Uh, with your bad self / Say it louder (I got a mouth) / Say it louder (I got a mouth)

Look a’here / Some people say we got a lot of malice, some say it’s a lotta nerve / I say we won’t quit moving til we get what we deserve / We’ve been buked and we’ve been scourned / We’ve been treated bad, talked about / As just as sure as you’re born / But just as sure as it take two eyes to make a pair, huh / Brother, we can’t quit until we get our share

Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud) / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), one more time / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), huh

I’ve worked on jobs with my feet and my hands / But all the work I did was for the other man / And now we demands a chance to do things for ourselves / We tired of beating our heads against the wall and working for someone else

Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud)… / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), oowee

Ooowee, ou’re killing me / Alright uh, you’re out of sight / Alright, so tough, you’re tough enough / Ooowee uh, you’re killing me, oow

Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud) / Say it louder (I’m black and I’m proud)

Now we demand a chance to do things for ourselves / We tired of beating our heads against the wall and working for someone else / A look a’here / One thing more I got to say right here / Now, we’re people like the birds and the bees / We rather die on our feet than keep living on our knees

Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), hu / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), hu / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), Lord’a Lord’a Lord’a / Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud), ooooh

Uh, alright now, good Lord / You know we can do the boog-a-loo / Now we can say we do the Funky Broadway! / Now we can do, hu / Sometimes we dance, we sing and we talk / You know I do like to do the camel walk / Alright now, hu alright / Alright now, ha

Say it loud (I’m black and I’m proud)…

[By Alfred James Ellis – James Brown © King Records, 1968]