Well, if you wanna go to college down in Mississippi,
Let me give you a little tip.
If you're black, brown, or yellow, That's alright.
But if you wanna get in you better be white.
They got a man down there stands guard in' them old college doors
Day and night --name's Barnett.
Well old Barnett, he sure takes the cake,
He's got nothin' more to do in that whole darn state
Then guard them doors and put up a fight,
And ban kids from college 'cause their color ain't right
What I'd like to see is some of this Southern hospitality
I been hearing so much about.
Young Jim Meredith wants to go to school, but old Barnett says,
"Ya must be a fool. Don't you know I'm boss in this here state,
"And I ain't gonna let nobody integrate.
Tell it to the judge.
Well, old Barnett he thinks he's got a case, so he takes it to courts
All over the place. And all of the courts say, "Let him in"
"Cause you can't judge a student by the color of his skin."
But that's Barnett for you -- Bet he wouldn't even read a book,
Unless it had a white cover on it.
Well, the government hop-skips-it down to the scene
Wants t' make everything peachy keen.
But old Barnett, just as stubborn as a mule,
Still keeps guardin' that doggarn school....
"I want my freedoms "he says. "Freedom of speech, freedom of thought
"Freedom to segregate."
Edwin Walker didn't think it was fair, what was goin' on down there,
He said, "I was wrong in Little Rock, But now I'm gonna make it up".
So he got some men, some guns, went down to fight the U.S. Army,
And the National Reserve:
After threatenin' Barnett with a charge of contempt,
And after all kinds of pressure from the government,
Barnett gave in like a tired old mule,
Said James Meredith could go to school....
But he didn't speak -- For the whole ConfederaCy.
The President came on the TV screen talkin', about the Mississippi scene,
He said, "Mississippi, if you make amends
"Then everybody'll be your friend again...."
But Mississippi had made some new friends, and at that very moment:
Edwin Walker hit the campus with his guns and his troops,
And all the hating. students joined in the group --
And there was shoutin' and screamin', And bullets were a-flyin',
Reminds me of something that happened -- About a hundred years ago.
Well, Lincoln set the Negro free, but some people just won't let him be,
And some people just won't give him his rights,
And they're the very same people that I want to fight....
And I'll fight 'em
And I'll beat 'em!
Let me give you a little tip.
If you're black, brown, or yellow, That's alright.
But if you wanna get in you better be white.
They got a man down there stands guard in' them old college doors
Day and night --name's Barnett.
Well old Barnett, he sure takes the cake,
He's got nothin' more to do in that whole darn state
Then guard them doors and put up a fight,
And ban kids from college 'cause their color ain't right
What I'd like to see is some of this Southern hospitality
I been hearing so much about.
Young Jim Meredith wants to go to school, but old Barnett says,
"Ya must be a fool. Don't you know I'm boss in this here state,
"And I ain't gonna let nobody integrate.
Tell it to the judge.
Well, old Barnett he thinks he's got a case, so he takes it to courts
All over the place. And all of the courts say, "Let him in"
"Cause you can't judge a student by the color of his skin."
But that's Barnett for you -- Bet he wouldn't even read a book,
Unless it had a white cover on it.
Well, the government hop-skips-it down to the scene
Wants t' make everything peachy keen.
But old Barnett, just as stubborn as a mule,
Still keeps guardin' that doggarn school....
"I want my freedoms "he says. "Freedom of speech, freedom of thought
"Freedom to segregate."
Edwin Walker didn't think it was fair, what was goin' on down there,
He said, "I was wrong in Little Rock, But now I'm gonna make it up".
So he got some men, some guns, went down to fight the U.S. Army,
And the National Reserve:
After threatenin' Barnett with a charge of contempt,
And after all kinds of pressure from the government,
Barnett gave in like a tired old mule,
Said James Meredith could go to school....
But he didn't speak -- For the whole ConfederaCy.
The President came on the TV screen talkin', about the Mississippi scene,
He said, "Mississippi, if you make amends
"Then everybody'll be your friend again...."
But Mississippi had made some new friends, and at that very moment:
Edwin Walker hit the campus with his guns and his troops,
And all the hating. students joined in the group --
And there was shoutin' and screamin', And bullets were a-flyin',
Reminds me of something that happened -- About a hundred years ago.
Well, Lincoln set the Negro free, but some people just won't let him be,
And some people just won't give him his rights,
And they're the very same people that I want to fight....
And I'll fight 'em
And I'll beat 'em!
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