[Intro: Nina Simone]
Black bodies swinging in the southern breeze
Strange Fruit
[Chorus: John Legend]
Dance little brother, dont give up the fight
Hang on 'til tomorrow, the truth will come to light
Dance little sister, don't give up today
Hang on 'til tomorrow, tonight we celebrate, celebrate
[Verse 1: Common]
Black bodies on the wall, color from years ago
It's spiritual the way that them tears they fell slow
Roots and bruises so deep, found it hard to sleep
Souls lost in the heat, pray to God to keep
Fast forward to my pop, he nod and geeked-off the Heron
Still he was dead to bear arms
Thats where I'm from, my story ain't that different from yours
A blood line, a hard time, prisons and wars
With struggle it came rain, when it rains it pours
We stayed between liquor stores, and "praise the Lord"
Singing "we shall overcome" cause we came for more
We were dancing for it to rain no more
Though hurricanes and waves they came ashore
Takin' lives of the brave and poor
They'd ignore, us once again
But it was lessons in the wind
Of change that came from within
So
[Chorus: John Legend]
Dance little brother, don't give up the fight
Hang on 'til tomorrow, the truth will come to light
Dance little sister, don't give up today
Hang on 'til tomorrow, tonight we celebrate, celebrate
[Verse 2: Common]
Wonder if I make it to heaven, will I get a chance to party
And celebrate with the great black bodies
Im talking bout Marley, Nina, and Marcus Garvey
Similair to Africa the streets is our safari
From shanties in slums, is children with guns
AIDS and poverty killing our young
Gramps keep sayin a savior gon' come
For the meek and the humble favor gon' come
From the same trees we were hung, we can see the sun
In the darkest hour, our power begun
I write from the same place they were bleedin' from
I'm emceein they done until the streets is won
So far we've come, with so far to go
To do the impossible only God will know-how we do it
I speak it and I put it in the music
The struggle lives through it, its a movement so move it
[Chorus: John Legend]
Dance little brother, don't give up the fight
Hang on 'til tomorrow, the truth will come to light
Dance little sister, don't give up today
Hang on 'til tomorrow, tonight we celebrate, celebrate
[Verse 3: Fashawn]
Check it out, uh
Teardrop from a slave
Explain every word unwritten on the page
Pain, first the body, then they lock your brain
Ain't nothin' changed, [?], on his grave
Man, eldest diva, you've been doin' the same
Like they started the revolution in vain
We used to hang from the trees
Now we wearin' chains, like a slave is a thing to be
Damn, strange fruit but my brothers ate it
Bittersweet, we ate to live, while they lived to eat
We celebratin', even though times is devastating
Just know we got a spot in heaven waitin' for show
Was told God faith in, struggle the most
So I sing for the unsung, until I'm one with the ghost
Dance through the misery and the sorrow
And fuck yesterday, we livin' for tomorrow
[Chorus: John Legend Fashawn]
Dance little brother (We gotta dance, man)
Don't give up the fight (Yeah, uh)
Hang on 'til tomorrow
The truth will come to light (Teardrop from a slave)
Dance little sister
Don't give up the day
Hang on 'til tomorrow
Tonight we celebrate
Celebrate
Celebrate
Celebrate
Celebrate