Seldom See Selma Anymore

O my Lord!

O my Lord!

Look at you people need.

An’ he look,

An he don’t

Like it, what he has see’d.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

All these folk

Lined up there

At the courthouse front door,

An’ the Lord,

He asked what

They all had done come for,

Seldom see Selma anymore.

We come to vote

To pray

To cry

To try

An’ we been hit

An’ bit

An’ tol’

To die.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

O pale one.

O pale one.

We are you brother here.

An’ they look

An’ they laugh.

We come to know great fear.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

Black human,

Keep movin’

In through the jailhouse door.

Let you eat

And try sleep

Down on the gritty floor.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

We come to vote

To pray

To cry

To try.

An’ we been hit

An’ bit

An’ tol’

To die.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

O my Lord.

O my Lord.

Look at you people need.

An’ he look

An’ he don’t

Like it, what he has see’d.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

But my men

Lie down in

The street an’ start to pray.

Don’t mind them,

The white men,

He has bought. He will pay.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

Nigger, they cried

an’ curse

an’ kick

an’ spit.

My Lord has seen

blood thirst

burst from

the pit.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

We black, that all.

it ain’t no curse.

It ain’t no sin.

Do you hear that roar?

The thunder what come

to sweep away our misery

and make bigots run

from the lightnin’ flash

that breaks the sky in fiery cracks?

It ain’t goin’ make no diff’rence

if you pale white or glossy black.

We’ll be allowed

to live

an’ breathe

an’ sweat.

We’ll be unbowed

to give

an’ lead

an’ get.

Seldom see Selma anymore.

Illustration: source unknown