The Staple Singers - When Will We Be Paid lyrics

Intro: Prince, thanks for dropping by the studio. Audio Stepchild let's do this, when will we be paid, take one... rolling Chorus: When will we be paid for the work we've done When will we be paid for the work we've done Verse 1: We fought in your wars in every land To keep this country free, y'all, for women, children, and men But every time we ask for pay or a loan That's when everything seems to turn out wrong We been beat up, called names, shot down and stoned Every time we do right, somebody say we're wrong (Repeat Chorus) Verse 2: Listen, we worked this country from shore to shore Our women cooked all your food and washed all your clothes We picked cotton and laid the railroad steel Worked our hands down to the bone at your lumber mill (Repeat Chorus) Verse 3: (Spoken Word by Jonathan Hay) I refuse to back down in the face of violence As I protest I'm attacked dogs, mobs, police and military force We've been beaten, blackmailed, tortured and maimed But I'm still on strike, holding this sign that say we can't be tamed The unfair brutal violence you inflict So we protest to resolve this conflict They throw their tear gas, I put on mask I get zapped by a stun gun, I'm numb I get thumped with a stick I'm brave, not a slave, and I'm fed-up with this sh** I'm an activist, with an active stand to fight for what is right So we picket strike and form blockades They bring their soldiers, but we are soldiers in a different way And we won't stop until we are free (free, free, free, free) Verse 4: Will we ever be proud of "My country, tis of thee"? Will we ever sing out loud, "Sweet land of Liberty"? When will we be paid for the work we've done? I wanna know I wanna, I wanna, I wanna know (when, when, when, when) (Repeat Chorus) Bridge: Why can't we be paid? Oh, oh when, when will we be paid? We've given up our sweat, now, and all of our tears Stumbled through this life for more than 300 years I, I wanna know, the work we've done