| This little song that I’m singin' about, | 
| People you know it’s true | 
| If you’re black and gotta work for a living, | 
| This is what they will say to you, | 
| They say «if you was white, should be all right, | 
| If you was brown, stick around, | 
| But as you’s black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back» | 
| I was in a place one night | 
| They was all having fun | 
| They was all buyin' beer and wine, | 
| But they would not sell me none | 
| They said, «if you was white, should be all right, | 
| If you was brown, stick around, | 
| But if you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back» | 
| Me and a man was workin' side by side | 
| This is what it meant | 
| They was paying him a dollar an hour, | 
| And they was paying me fifty cent | 
| They said, «if you was white, 't should be all right, | 
| If you was brown, could stick around, | 
| But as you black, hmm boy, get back, get back, get back» | 
| I went to an employment office, | 
| Got a number 'n' I got in line | 
| They called everybody’s number, | 
| But they never did call mine | 
| They said, «if you was white, should be all right, | 
| If you was brown, could stick around, | 
| But as you black, hmm brother, get back, get back, get back» | 
| I hope when sweet victory, | 
| With my plough and hoe | 
| Now I want you to tell me brother, | 
| What you gonna do about the old Jim Crow? | 
| Now if you was white, should be all right, | 
| If you was brown, could stick around, | 
| But if you black, whoa brother, get back, get back, get back |