I was born by a river old man
And this little old town, oh
Just like this river
I've been running ever since
It's been a long, long, long, long, long
Long time coming, but I know, I know
Change has gotta come now
Oh yes it is now, 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, long
Long time coming, but I know, I know
Change has gotta come
Oh yes it is now, oh my, oh my
There's a time I would go to my brother
Oh my
I've asked my brother, will you help me
Oh now, oh my
He turned me down
And then I asked my dear mother, oh
I said mother, I said mother
I'm down on my knees
It's been a time that I've known
Longest and last very long, oh now, oh
Somehow I thought I was still able
To try to carry on
It's been a long, long, long, long
Long time coming, but I know
Change is gonna come
Oh yes it is
Just like I said, I went to my little bitty brother
Oh my, my little brother now
I asked my brother, brother help me
Oh now
He turned me down
And then I go to my little mother
My dear mother, oh now
I said mother, I said mother
I'm down on my knees
But there was a time that I thought
Longest and last very long, oh now
Somehow I thought I was still able
To try to carry on
It's been a long, long, long, long
Long time coming, but I know
Change is gonna come
It's been so long, it's been so long
I've lived too long, but a change has gotta come
I'm so tired, so tired of sufferin'
Standin' by myself and standin' up alone
But a change has gotta come
You know, and I know, and you know that
You know, and you know that
I know, I know, and you know
That a change is gonna come