Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday to you
A few years ago on my birthday
I had just become twenty one
(I remember)
I had a lot to live, said I had a lot to give
Till a man comes to give me a gun
And though that war he sent me to
Didn't claim me
If I'm bitter don't blame me
It's just my soul responding
Don't you try to tell me I'm un-patriotic
I deserve an explanation
I can't help but wonder if you really got it
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
This land once belonged to my father
And to his father before him too
Let me tell you now, I'm on a reservation
Living in a state of degradation
What's a soul suppose to do?
'Cause I'm out, pushin', right?
I'm not in doubt
When it's just my soul responding
To seeing little hungry children
In the land of plenty
Just my soul responding
To doing lots of deeds
But never having any
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
I was born and raised in the ghetto
On the run down side of the track
And there are forces who do everything they can do
To hold me back because my skin is black
Oh but more and more I mind
Hell, it's about time
It's just my soul responding
To being second-class in a land I helped to form
Just my soul responding
To too many roaches and not enough heat
To keep my babies warm
In this land I helped to form
I've got too many roaches and not enough heat
To keep my babies warm
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday, happy birthday
Happy birthday to you
A few years ago on my birthday
I had just become twenty one
(I remember)
I had a lot to live, said I had a lot to give
Till a man comes to give me a gun
And though that war he sent me to
Didn't claim me
If I'm bitter don't blame me
It's just my soul responding
Don't you try to tell me I'm un-patriotic
I deserve an explanation
I can't help but wonder if you really got it
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
This land once belonged to my father
And to his father before him too
Let me tell you now, I'm on a reservation
Living in a state of degradation
What's a soul suppose to do?
'Cause I'm out, pushin', right?
I'm not in doubt
When it's just my soul responding
To seeing little hungry children
In the land of plenty
Just my soul responding
To doing lots of deeds
But never having any
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
I was born and raised in the ghetto
On the run down side of the track
And there are forces who do everything they can do
To hold me back because my skin is black
Oh but more and more I mind
Hell, it's about time
It's just my soul responding
To being second-class in a land I helped to form
Just my soul responding
To too many roaches and not enough heat
To keep my babies warm
In this land I helped to form
I've got too many roaches and not enough heat
To keep my babies warm
It's just my soul responding
Soul responding, soul responding
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The song, which appeared on his first solo album Smokey in 1973 after his departure from the Miracles, has the bonus of a birthday greeting in the intro without being twee or frivolous. This is a rare protest song, with racism, black rights and the pain of native American history at its heart.
Songs Of The Week 2020: Take 1