna be my last Lord have mercy on this land of mine We all gonna get it in due time I don't belong here I don't belong there I've even stopped believing in prayer Don't tell me I tell you Me and my people just about due I've been there so I know They keep on saying go slow! But that's just the trouble Do it slow Washing the windows Do it slow Picking the cotton Do it slow You're just plain rotten Do it slow You're too damn lazy Do it slow The thinking's crazy Do it slow Where am I going What am I doing I don't know I don't know Just try to do your very best Stand up be counted with all the rest For everybody knows about mississippi goddam I made you thought I was kiddin' didn't we Picket lines School boy cots They try to say it's a communist plot All I want is equality For my sister my brother my people and me Yes you lied to me all these years You told me to wash and clean my ears And talk real fine just like a lady And you'd stop calling me sister sadie Oh but this whole country is full of lies You're all gonna die and die like flies I don't trust you any more You keep on saying go slow! Go slow! But that's just the trouble Do it slow Desegregation Do it slow Mass participation Do it slow Reunification Do it slow Do things gradually Do it slow But bring more tragedy Do it slow Why don't you see it Why don't you feel it I don't know I don't know You don't have to live next to me Just give me my equality Everybody knows about mississippi Everybody knows about alabama Everybody knows about mississippi goddam That's it!