Told to me by my mama Helen Grisby


 
Them there flags flying don’t mean a thing
Unless you’s Free in a White Society I say to you
Like me…yes  I am free in this old white man world
 
Done seen a lot
Done, done a lot
Ain’t much more to do but die
 
Don’t want to see no president
He’s just a man will a cover of foolishness
A greedy mane telling a lot of lies
A devilish mane who’s trying to place god
That there mane ain’t got no heart
Not for color folks
Not even his own folks

I ain’t locked in no cage
Or inside my head
I ain’t dead as others might want to believe
I am free in America
God set me free
 
I am Free in a White Society I say to you
Don’t got no needs
Don’t got no wants
Cept Jesus Christ
 
Root over my head
A bed to lay my head
Food on my table
Lexcricity, to light my way
Gas heat to keep warm
Don’t have to use cola oil no mo
Frigirator to keep my food
And got me a telephone
I’s even own my on home
I’s free
Don’t got to pay no white man nor blacken
Rent no more. Mines blood and my manes blood paid for this
I’s well taken care of God sees to that
He promised me that He would be what
I need and mo
Jesus ain’t ever lied
 
I’s free in this white man’s society
Ain’t no boss man beating and knocking on me
Done worked in the field
His kitchen
Raised his Chileans
Nursed them on these here to breast
Ain’t a one of them there Chileans ever sassy me
Cause they know I’d take to them a belt
Yes I’s raised a lot of them their white folks Chileans
Alone with my own.
Shame of it all is that it was my own that done me wrong.
They up and left one day and didn’t say good bye
I stopped crying alone time ago
When I found they was alive
One of my youngens come to visit me a while back
Didn’t recognize him at first
He’s gotten so fat
Brung with him his little girl and boys
Handsome chileans too.
Smart as a whip they is
 
I’d been alone a long time now
But ain’t lonely a tall
Just me and Jesus living here under this old roof
We’s have some great times talking and making
Conversation. I’s just loves him and he loves me
 
Mane done been done died
Been over twenty years now
Didn’t need another
Don’t want another
God bless his soul
He was a goodum
 
 I heard a fellow say he’s going back to Africa
Africa is along, ways
He’s just lying though Africa so far away
 Too go so far away is Africa.
And he’s got no money
But pose he can dream if he wanna
Dreams don’t hurt many
 
I try and remember stories my Ma and Pa use to tell me
But I’s gotten old now and they sort of faint
The more I try and memo them the mo I can’t.
Not many memories alive inside my head these days
But sometimes one of the girls from the school comes
And read me a little bit about what they say 
in that history books create.
She sings songs of Africa to me
And tell me stories that make me proud to be black
Songs that bring back memories of my sisters and brothers
How Ma and Pa and Granny use to gather us together on the porch
On Sunday afternoon after church 
and tell us to never forget where our people
Come from and never forget out history.
That chides songs beat back the history into my blood-
She just sang and dance for me while beating her old drum
She beats back into my blood with words sad sungs,
I’s nearly forgotten sungs In strange un-Negroe tongue.
Yep, So long, so far away is Africa.
 
That man ain’t never gonna make it
Po fellow don’t know Africa ain’t his home.
Bo’n here and raised here just like me
I’s ain’t never been lonely for Africa
And Africa show ain’t lonely for me.
Ain’t never had time to think about going there
Had enough problems trying to make it here
The way them white folks treat them black folks
Back there it’s a shame
God got me where he wants me
Done kept me all these here years
No I ain’t worried about going to Africa
Or no where else.
 I am rooted right here been here all my life
Ain’t lonely either cause I got Jesus Christ.
And Jesus show knows he’s got me.
 
 
Yes, Africa for us po folks
Us old folks is long time gone
Lost to us before we was bo’n
Lost and is subdued in time-
Lost are the drums- ma and pa spoke of
Yet through some vast mist of race there comes
Theses songs in my head
That we’s color folks is lost but not dead.
 I do not understand this song of atavistic land of bitter yearnings
If the black man don’t straighten up 
he’s gonna be forever Lost without a place.
So long, so far away is Africas' dark face
The Africans belong there and the color folks belong right here
They can fool themselves all they want.
Them there folks don’t want us over there. 
They’s got enough problems
What us black folks gonna do over there besides get killed
We ain’t got nothing, and most of us 
ain’t gonna share what we do got
We are a people that is self destructed.
 
What color mane gonna git over there 
and see diamonds bigger than apples
Lying on a ground and walk away?
He’s po here and he’s be dead over there
At least here he’s alive.
 
What color woman gonna go over there 
and not be able to dobe up her hair?
I’s not met any of them over here ready for all that.
We can’t even live together over here, 
how’s we gonna do it over there?
 
Them white folks would kill them color folks 
that take their butts
Over there as show as my name is Nana
They’s a waiting I tell you for one of us 
to try and come over there
 and change a thing.
We can’t do nothing
but together we can bind together with Jesus and wait
On his giving us the go ahead
and then and then only can us color folks go
Over there to African and survivor.
 
Them there flags flying don’t mean a thing
Unless you’s Free in a White Society I say to you
Like me…yes I’s free in this old white man world
I’s free because a long time ago 
Jesus Christ stepped in and taught me
That Heaven is within and where Heaven is 
there’s only Happiness, Joy and no Sin.