Uprising by Griot B Lyrics
Negro’s sweet docile meek humble kind
Beware the day they change their mind
September 9th, 1735 in the British
Colony of South Carolina
We had to uprise, we were fed up and tired
So we organized, surprised some of our massas
Our leaders name is Jemmy. He’s a slave that can read
He was taken from Angola, and he spoke Portuguese
See Spain said every slave could be free
If they came to a Spanish colony
So Jemmy and 20 of us met up by the Stono River
Marching, waving flags, and screaming “Liberty”
We broke into the store killed the owner
Loot the guns and the bullets
Killing on a Sunday, preacher in the pulpit
Marching for our freedom, gotta keep it moving
Stono Rebellion! What we doing?
Going house to house, burn ‘em down
Killing whites with their hands up
Screaming “Don’t Shoot!” Shoot ‘em down, (1)
Look at all your brothers who were slaves joining now
If a white man was good to slaves, let him breathe
Rising off our knees to be free
Uprising!
Uprising!
Us rising!
We rise then we take it!
I know you know about Nat (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
I know you know about Nat (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
You don’t know about Nat? (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
You should know about Nat! You should know about
Nat Turner was a slave in Virginia
Saw a sign from God and said
“We finna Uprise and slay our enemies we will kill ‘em”
He’s a preacher man he could read too
We called him the Prophet, he could lead you
He told four friends his plans to kill the white man
And spread terror among their people
8/21/1831
We took white lives with knives, we don’t need a gun
Massa begging for his life, said he couldn’t breathe
We Squeezed…. And extinguished him (2)
Not for freedom, this is payback
They raped our sisters and our wives and we had to take that
61 lives lost, even kids
Massa’s worst fear is Birth of a Nation
He hate that we
Uprising!
Uprising!
Us rising!
We rise then we take it!
You can’t celebrate Spartacus and hate all of this!
Spartacus was a slave too!
Was he ungrateful?
Or had a right to be hateful and hate them?
What about that Hatian? Toussaint Louverture
His rebellion freed all the slaves of Haiti
You should celebrate him
Only successful slave revolt ever
Only one ever
Killed whoever got in the way of freedom
Even, if they lay on the ground with their face down
And couldn’t move their hands, he’d still dead them! (3)
Was he wrong to kill all those who did him wrong?
They boiled slaves alive just for fun man
Could they all get along?
Keep adding heat and the pot will boil over
Too much hot air the balloon with bust
One could turn the other cheek
But spit in his face that might be too much
When it gets to be more than a grudge
But hate for a system that makes some victims
They might raise up, off their knees
And turn from a breeze to a Hurricane (4)
And tear this whole place up!
Negro’s sweet docile meek humble kind
Beware the day they change their mind
Wind in the cotton fields
Gentle breeze
Beware the hour it uproots trees!
Uprising
Uprising
Us rising
You rising?
You rising?
You rising!?
Are you rising!?
Negro’s sweet docile meek humble kind
Beware the day they change their mind
Beware the day they change their mind
September 9th, 1735 in the British
Colony of South Carolina
We had to uprise, we were fed up and tired
So we organized, surprised some of our massas
Our leaders name is Jemmy. He’s a slave that can read
He was taken from Angola, and he spoke Portuguese
See Spain said every slave could be free
If they came to a Spanish colony
So Jemmy and 20 of us met up by the Stono River
Marching, waving flags, and screaming “Liberty”
We broke into the store killed the owner
Loot the guns and the bullets
Killing on a Sunday, preacher in the pulpit
Marching for our freedom, gotta keep it moving
Stono Rebellion! What we doing?
Going house to house, burn ‘em down
Killing whites with their hands up
Screaming “Don’t Shoot!” Shoot ‘em down, (1)
Look at all your brothers who were slaves joining now
If a white man was good to slaves, let him breathe
Rising off our knees to be free
Uprising!
Uprising!
Us rising!
We rise then we take it!
I know you know about Nat (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
I know you know about Nat (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
You don’t know about Nat? (Nat Turner, Nat Turner)
You should know about Nat! You should know about
Nat Turner was a slave in Virginia
Saw a sign from God and said
“We finna Uprise and slay our enemies we will kill ‘em”
He’s a preacher man he could read too
We called him the Prophet, he could lead you
He told four friends his plans to kill the white man
And spread terror among their people
8/21/1831
We took white lives with knives, we don’t need a gun
Massa begging for his life, said he couldn’t breathe
We Squeezed…. And extinguished him (2)
Not for freedom, this is payback
They raped our sisters and our wives and we had to take that
61 lives lost, even kids
Massa’s worst fear is Birth of a Nation
He hate that we
Uprising!
Uprising!
Us rising!
We rise then we take it!
You can’t celebrate Spartacus and hate all of this!
Spartacus was a slave too!
Was he ungrateful?
Or had a right to be hateful and hate them?
What about that Hatian? Toussaint Louverture
His rebellion freed all the slaves of Haiti
You should celebrate him
Only successful slave revolt ever
Only one ever
Killed whoever got in the way of freedom
Even, if they lay on the ground with their face down
And couldn’t move their hands, he’d still dead them! (3)
Was he wrong to kill all those who did him wrong?
They boiled slaves alive just for fun man
Could they all get along?
Keep adding heat and the pot will boil over
Too much hot air the balloon with bust
One could turn the other cheek
But spit in his face that might be too much
When it gets to be more than a grudge
But hate for a system that makes some victims
They might raise up, off their knees
And turn from a breeze to a Hurricane (4)
And tear this whole place up!
Negro’s sweet docile meek humble kind
Beware the day they change their mind
Wind in the cotton fields
Gentle breeze
Beware the hour it uproots trees!
Uprising
Uprising
Us rising
You rising?
You rising?
You rising!?
Are you rising!?
Negro’s sweet docile meek humble kind
Beware the day they change their mind