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All of us have something to say.

But some are never heard.

Over seven years ago, the people of Watts stood together

and demanded to be heard.

On a Sunday, this past August in the Los Angeles Coliseum

over 100,000 black people came together

to commemorate that moment in American history.

For over six hours, the audience heard, felt, sang

danced, and shouted the living word

in a soulful expression of the black experience.

This is a film of that experience

and what some of the people have to say.

♪ Some people are made of plastic ♪

♪ You know some people are made of wood ♪

♪ Some people have hearts of stone ♪

♪ Some people are up to no good ♪

♪ Ah, but baby, I'm for real ♪

♪ I'm as real as real can get ♪

♪ If what you're looking for ♪

♪ Is real loving ♪

♪ Then what you see is what you get ♪

♪ Ha, whatcha see ♪

♪ Whatcha see ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Whatcha see ♪

♪ Whatcha see ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ I said, what you see ♪

♪ Is whatcha get, now baby ♪

♪ And the real thing is the best thing yet ♪

♪ The best thing yet ♪

♪ Whatcha see is whatcha get ♪

♪ I got a real ♪

♪ Got to get it ♪

♪ You can have it all ♪

♪ Whatcha see, baby, baby ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Look at me now ♪

♪ Whatcha see ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Whatcha see ♪

♪ Is whatcha get ♪

♪ Everyday now whatcha see ♪

♪ Will be whatcha get ♪

'That's what we did in 1965. We all got crazy and went out'

'and started burning up our own neighborhood and shit.'

That brought the man on their own land.

'The thing about it was, it did somethin' constructive for us.'

That's the only beautiful thing that went off, man.

'Thank you, whitey.'

That's the only way we communicate with whitey, man.

'You've never seen in a community as many markets.'

They've opened up a Dr. Martin Luther King Hospital.

There's more black people in Watts that were formerly on

county and state aid that are employed right now.

Like your, like your mama.

Your mama got a job. The first time in 10 years.

'Dumb-ass motherfucker.'

I'm talkin' about black people.

- Like you, nigger. - You know he's been drinking.

You lived on 103rd.

- He's not responsible. - Shit. You know what?

'Once half a whitey, nigger.'

It wouldn't do no good to burn over in Inglewood.

Them motherfuckers ain't buying second-grade meat.

Shit ain't getting better.

They're still putting offices off into the area, man, shit.

- They're making money off it. - But look. But look..

- 'You'd be surprised.' - 'What's happening?'

'You'd be surprised.'

'How much that building, that particular building'

will satisfy so many niggers.

- 'Pacify for a little.' - Make them think.

Make them think it's progress.

Up until, up until the point that we had a riot.

Everybody said those niggers are alright. They're doing fine.

Then when we had a riot, then the white man said

"Something's wrong.

"'Cause these suckers are burning down my store.

"I gotta give these niggers something

because I thought they was happy."

'But what did he give them?'

They've changed some for the best.

In an awful lot of cases for the worse.

And some they have not changed at all.

There's no difference in Watts now than Watts '65.

California's a weird state, they have laws for pedestrians.

You cross the street, they have laws for pedestrians.

But they don't have laws for people at night

when cops accidentally shoot people.

They accidentally shoot more niggers out here

than any place in the world. Every time on the paper.

"Nigger accidentally shot in the ass."

How do you accidentally shoot a nigger six times in the chest?

"Well, my gun fell and just went crazy."

♪ If you feel like clapping your hands ♪

♪ You better come on, come on, come on ♪

♪ If you feel like you wanna dance ♪

♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪

♪ And if you feel like you wanna sing ♪

♪ Come on, come on, come on ♪

♪ Come on now, everybody sing along ♪

♪ Oh, sing it now ♪

♪ Oh, la, de, dah Oh, la, de, dah ♪

♪ Oh, la, de, dah Oh, la, de, dah ♪

♪ Oh, la, de, dah ♪

'It's gonna be the best sound though, that's ever been.'

- 'I can dig it.' - 'We're sure of that.'

That's beautiful. I work in sound, also.

'I'm hip to it.'

'This is the best sound equipment in our opinion.'

- 'How many people you have?' - Four, Mr. Van Peebles.

Okay, there'll be one more, which will be five.

'Now, of those five people at that end of the tunnel'

'there will be three and two.'

'Three on the gate and two in the dressing rooms.'

'When the gate slows down after the festival gets underway'

'we may put three in the dressing room, and two.'

'Now, the rest of you gentlemen..'

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ You may have the black blood ♪

♪ Or you may have the white blood ♪

♪ But we all are living on blood, so ♪

♪ Don't nobody ♪

♪ Slip into the mud 'cause ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ Burn in the neck ♪

♪ Their cigarette ♪

♪ Everybody's sweatin' ♪

♪ Whatcha give is whatcha get ♪

♪ Hot pants and scarf don't let our world go wild ♪

♪ Momma's youngest child is learning fast ♪

♪ Got to get up as soon as you lay down ♪

♪ Don't get nothing from your head staring down ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ We the people ♪

♪ Got to make the world go round ♪

♪ Got to make the world now ♪

♪ We the people ♪

'As the first Black Queen of Miss Watts at Watts Festival'

'and the Watts Beauty Pageant. How do you feel about this?'

It's beautiful.

I think it's a very, very, very beautiful endeavor.

It's beautiful, that's what it is.

It's great, what can I tell you?

Fantastic.

It's a hell of a feeling.

I think it's beautiful.

Like, the whole thing is going on, you know?

'Ladies and gentlemen, our national anthem.'

♪ Oh, say ♪

♪ Can you see ♪

♪ By the dawn's ♪

♪ Early light ♪

♪ What so proudly ♪

♪ We hailed ♪

♪ At the twilight's last gleaming ♪

'I don't have a damn thing to fight for and I got no country'

and I don't have no flag.

I ain't got a thing to fight for.

Go there and get half my ass blowed off and come back home

and can't even draw unemployment.

Let alone find a motherfucking job.

There's a lot of funky things

in this country, and there's good things, too.

But you run into more funky than you good.

Why can't we, as being the people, without revolution

you know, without political, social and economical change

be a part of America?

'I can say it in one word, brother.'

- Politics. - 'Thank you.'

Politics.

First time I discovered I was black

was at the interstate fair in Pensacola, Florida.

And...it was one of those things.

I was standing there.

I was working behind this counter where you throw balls

to knock over the milk bottles.

This one cat threw the ball, knocked down two of the bottles.

One of them was for certain, one almost fell

and he said that I kept it from falling over, and he spit on me.

Called me a black, nasty, lying nigger.

My brother..

...made me realize I was a nigger

'cause he's high yellow.

You dig? He's lighter than I am, right?

We was playing with some people, you know, just running around

doing this, doing that, and then they called him over.

We was playing with some white kids. They called him over.

And they whispered something in his ear.

So we went home. We was going home.

And my brother jumped up and told me I was a nigger.

I looked at this sucker, 'cause I didn't know what a nigger was.

But these white boys, they identified with him

because he was light-skinned.

