Janis Ian – Society’s Child – lyrics concerning racism and defiance.

Come to my door, baby
Face is clean and shining black as night
My mother went to answer
You know that you looked so fine

Now, I could understand your tears and your shame
She called you ‘Boy’ instead of your name
When she wouldn’t let you inside
When she turned and said, “But honey, he’s not our kind”

She says I can’t see you any more, baby
Can’t see you anymore

Walk me down to school, baby
Everybody’s acting deaf and blind
Until they turn and say
Why don’t you stick to your own kind

My teachers all laugh, they smirk and stare
Cuttin’ deep down in our affair
Preachers of equality, think they believe it
Then why won’t they just let us be?

They say I can’t see you anymore, baby
Can’t see you anymore

One of these days I’m gonna stop my listenin’
Gonna raise my head up high
One of these days I’m gonna raise my glistenin’
Wings and fly

But that day will have to wait for awhile
Baby, I’m only a society’s child
When we’re older things may change
But for now this is the way they must remain

I say, I can’t see you any more, baby
Can’t see you anymore
No, I don’t wanna see you any more, baby