I got a letter from the government
The other day
IOpened and read it
It said they were suckers
Theywanted me for the army or whatever
Picture me given' adamn -- I said never
Here is a land that never gave adamn
About a brother like me and myself
Because theynever did
I wasn't wit' it, but just that veryminute...
It occured to me
The suckers hadauthority
Cold sweatin' as I dwell in my cell
Howlong has it been?
They got me sittin' in the statepen
I gotta get out -- but that thought was thoughtbefore
I contemplated a plan on the cell floorI'm not a fugitive on the run
But a brother like mebegun -- to be another one
Public enemy servin' time-- they drew the line y'all
To criticize me some crime-- never the less
They could not understand that I'm aBlack man
And I could never be a veteran
On thestrength, the situation's unreal
I got a raw deal, nowI'm lookin for the steel

(Tricky

Many switchin, switch on, switch off (x5))

Nevertheless theycannot understand
That I'm a black man, and I couldnever be a veteran.
On the strength of situations, I'mreal.
I got a raw deal, so I'm lookin' for thesteel
Lookin for the steel.