He went in and he told my mother that I was a black nigger

and that he was a white boy.

You dig? But, see, my mother's bad.

My mother checked that out, so she said

"Okay. I'm not your mother, 'cause all my kids are niggers."

When I told my mother what happened

that this white girl had called me a nigger, and what it means.

So she said, "Wait till your father got home, he'll explain."

When my old man got home, I told him about it

and he kind of gave me a weird look

and he said, "Look, let me tell you something."

He said, "The next time somebody calls you a nigger

just kick their ass. Ask no questions, just kick their ass."

I think, niggers are the best of the people that were slaves.

You know? And that's how they got to be niggers.

'Cause they stole the cream from Africa and brought them here.

And God, as they say, works in mysterious ways.

He made everybody a nigger as we was arguing over in Africa

about the Watusi, the Huwagada, the Zagumbo, and the Zamunga.

You know... in different languages.

So he brought us all over here, the best, the kings

the queens, and the princesses and the princes

and put us all together and called us one tribe: niggers.

'This is a beautiful day.'

'It is a new day.'

'It is a day of black awareness.'

'A day of black people'

'taking care of black people's business.'

'Today we are together.'

'We are unified and on one accord.'

'But when we are together, we've got power.

And we can make decisions.

Today, on this program you will hear gospel

and rhythm and blues, and jazz.

'All those are just labels. We know that music is music.'

'All of our people got a soul.'

Our experience determines the texture

the taste, and the sound of our soul.

'We say that we may be in the slum.'

'But the slum is not in us.'

'We may be in prison.'

'But the prison is not in us.'

In Watts, we have shifted from

"Burn, baby, burn" to "Learn, baby, learn."

We have shifted from having a seizure

about what the man got

to seizing what we need.

We have shifted from bedbugs and dog ticks

to community control and politics.

'That is why we gather today'

'to celebrate our homecoming'

'and our own sense of somebody-ness.'

That is why I challenge you now to stand together.

Raise your fists together

and engage in our national black litany.

Do it with courage and determination.

I am..

I am..

...somebody!

...somebody.

I am...somebody.

I may be poor

but I am...somebody!

I may be on welfare

but I am...somebody!

I may be unskilled

but I am...somebody!

I am...black

Beautiful.

Proud!

I must be respected!

I must be respected!

I must be protected.

I must be protected.

- What time is it? - Nation time!

When we stand together, what time is it?

'Nation time!'

When we say no more, "Yessuh, boss", what time is it?

- Nation time! - What time is it?

Nation time!

- What time is it? - Nation time.

Sister Kim Weston, the black national anthem.

♪ Lift every voice and sing ♪

♪ Till earth and heaven ring ♪

♪ Ring with the harmonies ♪

♪ Of liberty ♪

♪ Let our rejoicing rise ♪

♪ High as the listening skies ♪

♪ Let it resound ♪

♪ Loud as the rolling sea ♪

Won't you sing it with me, everybody?

♪ Sing a song ♪

♪ Full of the faith that the dark past has taught us ♪

♪ Sing a song ♪

♪ Full of the hope that the present ♪

♪ Has brought us ♪

♪ Facing the rising sun ♪

♪ Of our new day begun ♪

♪ Let us march on ♪

♪ Till victory is won ♪

♪ Stony the road we trod ♪

♪ Bitter the chastening rod ♪

♪ Felt in the days when hope ♪

♪ Unborn had died ♪

♪ Yet with a steady beat ♪

♪ Have not our weary feet ♪

♪ Come to the place for which our fathers sighed ♪

We've got some difficult days ahead.

But it really doesn't matter with me now.

Because I've been to the mountaintop.

And I don't mind.

Like anybody, I would like to live

a long life. Longevity has its place.

But I'm not concerned about that now.

I just want to do God's will.

And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain.

And I've looked over

and I've seen... the promised land.

I may not get there with you.

But I want you to know tonight

that we as a people will get to the promised land.

So, I'm happy tonight. I'm not worried about anything.

I'm not fearing any man.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.

♪ When I am weary ♪

♪ And filled with despair ♪

♪ Who give me courage ♪

♪ To go on from there ♪

♪ And who gives me faith ♪

♪ That will never die ♪

♪ Somebody bigger than you and I ♪

♪ Who made the flowers ♪

♪ To bloom in the spring ♪

♪ Who made the song ♪

♪ For the robins to sing ♪

I remember, we used to go to a movie house.

It wasn't a church, you know? It was a movie house.

And the thing, it used to bug me, man, 'cause it was like

every place else you went to something like a church.

But in a black neighborhood, you had to go to a movie house.

But when you got in the movie house, it was bad.

I mean, the people got down. I remember going in there, man.

I used to go to Catholic church. I went to a Methodist church.

I went to them other churches.

I went to this-this black church

in Oakland. And we went up.

I went up, and I saw tambourines and trombones

and drums, and I said, "This is church?"

I don't understand this, man.

The people, the preacher got up and started talking about God.

And I was listening, and I said

"I never heard anybody talk about God like this before."

This guy started talking about God and what God did.

And then he got this band going behind him, man.

And the band started getting into it, man.

And the cats was playing, and shit.

And I said, "Goddamn!" And I started feeling good.

