well i'm about to get sick
from watchin' my tv
been checkin' out the news
until my eyeballs fail to see
i mean to say that every day
is just another rotten mess
and when it's gonna change
my friend
is anybody's guess
so i'm watchin' and i'm waitin'
hopin' for the best
even think i'll go to prayin'
every time i hear 'em sayin'
that there's no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
wednesday i watched the riot. seen the cops out on the street
watched 'em throwin' rocks and stuff
and chokin' in the heat
listened to reports
about the whisky passin' 'round
seen the smoke and fire
and the market burnin' down
watched while everybody
on his street would take a turn
to stomp and smash and bash and crash
and slash and bust and burn
and i'm watchin' and i'm waitin'
hopin' for the best
even think i'll go to prayin'
every time i hear 'em sayin'
that there's no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
well
you can cool it
you can heat it. 'cause
baby
i don't need it. take your tv tube and eat it
'n all that phony stuff on sports
'n all the unconfirmed reports
you know i watched that rotten box
until my head begin to hurt
from checkin' out the way
the newsman say they get the dirt
before the guys on channel so-and-so
and further they assert
that any show they'll interrupt
to bring you news if it comes up
they say that if the place blows up
they will be the first to tell
because the boys they got downtown
are workin' hard and doin' swell
and if anybody gets the news
before it hits the street
they say that no one blabs it faster
their coverage can't be beat
and if another woman driver
gets machine-gunned from her seat
they'll send some joker with a brownie
and you'll see it all complete
so i'm watchin' and i'm waitin'
hopin' for the best
even think i'll go to prayin'
every time i hear 'em sayin'
that there's no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
no way to delay
that trouble comin' every day
hey
you know something people?
i'm not black
but there's a whole lots a times
i wish i could say i'm not white
well
i seen the fires burnin'
and the local people turnin'
on the merchants and the shops
who used to sell their brooms and mops
and every other household item
watched the mob just turn and bite 'em
and they say it served 'em right
because a few of them are white
and it's the same across the nation
black and white discrimination
yellin' you can't understand me!"