I was born by a river, oh my   In this little old tent   Oh, just like this river   I've been running ever since   It's been alone      Lord, I'm coming but I know, but I know   A change is gotta come, now   Yes, it is, my oh, my oh, my oh      It's been too hard livin', oh my   And I'm afraid to die   I don't know what's up there   Beyond the clouds   It's been alone      Lord, I'm coming but I know, but I know   A change is gotta come   Oh, yes it is, my oh, my oh, my      There's a time   I will go to my brother, oh my   I've asked my brother   Will you help me please, oh now, oh now      He turned me down   And then I asked my little mother, oh my   I said mother, I said mother   I'm down on my knees      It's been time that I go   Lord, it's too late, very long, oh now, oh   Somehow I thought I was still able   To try to carry on   It's been alone      Lord, but I'm coming that I've know   A change is gonna come   Oh, yes, it is      Just like I said   I went to my little bitty brother, oh my, my little brother   I asked my brother   Brother, help me please, oh now      He turned me down   And then I go to my little mother   My dear mother, oh now   I said, ?Mother?, I said, ?Mother, I'm down on my knees?      But there was a time that I go   Lord, it's too late, so very long, oh, my oh   Somehow I thought I was still able   To try to carry on   It's been alone      Lord, I'm coming but I know, but I know   A change is gotta come   It's been so long, it's been so long   A little too long   But change is gotta come      So tired, so tired of suffering   Standing by myself   And standing up alone   But a change is gonna come      You know, I know   You know that   I know and I know   And you know   A change is gonna come