♪ You've been lying on the truth ♪

♪ I'm gonna tell it like it is ♪

♪ You've been lying on the truth, yeah ♪

♪ I'm gonna tell it like it is ♪

♪ You say Alexander ♪

♪ Non-communication ♪

♪ Black prince with your messages ♪

♪ A mini generation, yeah ♪

♪ Say Columbus ♪

♪ Is goin' to land ♪

♪ When Columbus got off of his ship ♪

♪ Black man who welcomed his hand ♪

♪ Don't you know you've been lying on the truth ♪

♪ I'll tell it like it is, yeah ♪

♪ Lying on the truth ♪

♪ Tell it like it is, yeah ♪

♪ Got to bring the truth alive ♪

♪ Tell the truth, oh, it's alright ♪

♪ You're lying on the truth, yeah ♪

♪ Girl, I can feel it ♪

♪ You're lying on the truth, yeah ♪

♪ Tell it like it is, yeah ♪

♪ Come on ♪

♪ You're lying, lying ♪

♪ You've been lying, yeah ♪

♪ Right out lying ♪

♪ You lied to me, yeah ♪

♪ I'm reminded of the two thieves ♪

♪ Nailed beside him ♪

♪ I believe one of the thieves said ♪

♪ "If thou be the Christ ♪

♪ Why don't you save thyself and us?" ♪

♪ And the other said ♪

♪ Lord ♪

♪ Remember me ♪

♪ The Lord said ♪

♪ This day ♪

♪ Thou shall be with me ♪

♪ In paradise ♪

♪ I remember, he and his 12 ♪

♪ On a ship sailing afar when all of a sudden ♪

♪ The sky was filled with darkness ♪

♪ The sea was raging ♪

♪ The lightning flashed, the thunder roared ♪

♪ The ship was rocking back and forth, they were so afraid ♪

♪ So afraid ♪

♪ And I believe, I believe I heard a voice ♪

♪ I believe, I hear this voice now ♪

♪ I believe I hear a voice crying out now ♪

♪ I believe, I hear this voice crying ♪

♪ Crying, crying, saying ♪

♪ Master ♪

♪ The tempest is raging ♪

♪ The billows ♪

♪ The billows ♪

♪ Are tossing high ♪

♪ The sky is shadowed ♪

♪ With blackness ♪

♪ No home ♪

♪ No help is nigh ♪

♪ Wake up, Jesus ♪

♪ The winds and the waves shall ♪

♪ Obey thy will ♪

♪ Peace be still ♪

♪ Peace be still ♪

♪ Peace be still ♪

♪ Peace be still ♪

♪ Peace be still ♪

♪ Whether the wrath of ♪

♪ The storm-tossed sea ♪

♪ Or demons ♪

♪ Or people ♪

♪ Or whatever may be ♪

♪ Dontcha know ♪

♪ No water ♪

♪ No water can swallow ♪

♪ The ship where lies ♪

♪ The Master ♪

♪ Of ocean ♪

♪ Of ocean ♪

♪ And earth ♪

♪ And skies ♪

♪ When you burn ♪

♪ You need a friend ♪

♪ All over the world there's a good friend ♪

♪ If you need him call on him ♪

♪ Be still ♪

♪ Oh, be still ♪

♪ Oh, be still ♪

When I hear the choir sing like Amazing Grace, I start thinking

when my great-grandmother died. She died of cancer.

I was young.

The music, it just sets a thing. You get a thing inside.

Every time I hear that song, "Amazing Grace"

I start thinking about that.

And when they really get to going, really get to jam

I used to dig that, because I'd be right up there with them.

And my people right here would jump up and get happy.

I'd be wanting to jump up and get happy, too.

Then the building beats up, boy.

They get to jumping and shouting.

Shit, boy, they'd be getting down, boy, let me tell you.

And that comes from being black.

'And now we're going to bring back, Stax's Golden 13.'

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That old time religion ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That old time religion ♪

♪ That old time religion ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That old time religion ♪

♪ Give me that old time religion ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ That's good enough for me ♪

♪ Give me that old time.. ♪

♪ Give me the old time ♪

♪ Give me the old.. ♪

Yeah! Let everybody say yeah!

I love that gospel.

I know gospel better than I know goddamn my blues

because the white man wrote my Bible

and the thing that most black people try to live by.

You know, man, I used to go to church and shit

like I was saying but black people know God personally.

Any wino you meet know God, right?

Or Jesus, at least, right?

"Jesus Christ? Shit, man, he live over there, in the project!

"Shit, tell me. I know peoples.

"I study peoples.

"See, I used to be in the FBI.

"I'm the first colored person ever in the Bureau.

"J. Edgar Hoover appointed me personally, posthumous.

"That's right.

"He wanted somebody on the railroad to guard the Mexicans.

"See, 'cause nobody in the Bureau at that time

could speak Mexican talk."

See, I spoke to them. They'd be..

..."What you say, motherfucker?"

They'd tell me.

Well, listen, we all know what we're here for.

We really want you to have a great time.

We're here to commemorate a revolution

that started...the movement

and was one of the milestones in black pride.

Some folks may find it a little strange that...we laugh

we sing, and we joke

'but we're doing our thing the black way to commemorate.'

'And now, one of the most popular groups in the nation'

'The Staple Singers.'

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ If you disrespect everybody that you run into ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ How in the world do you think ♪

♪ Anybody's supposed to respect you ♪

Help me, y'all.

♪ If you don't give a heck about ♪

♪ The man with the Bible in his hand, y'all ♪

♪ Just get out the way and let the gentleman do his thing ♪

♪ You the kind of gentleman That want everything your way ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Take the sheet off your face, boy, it's a brand new day ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Da da da da da ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Da da da da da ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de de ♪

♪ If you don't respect yourself ♪

♪ Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot ♪

♪Na na na na ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Da da da da da ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Yeah, you oughta respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ De diddle de did el deedle de ♪

♪ De diddle de did el deedle de ♪

♪ De diddle de did el deedle de ♪

♪ If you're walking 'round thinking that the world ♪

♪ Owes you something 'Cause you're here ♪

♪ You goin' out The world backwards ♪

♪ Like you did when you first come here, yeah ♪

♪ Keep talking 'bout the president won't stop evolution ♪

♪ Put your hand on your mouth ♪

♪ When you cough, that'll help the solution ♪

♪ Oh, you cuss around women ♪

♪ And you don't even know their names, no-ah ♪

♪ Then you dumb enough to think ♪

♪ That'll make you a big old man ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Da da da da da. ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Da da da da da ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ If you don't respect yourself ♪

♪ Ain't nobody gonna give a good cahoot ♪

♪ Na na na na ♪

♪ Respect yourself Yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Respect yourself Yeah ♪

♪ Na na na na ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ Respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

♪ Respect yourself, respect yourself ♪

♪ De de de de ♪

I think that there's more awareness of..

There's more search for awareness with black people

uh, as to where we are and what has happened to us

and uh, what we're going to do with it.

You know I-I dig the natural.

I think the natural is a beautiful

beautiful way of wearing your hair

for all black people.

When I get up in the morning, I'm natural.

And that's the way my hair is all day.

Kids is what make me feel so good.

You see, you're looking at the glory

that's coming up into the future of life.

See the younger youth is what's gonna make everything

to keep going after I done passed down the hill.

- Young, gifted, and black. - Black pretty black.

I be a Democrat every now and then.

I be a Muslim, I be a Panther.

But I'm always being black.

I'm not prejudiced, some of my best friends are colored.

If you know what I'm talking 'bout.

Black is beautiful because it feels so good.

If black is beautiful, white is divine.

Now, that nigger's crazy.

Don't call you black, you're a Negro.

You sound like them kids in school. Ever know them, dudes?

They get madder than a motherfucker. "Say, black boy."

"Say, man. What you mean, black?

"Baby, I'm colored.

I don't play that shit."

My parents was like that.

In my neighborhood, used to be some beautiful black man

who would come through the neighborhood, dressed in

African shit, you know. Really nice shit, you know.

And he'd be, "Peace, love, black is beautiful.

"Remember the essence of life.

We are people of the universe. Life is beautiful."

My parents would go, "That nigger crazy."

I used to love to go to the meetings though.

I got ultra-black for a while

Them brothers be rapping. I never knew what they was saying.

But the brothers be having emotion.

"You see, the first thing you gotta know is about eating pork.

"Now, you eat a piece of pork

"you don't realize the subtlefications

"of this individuality's prospect.

"What the man trying to lay on you through porkitis.

"You will not understand

"because the trichinosis of your mind

"will not relinquish the thought of individuality.

You know what I mean?"

Ladies and gentlemen, right about now

the soulful, funky sounds of The Bar-Kays.

It's been said many times and many places

that freedom is a road seldom traveled by the multitude.

We would like to invite each of you to come and go with us.

