Richie Havens

Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom

Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
Sometimes I feel like a motherless child
A long way from my home

Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom
Freedom, freedom

Sometimes I feel like I?m almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I?m almost gone
Sometimes I feel like I?m almost gone
A long, long, long, way, way from my home

Clap your hands, clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands
Clap your hands, clap your hands
Hey, yeah

I got a telephone in my bosom
And I can call him up from my heart
I got a telephone in my bosom
And I can call him up from my heart

When I need my brother, brother
When I need my mother, mother
Hey, yeah [unverified]

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Evrybody knows
That babys got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have the problem from her curls.

Ah, She takes just like a woman,
And she makes love just like a woman,
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

Ah, Queen mary, she's my friend
I believe I'll go see her again
Nobody has to guess
That baby cant be blessed
Till she finds out that she's like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls.

Ah, she takes just like a woman, yes, she does
And she makes love just like a woman,
Then she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

It was raining from the first
And I was dying there of thirst
So I came in here
And your long-time curse hurts
But what's worse
Is this pain in here
I can't stay in here
Ain't it clear that?

Oh, I just can't fit
I believe it's time for us to quit
And when we meet again
and introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.

Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
And you make love just like a woman,
And you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

You break just like a little girl.
You break just like a little girl.

[Richie Havens cover]

You can talk about your neighbor
You can grab him by the collar
You can hurt him only if he hollers
"let me go?-let me go"

But we all know that's old-fashioned
And it can only lead to pain
Where we might end up on the corner
Taking handouts in the rain

You can bomb your foreign brother
You can hurt him until he dies
You can kill him until he never asks you why
You're on his land?-you're on his land

But we all know that's all over
And that can only lead to blame
Where we might end up for our country
Taking handouts in the rain



You can trample on your sister
You can hurt her only if she cries
You can hurt her only if she cares
With all her heart?-with all her heart

But we all know she'd be a mother
And that could only lead to shame
Where she might end up for her children
Taking handouts in the rain

Teach your children stories
You can fill them full of lies
You can make them all despise
One another?-one another

But when they all find out later
And they call us by our rightful names
And send us shamefully to old age
Taking handouts in the rain
Taking handouts in the rain
Taking handouts in the rain

Nobody feels any pain
Tonight as I stand inside the rain
Evrybody knows
That babys got new clothes
But lately I see her ribbons and her bows
Have the problem from her curls.

Ah, She takes just like a woman,
And she makes love just like a woman,
And she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

Ah, Queen mary, she's my friend
I believe I'll go see her again
Nobody has to guess
That baby cant be blessed
Till she finds out that she's like all the rest
With her fog, her amphetamine and her pearls.

Ah, she takes just like a woman, yes, she does
And she makes love just like a woman,
Then she aches just like a woman
But she breaks just like a little girl.

It was raining from the first
And I was dying there of thirst
So I came in here
And your long-time curse hurts
But what's worse
Is this pain in here
I can't stay in here
Ain't it clear that?

Oh, I just can't fit
I believe it's time for us to quit
And when we meet again
and introduced as friends
Please don't let on that you knew me when
I was hungry and it was your world.

Ah, you fake just like a woman, yes, you do
And you make love just like a woman,
And you ache just like a woman
But you break just like a little girl.

You break just like a little girl.
You break just like a little girl.