Stolen from my native land of Africa
Sold and beaten, stripped, enslaved
Stacked down in the hold and wracked with nausea
Sounds a bit like Abu Ghraib!

I'm black in the U.S. of A.
My voice it don't hold any sway, boys
Black in the U.S. of A.

Laboring 200 years in cotton fields
Starving like a dog all night
Forced to eat the master's tossed potato peels
Damn, this system just ain't right!

I'm black in the U.S. of A.
I'm prayin' for mo' better days, Lord
Black in the U.S.
Black in the U.S.
Black in the U.S. of A.

Well ol' Abe Lincoln, he helped me out
He freed us south o' the line
When I came north on the Underground
I ended up in Boston as an underpaid shoeshine-shine-shine

(Guitar solo)

I'm black in the U.S. of A.
My patience is starting to fray, Lord
Black in the U.S. of A.

Well, blacks got power, we won the vote
We kicked racist behind
But in 2000 we all took note
Now Florida's always on our mi-mi-
Mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-mi-minds!

Yo, show me how conservatism gave us clout
Helped us out of poverty
Was that Georgie W. singin' "Twist And Shout"
At the NAACP?

I'm black in the U.S. of A.
I'll see you on Election Day, boys
Black in the U.S. of A.!

Oh, lemme tell you honey
Hey I'm Black!

Woo-oo-ooo!