Run, run chile,
You bes’ not be late!
Old granny is teach’n to read today!
You bes’ duck behind them trees,
Make sho’ yo’ way is free and cleah,
You don’t know what kind of evil
Massa got hidin’ our theah!

When you gets to granny’s shack,
Hustle in quick as you can!
‘Cus if they catch y’alls read’n
They gon’ send us to the auction man!

Run, run, run chile,
Never mind dem cuts on yo’ feets!
‘Cus what granny gon’ sho you in dem books,
One day,
Gon’ set us all free!

Run, run, run chile, 
Learn as much as ya can!
You know there’s only one thang massa hates,
And that’s a learned colored man!

Learn, learn, learn chile,
Learn much as you can!
Teach yo’ own chil’rens ‘bout how we
Worked, bled, and died fo’ this land!