And perhaps you'll see a side of life

that you've never seen before.

I'm the son of a bad..

♪ Son of Shaft ♪

♪ I wanna be like my daddy ♪

♪ Son of Shaft ♪

♪ Son of Shaft ♪

♪ I was born and raised ♪

♪ And thrown in the street ♪

♪ Had the problems of a man at the age of three ♪

♪ My daddy was bad I've been told ♪

♪ So my family name I must serve on ♪

♪ I love by the clock And live by the gun ♪

♪ If you ever met the father Assume you met the son, whoa ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Check now ♪

♪ Whoa, oh, oh Oh, oh, whoa ♪

♪ I'm the son of Shaft Now you can believe that ♪

♪ Whoa ♪

♪ Don't mess with me ♪

♪ 'Cause I'm his son, yeah ♪

♪ Just one more time don't mess with me ♪

♪ Lord knows I'm his son ♪

Right now, we'd like to give everybody a chance

to get down.

Black people rip off one another man.

I'll tell you which ones rip off one another.

It's the ones that don't know who the fuck they are.

As simple as that. They don't know who they are.

Sometimes, seemed the guys would rip me off so often

I thought they were running the place instead of me.

It was just like them coming in and getting what belong to them.

If I can't work and make it, I steal and take it.

If there was a way a nigger can put air in a bottle and sell it.

A nigger can sell anything. I ain't gonna lie.

Anytime a brother would shoot

another brother in his own neighborhood

then go to his funeral and turn over his own casket

they need to have the police down there.

The niggers are NAACP-ing.

Niggers ain't acting like colored people.

And we can't stand that.

But pimp, that's why.

Anybody that use somebody else to gain, he's pimping.

Okay, but I'll tell you what, soul brother. Looky here.

Can't nobody pimp you but your pimp-ass self, you understand?

Somewhere along from the day I was born and up until now

something went wrong.

And I'm trying to figure out in my mind.

Do it take another riot? I mean, a riot that's gonna

include a lot of killing and things

in order to get this thing going the way it should be going.

See, aren't we tired of gaming, man.

We're tired of all this bullshit, you know.

We wants jobs and, we wants everything, just like they got.

It's not getting out and confront

and fighting the man on the street because right now

he's got the power and he's gonna win.

What we gotta do, we gotta get our minds together.

I'm not gonna get up on front street and front myself off.

You've been fronting yourself off every time you be coming

out your house.

You see the brother pushing pushcarts.

You see the lady bagging out. See the brother standing up.

You understand? But you know, what you got to deal with?

The waking up and going to bed.

Once you get a job, nigger, be respectful.

You know, this is the Age of Aquarius.

"Shit! Man, get a job?

"What the fuck are you telling me?

"I went down. Man, I ain't bullshitting, baby.

"I went down to the unemployment bureau.

"You dig?

"I just got out the joint. You know what I mean?

"I'm in the joint, I go to the unemployment bureau.

"The bitch telling me, What's your occupation?

"I said, 'Pressing license plates.'

"You know, where you gonna find a job for a nigger out here

"pressing license plates?

"And I'm a license plate-pressing motherfucker.

You dig?"

Old bitch has got a tiara and shit up there.

Old, ugly white whore with old wrinkles and shit.

"Bitch got funky with me. I said

'Fuck the job, bitch. Kiss my ass and your mama, too.'"

- Do you know what? - 'What?'

You know, what I learned up in Soledad in '67?

- That you got to.. - 'You got to what?'

- ...stay out the penitentiary. - 'Yeah.'

And this number's being especially played and dedicated

to all of the blues lovers,

And to all of those that's not hip to the blues.

We're gonna learn them to you, teach them to you, brother.

'Cause we'll be around for a while.

♪ If you're down and out ♪

♪ And you feel real hurt ♪

♪ Come on over to the place where I work ♪

♪ All your loneliness I'll try to soothe ♪

♪ I'll play the blues for you ♪

You know how much shit I been through.

I had three mothers in my life. I think a man

singing blue, went on the street

alone at night, lonesome, walking down the street about

6 o'clock in the morning and he'll say look

turn himself in front of the mirror and say:

"Ricky, what are you doing?"

And he'll say, "Doo doo da doo," and start singing, The Blues.

Well, I like The Blues. I don't like the jazz.

I'm too old a man

to like a lot of.. You know, The Blues.

People have to have something that they can relate to

for right now. I don't mean tomorrow, but right now.

- You dig what I'm saying? - The Blues is past tense.

That's the black man's cousin, The Blues, you know.

- I've been down so long-- - 'Tell 'em, tell 'em why?'

That getting up don't even cross my mind.

Yes, I've had the blues, you know.

I've had men that I really liked, that I really loved.

And they have a change of heart, a change of mind.

And there you are, standing there with your heart

in your hand.

Just like if you had an old car, and it kept stopping on you.

You know this is what I've experienced

with the blues in many ways, man.

Not just, you know, being in love, you know.

Although, that's one of the hurtingest blues you can have.

You know what I told her when she called me on the phone?

I said, "Honey, I done married again.

"I got me a good wife and forget about you.

Yes, sir. Forget about you."

'Cause that's all I wanted of her, is to let me alone.

But I loved her, boy. You know what? I tell you what.

I'd work, I'd buy.. I'd wear jeans, boy.

She'd go to church with furs. I ain't lying.

Her bracelet, $200 and $500 bracelets

big ring on her finger. Singing in the choir.

And I got two jobs to support that goddamn woman, boy.

Do you know that? And that's the honest God's truth.

'You take care of business, far as I'm concerned.'

Who? And, man, do you know she was pretty?

- 'Yeah.' - Man, she had my nose open.

- 'I can see that.' - She had my nose open.

- 'So I see.' - She had my nose open.

I tell you what. And right today

every time I think about it, damn it, I get mad.

I used to, I-I used to cry over, boy.

I ain't lying. Sometime I'd be at the job

and I had to go in the car for a few minutes.

They'd ask me, "What's wrong with you, man?"

And I wouldn't tell them, you know.

I didn't want nobody to know I was weak, behind a woman.

I loved her, man. I ain't lying. I loved her, boy.

♪ You know, my baby told me ♪

♪ Not so very long ago ♪

♪ She said I don't love you, daddy ♪

♪ And you got to let me go ♪

♪ That was too much for me ♪

♪ That's why I walked the backstreet and cry ♪

♪ You know it hurt me so bad ♪

♪ To hear my baby say goodbye ♪

♪ Here's another thing she say ♪

♪ She said another reason ♪

♪ And make me wanna leave ♪

♪ You ain't got enough of nothin' ♪

♪ To keep me halfway pleased ♪

♪ I'll tell you that was too much for me ♪

♪ That's why I walked the backstreet and cry ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Oh, it hurt me so bad. Yes, it did ♪

♪ To hear my baby say goodbye ♪

- 'Did she hurt you bad, man?' - She tore me up.

She turned me against the whole female sex.

As far as life is concerned for me.

Can't nobody give a sister the blues like her man.

