[Instrumental intro]

Whenever they're whipping me
with that rawhide
skin starts burning
bleeds as it's opened wide
Being beat, well, it
sure hurts me
But to the slave
owner's do as they please

Sometimes they beat slaves
sometimes really hard
Those damn creeps are violent
cruel people with no heart

Feel the lash while restrained
I moan in great pain
the overseer
he sneers
My humanity's disdained
how can a human being
be so damn mean
didn't Jesus say
"Treat the least like me"?

But still they beat slaves
cruelly and real hard
The whip-lash keeps flying
tears my back apart

[instrumental break]
{Oooh-ooh}
{Beat slaves}

{Ooh, it's screwed}
{being a slave}

{I don't think it's how}
{it's s'posed to be}
{always thought that}
{people should be free}
{but still they beat slaves}

Slavery is a disgrace
to the whole human race
No way around it
no excuse for it
On Judgment Day
you may be asked why

you treated human beings
in such bad ways
He might ask you why
you behaved this way

Why did you keep slaves?
Why did you take part
in this human bondage
While saying to me "Thou Art"?

[Out to end Fade]
Come on, I say
explain
Please explain
why did you keep slaves?
replay
those days
and explain
this to me
explain
make plain
Oh, man
please, explain...