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
Place where he lives
It's got plenty of names ...
Slum, Ghetto and Black Belt
And they're 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 were hungry, what would you do?
Rent is two months past due
On a building that's falling apart
Little boy needs a pair of shoes
And this is only a part
Of life in ... 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 $50 Jones
Some are trying to ditch reality
By getting so high
Only to find out
You can never touch the sky
When your roots are in ... Soulsville
Every sunday morning
I can hear the sisters sing
"Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Trust in the Lord to make a way, oh yeah
I hope that He hears their prayers
Because deep in their souls they believe
Someday he'll put an end
To all the misery
That we have in ... Soulsville
Soulsville
Soulsville
Soulsville
Soulsville
Soulsville