That's the blues. That's the sure-enough blues, really.

If you had.. You ever had a woman

that you loved or a girlfriend or something

that you really felt like you couldn't make it without, man?

And along come one of the more hip dudes

and slid her right out from under you

and if you didn't have the blues then, man, then you're right.

You don't know nothing about it.

You know, a lot of people talk about Jody.

You know who Jody's supposed to be.

Jody is that fella... that when you leave home

at 6 o'clock... he's in your house at 6:01.

'I want everybody to get in on this thing.'

'You all feel it over there?'

'You all feel it over there?'

'You all feel it over here?'

'I'm gonna tell you all a story about Jody.'

♪ Every guy I know trying to get ahead ♪

♪ Working two jobs till you're almost dead ♪

♪ You tell 'em ♪

♪ Work your fingers right down to the bone ♪

♪ There's a cat named Jody sneaking around in your home ♪

♪ There's a cat named Jody in every town ♪

♪ Spending lots of cash and just riding around ♪

♪ Ride on, Jody Jody, ride on ♪

♪ With your bad self ♪

♪ Jody leaves ashes in your ashtray ♪

♪ Footprints on your carpet while you work all day ♪

♪ He even got the nerve to sleep in your bed ♪

♪ Sit down at the table, eat your bread ♪

♪ When you get home after working hard all day ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and he's gone away ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ Had a good home but you work too hard ♪

♪ Heading home but you work too hard ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

♪ When you discover your gross neglect ♪

♪ It'll be too late to give your woman respect ♪

♪ You'll hunt down Jody, dead or alive ♪

♪ Ten thousand dollar reward for Jody's hide ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ One day ♪

♪ One day ♪

♪ One day ♪

♪ Don't play with it ♪

♪ Ain't no sense in going home ♪

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

Ha ha ha ha.

Woo!

♪ Jody's got your girl and gone ♪

Just wait a minute. Honey, do you know Jody?

All the girls that know Jody, let me see you wave your hand.

♪ You know what I like about Jody? ♪

♪ Had enough sense to express himself ♪

♪ Told her how cute she looked, told her how pretty she walked ♪

♪ Told her how cute she talked, told her.. ♪

'Johnnie Taylor. Johnnie Taylor.'

You ever try to get in after hours?

We had a place, The Blue Note, with a blue window

and it had a note painted in the glass.

You could look through. You remember that?

The Blue Note.

You'd be looking through that peeled paint and shit.

They'd be getting down, you know.

You'd try, "Hey Curtis, you going in, bro?

"Take me in with you, man.

"Fuck you, then. You don't have to take me no place, nigger.

"Come on, do something. You bad?

"I'm bullshitting, bro. I just playing, man.

"Take me in, I got a little business.

I'm gonna get it on. You know what I mean?"

You knock on the door like a speakeasy.

Boom, boom, boom, boom.

You have to knock all night. Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom.

Then the dude would open it. "What you want?"

"Hank sent me." "I don't know no goddamn Hank."

Then the nigger go off, right? Nigger get mad.

"Say, motherfucker, what you mean

"you ain't gonna let me in this funky joint?

"Much money I done spent in here, nigger.

I knew your mama when she was whoring."

Right, then the dude let him in.

"Come in, man. I was gonna let you in.

"You don't gotta talk to me like that.

How old are you, boy?"

You have to lie. I say,"19." "Nigger, you look 35."

You go in the back room and...white cats in Vegas.

I was in Las Vegas, they gamble different.

You know, very quiet. "2000 on the five.

Oops, I missed. Gosh, gee whiz."

Niggers will be talking about

"Hump, baby. Shit. Bet I do it over tom-tom.

"Save that nigger. Shit.

"Bar. Bet the bar. Off-time.

"But I'm trying to make me some money.

"I'm hungry for hog meat. Slap, Jesus.

"Shit. Gotta be a Jesus 'cause too many black folks.

"Nigger, what, boy, what?

"Nigger, I ain't got no money. Get up off me, motherfucker.

"Shit, I'm trying to get this six up off my ass.

"If I six, we're going to have a new crap game.

"You can believe that. Shit!

"Borrow what, man? I ain't got no money, nigger.

"I'm going to pay you. Goddamn, boy.

"Nigger won't leave me alone. Supposed to be my partner.

Get me a beer or something, boy. I'm trying to hustle."

You know, the nigger be, "Seven! Motherfucker! Goddamn!

"Boy, you check that seven. Ew!

"The man had his hand on the table, man.

"He hit the dice. Nigger ain't fade nobody.

"Shit. Fucked up my money. Jive turkey.

"Shit. Hey, bro, what's happening?

"Oh, man, this nigger was down, fucking around.

"Let me have $2. Give me $2.

"Want to buy a radio?

"Dig, mama, it got 16 channels.

Fuck you, too, nigger."

♪ Now, I may not be what your folks want you to have ♪

♪ But baby, I'm for you ♪

♪ And all your friends ♪

♪ Might look at me and laugh ♪

♪ But baby, I love you ♪

♪ A rich man with lots of money ♪

♪ Well, that's what they have planned for you, yeah ♪

♪ But girl, you know, life is funny ♪

♪ Sometimes they don't come true ♪

♪ I may not be what you want, be what you want ♪

♪ Be what you want ♪

♪ I may not be what you want ♪

♪ But baby, I'm the one you need, yeah ♪

♪ Don't let nobody choose what you want ♪

♪ Choose what you want ♪

♪ Choose what you want ♪

♪ Don't let nobody choose what you want ♪

♪ Because it's your heart that's gonna bleed ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

I love black women. I'm black.

All black women are my sisters, man.

The way the brother walks is beautiful.

The way he talks is beautiful.

Uh, the way he abuses me is beautiful.

Hey, the brother is beautiful.

The way he makes love to me is beautiful.

You know, that's my man.

She's behind me 100%, man.

She believes in everything I believe in.

And whatever I do, she'll go along with me and do it

with no doubts in her mind because she knows I'm positive.

She knows I'm out to get over

and that I'm gonna try to get a piece of country.

I have to be the lead horse. I have to be in charge.

Not in charge, but I got to be on top of her all the time.

You think you're the boss?

I know I'm the boss. The reason is--

Your old lady's so bad, she got you believing that shit.

No, the black woman has always been two steps ahead of her man.

Always.

I'd say I prefer an older broad to a younger broad any day

because, like, the understanding is here and not so much here.

A lot of people think with their mouth and not with their head.

Like your mama.

You gotta get her physically first.

No, mentally, brother. Go for the head, you know.

'The first thing that's gonna attract you'

'is the physical thing.'

No sense in taking no head and leaving the rest.

When a woman steps out the door,

if you decide to jam her, jam her.

If she can accept it, it's beautiful.

I think I've had more women than both of you cats

put together, a thousand times.

We're not ready for all this bullshit.

We getting from the black man.

We not taking it anymore like we used to.

That mean I have sex between eight, nine and ten

between the hour of 7 o'clock in the morning and hour of 12.

Now that nigger's crazy.

'Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to present to you'

'the lady that did such a wonderful job as hostess'

'on the television program this morning of the Watts Festival.'

'Miss Gee Whiz. Come on, let's meet Miss Carla Thomas.'

♪ Hey, boy, we're drifting apart ♪

♪ We keep breaking each others heart ♪

♪ Tell me how long can this go on ♪

♪ Before all our love is gone ♪

♪ Tell me now ♪

♪ Can we pick up the pieces ♪

♪ Can we pick up the pieces ♪

♪ And start all over ♪

♪ I don't want to lose now ♪

♪ We keep acting like children ♪

♪ Playing games that's so unfair ♪

♪ Stepping on each other's feelings ♪

♪ When deep down ♪

♪ We really care ♪

♪ Got to pick up the pieces ♪

♪ Got to pick up the pieces ♪

♪ And start all over ♪

♪ Start all over ♪

♪ I know we can make it ♪

♪ This time we can go all of the way ♪

♪ 'Cause I realized the cost of losing you ♪

♪ Is too high a price, oh, for me to pay ♪

♪ Oh, I don't ever want to lose now ♪

♪ Oh, no ♪

♪ Let's start all over ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Start all over ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

♪ Yeah, hey, hey ♪

♪ Over ♪

Alright.

I remember the time I was a kid.

My dad would hide in the back of the house

when a bill collector come knocking on the door.

My mom would have to go to the door and face him.

She'd tell him a lie or curse him or whatever

it took to get him away.

My daddy would hide in the back. He was afraid.

And this, ah, went on years past that time.

Black women would always be the man, so to speak

when it comes to confrontation with white people.

You know, the black male was always kind of afraid

to face the man.

And the woman had to face him.

That's the problem between the black man and black woman today

because she wants to control and rule and run him

and that's.. You can't do that.

He cannot survive and get free under the same thing

that his mama, his sister, and his wife

put on him way back, when she had to do it

to keep him from getting lynched.

Usually a black man is kept in the background.

Now they're coming up forward... and I love that.

Find me a good black man, I'll be damned if I let him go.

I'd never fight over a man but lemme have a good black man.

The bitch can't say shit to me, she will get her ass kicked.

The one thing I don't like about black men is

of all the black women that there is

I don't understand why they would, uh...prefer, you know

white women or whatever

when there're lots of black women, you know

who can do more, you know, than a white woman.

You know a white girl that digs, you know, black brothers.

You know, they want a black brother.

Well, see, you know, like, I done had experience

with a few of them.

And they do the nigger right, you know.

In his soul, in his heart, in his spirit, in-in his being

he does not actually feel the white woman

'cause the white woman ain't hip to mustard greens and cornbread.

You dig what I mean?

The white woman ain't hip to his little tricks.

A brother can play tricks on a white woman

and she can't cope with it, all she can do is say yes.

But there are certain tricks that he can't play on a sister.

If you pick up some stray broad off the street

don't think you gonna get a whole lot because you ain't.

You're not. That's why I condemn all black men, black women

that get out there and get whitey 'cause it ain't shit.

Some niggers I know like Chinese women.

'Ladies and gentlemen'

'let's meet and greet'

'Mr. Rufus Thomas.'

- Hey. - Hey.

- Hey. - Hey.

- Hey. - Hey.

- Can I ask you something? - 'Yeah. What?'

I said can I ask you something?

'Yeah.'

Ain't I'm clean?

Hey, fella, thank you.

- Hey fella? - 'Yeah.'

- Y'all ready for it? - 'Yeah.'

Y'all ready for it? Here it is.

♪ Yeah, sab, sabaam, da ♪

♪ Honey, baby ♪

♪ I've been told ♪

♪ You know how ♪

♪ Ha-ha, shake yah bodaboo ♪

♪ I gotta see ♪

♪ For myself ♪

♪ If you got ♪

♪ Any butter left ♪

♪ Breakdown to the left ♪

♪ Break it down to the right ♪

♪ Break it down to the one ♪

♪ Gonna love her tonight ♪

♪ Breakdown children ♪

♪ Break on down, yo ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down ♪

♪ You got it going ♪

♪ My, my, my ♪

♪ Just look around ♪

♪ And grab your guy ♪

♪ Stop where you are ♪

♪ Let your big hip rock ♪

♪ Show him how ♪

♪ Your love can rock ♪

♪ Breakdown for me ♪

♪ Breakdown for you ♪

♪ Breakdown to the one ♪

♪ Gonna give it to ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down, yo ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down ♪

♪ Come on, children ♪

♪ Look at me ♪

♪ I'm showing you how ♪

♪ It's supposed to be ♪

♪ Do it in the evening ♪

♪ Late at night ♪

♪ I'm gonna show you ♪

♪ Breakdown is alright ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down ♪

♪ Do you want to see it? ♪

♪ Do you want to see it? ♪

♪ Do you want to see it? ♪

♪ Do you want to see it? ♪

♪ I'm gonna do it for you ♪

♪ I'm gonna do it for you ♪

♪ I'm gonna do it for you ♪

♪ Ah-h-h! ♪

♪ Breakdown ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yo ♪

♪ Break on down, y'all ♪

♪ Break on down ♪

♪ Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody ♪

♪ Everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh.. ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down, y'all ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down now ♪

♪ Mama can do it ♪

♪ Papa too ♪

♪ Grandma, Grandpa ♪

♪ They're doing it too ♪

♪ Mama, mama ♪

♪ Just look at sis ♪

♪ She's in the backyard ♪

♪ Breaking down like this ♪

♪ Oh, breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down, ya'll ♪

♪ Breakdown, children ♪

♪ Break on down, yeah ♪

♪ Yeah ♪

Hey, hey, Mr. Rufus Thomas.

Come on, Rufus, tell them about it.

Tell them about it.

Hey, can you hear me out there?

Yeah!

Alright, I want everybody.

Don't want nobody on the field, not yet.

Now when I tell you to get on the field

then you get on the field.

Then I just might get out on the field with you.

'Alright. Here we go.'

