The World/Inferno Friendship Society Paul Robeson Lyrics

joy beats oppression, but oppression will make you pay,
'cause our joy is fleeting while oppression never goes away..
you look them right in the eye,
yeah you shout and sing them down,
but joy, our joy, don't really care for fighting
while oppression will just wait around-for you to blink.
joy beats oppression, but oppression will make you pay.

speak up, black out, black-listed, full-blooded red-

he gave us all he could-but when he got tired-
and we all get tired-when we ain't thinking so good-
when he got tired this country it took back every d___ thing that it f___ing could.
bullies will always take back everything they can,
from the free, from the joyous lucky drunks who don't give a d___-
this country will always take back everything it can.

speak up, black out, black-listed, full-blooded red-

he wasn't in it for himself, he was in it for you and for me
but he fought it alone and that just makes you bitter and mean,
for a while this could be so good,
for tonight we make the rules here inside this club.
me and the girls are here to tell you;
they're f___ing with you 'cause they want what you have
and that things are really pretty d___ funny
and that things aren't really quite so bad.
take this one thing with you to home and to work and to school, to mom and to dad-
there are moments when you can stop the world
remember that friends don't be sad.
take this one thing with you to home and to work and to school, to mom and to dad-
don't hang a man out to dry- again,
don't make a man fight it alone- again.

speak up, black out, black-listed, full-blooded red-