It's been a long, long, long time coming but I know that change is gonna come

I was born by a river, oh my
In this little old town
Just like this river
I've been running ever since

It's been a long long long time coming
I know, but I know that change is gonna come, now
Oh yes it is, my oh my oh my oh my

It's been too hard livin', oh my
And I'm afraid to die
I don't know what's up there
Beyond the clouds

It's been a long long long time coming
but I know that change is gonna come
Oh yes it is, my oh my oh my

There's a time
I will go to my brother, oh my
I would ask my brother
Will you help me please, oh now oh now
He turned me down
And then I asked my little mother, oh my oh
I said mother, I said mother
I'm down on my knees

It's been time that I go
Lord it's too late
Very long, oh now oh

Somehow I thought I was still able
To try to carry on
It's been a long long long time coming
but I know that change is gonna come
Oh yes it is

Just like I said
I went to my little baby brother, oh my, my little brother
I asked my brother, brother help me please, oh now
He turned me down
And then I go to my little mother, my dear mother, oh now, huh
I said mother, I said mother I'm down on my knees

But there was a time that I go
Lord it's too late
So very long, oh my oh
Somehow I thought I was still able
To try to carry on
It's been a long long long time coming
but I know, but I know that change is gonna come
It's been so long, it's been so long
A little too long
But change has gotta come
So tired, so tired of suffering
Standing by myself
It's been so long
But change has gotta come

—Otis Redding / A Change is Gonna Come
(FYI: Sam Cooke's (original songwriter) lyrics are little different, apparently. Oh, Interwebs, I learn so much from you.)