♪ Yeah, c'mon in, now ♪

♪ Come right on down front ♪

♪ I got somethin' I want to show ya ♪

♪ Now, y'all heard of the Popcorn ♪

♪ Y'all heard of the Dog ♪

♪ But now they have a brand new dance that's goin' around ♪

♪ That I'm gonna tell you exactly what I'm talkin' about ♪

♪ I'm talkin' about the Funky Chicken ♪

♪ Y'all ready? ♪

♪ Y'all ready? ♪

♪ Okay, here we go ♪

♪ You put your left arm up ♪

♪ And your right arm too ♪

♪ I'm gonna tell you what you gotta do ♪

♪ Flap your wings, your feet start kickin' ♪

♪ Now you know, you're doin' the Funky Chicken ♪

♪ Oh, ho ♪

♪ Second stanza ♪

♪ Y'all ready, fellas? Y'all ready, fellas? ♪

♪ Y'all ready, fellas? Y'all ready, fellas? ♪

♪ Put both arms up ♪

♪ Above your face ♪

♪ Knees start wigglin' all over the place ♪

♪ Flap your wings, your feet start kickin' ♪

♪ Now you know, you're doin' the Funky Chicken ♪

♪ Oh, ho Hey, hey ♪

♪ Oh, I can feel it now ♪

♪ Oh, I feel so unnecessary ♪

♪ You know, y'all ready, fellas ♪

♪ Y'all ready? Y'all ready? ♪

♪ Okay, here we go ♪

♪ You work both arms, you work both feet ♪

♪ We're together, baby, you're right on beat ♪

♪ Flap your wings, your feet start kickin' ♪

♪ Now you know, you're doin' the Funky Chicken ♪

♪ Oh, ho Hey, hey ♪

♪ Come on, y'all ♪

♪ Now here's what I want you to do ♪

♪ Just stand right there where you are ♪

♪ Stand right there where you are ♪

♪ And start them arms to flappin' ♪

♪ Everybody ♪

♪ Get them arms to flappin' ♪

♪ Y'all ready, fellas? ♪

♪ Y'all ready, fellas? ♪

♪ Y'all ready, fellas? Y'all ready, fellas? ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Do the Funky Chicken now Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Oh, ho, Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Oh, ho, Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

♪ Oh, ho, Do the Funky Chicken now ♪

Woo!

'Now, wait a minute. Wait a minute.'

'We all together out here.'

'We all gonna have some fun.'

But you ain't supposed to have your fun on the ground.

You're supposed to be in the stands.

'More power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.'

'More power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.'

'More power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.'

'More power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.'

'And I wish the mike cord were long enough'

'I'd go in the stands with you.'

More power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.

Ain't no problem at all, fellas.

See, it ain't what you got.

It's what you know what to do with what you got.

'So all of you, will you please.'

'All you people right in there, please.'

Go to the stands, please.

Please, with a capital "P, P."

'Come on, ya'll. Please, go to the stands.'

'That's right. Might be a little slow, but you just got to go.'

'How about it, brother?'

'Power to the people. Let's go to the stands.'

'Power to the folks. Let's go to the stands.'

'Power to the people. Let's go to the stands.'

'Please go to.. Don't jump the fence.'

'Because it don't make sense.'

'You and that upside-down umbrella.'

'I'm talking about you, fella.'

'He don't mean to be mean. He just want to be seen.'

'Look, you ain't no Indian, lady.'

'But you gonna have to get off the field, too.'

Now, whatever you do now. Please.

Now, will you please hold what you got?

'Yeah, that's a brother, alright.'

'Yeah, that's a brother, alright.'

'But I'll be damned if he's my brother.'

'Somebody told him he's cute.'

'And he want to try to show it off out there.'

'Standing out there, looking just like the thing'

'that eat up my grandpa's dog.'

'See...the good part about it'

'the very good part about all that.'

'Now, he knows he's wrong.'

'But if you go and try to tell him he's wrong'

'then he want to try to whoop everybody.'

'See, he's got his fists up now.'

'See what I'm talking about?'

'And that's what you call our black brother.'

'Now y'all get him off.'

'Y'all go out there and get him off.'

'Get him off, y'all. Get him on off.'

'Get him on off.'

'Just take him right on off.'

'And everything will be alright, y'all.'

'Oh, they arrested me, you know.'

Especially at night, they have a curfew.

Niggers have to be home by 11, Negros 12.

You'd be trying to get home. Doing your cool running shit.

Always they'd catch you in front of a store.

'Cause you'd be taking shortcuts, right?

Cops: "Put your hands up, black boy!"

Ah-h!

You know, you panic. "Alright, don't move!"

You'd be scared to death. "Put your hands against wall."

There ain't no wall. "Find one."

"Put the handcuffs on him, Fred."

They put the handcuffs and I was really skinny.

They'd slip off. The dude would get mad.

"Put them on his ankles or his ass or something."

They handcuffed my thighs, right?

Hopped me to the car.

They called my father at about 4 a.m.

"Mr. Pryor, we have your son down here at headquarters."

"What about it? Fuck him."

My mother would have to beg him to get me out.

"Please, Bucky. Go get him."

"Fuck that nigger. I told him to be home at 11 and I meant 11."

"Every time I turn around, nigger's in jail, I'm tired."

I'd be praying he have a heart attack before that

'cause he'd put some shit on you.

"Mm-hm. I'm gonna get your ass out."

"But you know I'm gonna tear your..'

"How much is it? $12? I'm gonna pay it."

"But you know, I'll get your ass."

"Yeah, you can believe that shit."

Mother'll be crying, "It hurts me more than it hurts you."

I'd say, "Yeah, well, let him beat your ass."

'Here he comes.'

'This is the man that put romance in your hearts.'

'Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Luther Ingram.'

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If being right means being without you ♪

♪ I'd rather live a wrongdoing life ♪

♪ Your mama and daddy say it's a shame ♪

♪ It's a downright disgrace ♪

♪ As long as I got you by my side ♪

♪ I don't care what your people say ♪

♪ Your friends tell you there's no future ♪

♪ In loving a married man ♪

♪ If I can't see you when I wanna ♪

♪ I'll see you when I can ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ Am I wrong to fall ♪

♪ So deeply in love with you ♪

♪ Knowing I got a wife and two little children ♪

♪ Depending on me too ♪

♪ Am I wrong to hunger ♪

♪ For the gentleness of your touch ♪

♪ Knowing I got someone else at home ♪

♪ Who needs me just as much ♪

♪ Are you wrong to give your love ♪

♪ To a married man ♪

♪ And am I wrong for trying to hold on ♪

♪ To the best thing I ever had ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong ♪

♪ I don't want to be right, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ Are you wrong to give your love ♪

♪ To a married man ♪

♪ And am I wrong for trying to hold on ♪

♪ To the best thing I ever had ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong, I don't want to be right ♪

♪ I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If it means being without you ♪

♪ I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If it means sleeping at night ♪

♪ I don't want to be right ♪

♪ If loving you is wrong ♪

♪ I don't want to be right ♪

♪ Oh, oh ♪

I can't believe you don't mess around.

'Everybody mess around. Even married men mess around.'

What's to keep your old lady from messing around?

Some of your best relationships are with married women.

Because they aren't able to take a lot of your time.

Well, I fall in love seven days a week and love everybody.

'What's your lady's name, man?'

None of your business what's her name.

What do you mean, "What's her name?"

'You say your old lady's beautiful.'

'I just want to know who she is.'

You might know her already. I'm not gonna give you her name.

I left my wife all thinking she was happy and everything.

And look here, there wasn't no boyfriend involved in this here.

And I come back home. It was cold. January 27.

- '69. - 'That when she put you out?'

- She didn't put me out. - 'What happened?'

She hired her a van line and moved.

I don't mess around with any of my partners' old ladies

who are married, you know?

It's a thing that I respect. I figure like this.

There's enough women there, for a brother who's your partner

you can catch than mess with someone's old lady.

Hey, man, I respect them and their old lady.

The old lady, if she forced me into a thing, really forced me..

