Come chile, sit down a spell or two with me
Take a load off cause those feet are looking like they in need
You remindin me of me way back in my younger day
‘Cept the I ain’t even have no shoes to cover my weary achin ways
Yeah, that was when my feet, they were brand spankin new
But they grew old too quick cause of thangs other than no shoes
Shoot, the white lady, she had me runnin from way 'fore sunrise
And her man had me dancing, pullin up my skirt tail despise,
My belly’s current condition or time of month it be
Havin his way after dark and neva tendin to any of his half breeds
But how’d I’d expect anything more from the maser?
He was the fault of nearly two-dozen bastards
But see here, mama always told me the sun did shine on me
'Cause my skin was way lighter than all the other darkeys
Chile, I know I hate that word too
But after decades of hearin it, still slips out spite of what I do
See my bright colored skin earned me lots of thangs though
Got better scraps, less lashins, some clean water and so
Lawd, I was all most equal to the housedog at one time
Thought I was special, so was thankful, and tried to stay in line
Chile, back then yes 'mam was all I knew
Noddin and curtseyin all day long and through
Lost four children to the maser’s worst foe
They was treated like cattle lost in a game for some hooch and a lil dough
Over time yeah thangs do change a lil bit
But the product of me and mines still don’t mean spit
See the bill that those white folks ran up over all of those years
Will never be paid off no matter how many tears
Fall from those eyes of green, brown, or blues
Cause my feet are still tired and it ain’t cause I don’t have no shoes!