Hey, man, I wouldn't punk out. I'd rip her, but..

I know one thing, if I was going out with one

I'd always try to stay out the other fella's way.

Ever had to jump outta window behind a woman?

Yeah.

Been caught in bed with a woman?

Yes, I have.

- That where you got this? - Hey, look here.

The lineup. See, the lineup is a thing..

I used to be in Peoria. It's a small town.

I'd be in the lineup for entertainment on Saturday nights

'cause there wasn't nothing to do.

'Cause ugly white women used to say they got raped by niggers.

"A nigger raped me."

And nigger guys would be going, "Are you sure?"

They'd go round up some niggers.

"You were down last week. You know what to do.

"Come on down again. We got to have a lineup."

Was a lot of fun unless you got picked. Then it was your ass.

Always at the lineup, you'd stand up in lights.

It'd be like acting. I loved it.

But some dudes didn't understand that shit. Would just be.

The lights be, you know. "Alright, bring them out.

"Alright, what's your name?"

"Uh, what's happening?

"I mean what am I charged with? You know what I mean, man?

"I ain't did nothing. I thought that was my mother's car.

"I went to the bank my mother told me.

"I was downtown, you see?

"My mama said, "Pick the car up in front of the bank at 2:15."

"So, I got in the car. I was driving down the street.

"I didn't know what was happening.

"This white lady was sitting next to me, screaming.

"I thought it was a stickup."

'There are specific instructions'

'when Isaac Hayes comes on'

'If the barrier is broken'

'Isaac will be immediately taken from the stage'

'and will not be allowed to return.'

'You must keep your seats.'

'Do we want to see Isaac Hayes?'

Yeah.

'Brothers and sisters.'

'We are now about to bring forth...a bad..'

...bad, I'm a preacher. I can't say it.

We're getting ready to bring right now

'the brother that all of us have been waiting for.'

'The brother that all of us have been waiting for.'

'The one we've been waiting for.'

A bad, bad..

...Brother!

'Isaac Hayes.'

Yeah. Yeah.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

'Yeah, yeah.'

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Yeah.

'Yeah.'

Yeah.

♪ Who's your black private dick ♪

♪ That's a sex machine to all the chicks? ♪

♪ Shaft ♪

♪ Damn right ♪

♪ Who is the man that would risk his neck for his brother, man? ♪

♪ Shaft ♪

♪ Can you dig it? ♪

♪ Who's the cat that won't cop out ♪

♪ When there's danger all about ♪

♪ Shaft ♪

♪ Right on ♪

♪ They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother ♪

♪ I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft ♪

♪ He's a complicated man ♪

♪ And no one understands him but his woman ♪

Thank you. Right on. Thank you.

'Yeah.'

Saturday night though...they always called it "nigger night"

'cause white folks go out about 8 and go home at 10.

And leave it to the niggers, 'cause it gets thick.

They can't handle it. I mean, too many niggers.

When they found niggers could talk other than "do wah ho"

they got scared to death.

Like one day somebody said, "Nigger, talk."

"I've been wanting to tell you something."

"I beg your pardon?"

Niggers got a handshake.

If you don't learn the handshake

niggers change their shit all the time.

Like, you be meeting a nigger, he'd go, "Hey, bro."

But niggers add. Six months later, the shit's changed.

You know, they'd be..

Be all down here, "Hey, ho, chup."

If you don't do that, you ain't no nigger.

Dude'll be, "You ain't black, motherfucker.

You didn't even know how to do.."

I can go anywhere in the United States of America

'and see another black man and give him a power shake.'

'And there's unity there.'

'There's a beauty that I can communicate with this brother.'

'You can take black people of many different shades'

'that have obviously come from different parts of Africa'

'during the course of this country's existence.'

'But they're still a brother. We grow up together.'

'We are one.'

♪ Black man, born free ♪

♪ At least that's the way it's supposed to be ♪

♪ Chains that bind him are hard to see ♪

♪ Unless you take this walk with me ♪

♪ Oh, oh, oh ♪

♪ Place where he lives ♪

♪ Has got plenty of names ♪

♪ Slums, ghetto and black belt ♪

♪ They are one and the same and I call it ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Any kind of job is hard to find ♪

♪ That means an increase in the welfare line ♪

♪ Crime rate is rising too ♪

♪ If you are hungry, what would you do? ♪

♪ Rent is two months past due ♪

♪ And the building is falling apart ♪

♪ Little black boy needs a pair of shoes ♪

♪ And this is only a part of ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Some of the brothers got plenty of cash ♪

♪ Tricks on the corner gonna see to that ♪

♪ Some like to smoke And some like to blow ♪

♪ Some are even strung out on a fifty dollar Jones ♪

♪ They are trying to ditch reality ♪

♪ By getting so high ♪

♪ Only to find out ♪

♪ You can never touch the sky ♪

♪ 'Cause your roots are in ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Every Sunday morning ♪

♪ I can hear the old sisters say ♪

♪ Hallelujah, hallelujah ♪

♪ Trust in the Lord ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ I hope that He hears their prayers ♪

♪ 'Cause deep in their souls they believe ♪

♪ Someday He'll put an end to all this misery ♪

♪ That we have in ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪

♪ Yeah, yeah, yeah ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

♪ Soulsville ♪

'I thank you for your tolerance and your patience'

'and your cooperation'

'because we know this whole occasion'

'is for a worthy cause.'

'The good master helps them that help themselves.'

'Right on.'

'I am.'

'I am.'

- 'Somebody.' - 'Somebody.'

- 'I am.' - 'I am.'

- 'Somebody.' - 'Somebody.'

- 'I may be on welfare.' - 'I may be on welfare.'

- 'But I am.' - 'But I am.'

- 'Somebody.' - 'Somebody.'

- 'I may be unskilled.' - 'I may be unskilled.'

- 'But I am..' - 'I am..'

- '...somebody.' - '...somebody.'

- 'I am black.' - 'I am black.'

- 'Beautiful.' - 'Beautiful.'

- 'Proud.' - 'Proud.'

- 'I must be respected.' - 'I must be respected.'

- 'I must be protected.' - 'I must be protected.'

'What time is it?'

'Nation time.'

'When we stand together, what time is it?'

'Nation time.'

'When we say no more "Yessuh, Boss," what time is it?'

- 'What time is it?' - 'Nation time.'

- 'What time is it?' - 'Nation time.'

♪ Lift every voice and sing ♪

♪ Till earth and heaven ring ♪

♪ Ring with the harmonies ♪

♪ Of Liberty ♪

♪ Let our rejoicing rise ♪

♪ High as the listening skies ♪

♪ Let it resound loud as the rolling sea ♪

Won't you sing it with me? Everybody.

♪ Sing a song full of faith ♪

♪ That the dark past has taught us ♪

♪ Sing a song full of hope ♪

♪ That the present has brought us ♪

♪ Facing the rising sun ♪

♪ Of our new day begun ♪

♪ Let us march on till victory is won ♪

♪ Let us march on till victory is won ♪

♪ Oh, yeah ♪