Just My Soul Responding

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday, happy birthday

Happy birthday to you

A few years ago on my birthday

I had just become twenty one

(I remember)

I had a lot to live, said I had a lot to give

Till a man comes to give me a gun

And though that war he sent me to

Didn't claim me

If I'm bitter don't blame me

It's just my soul responding

Don't you try to tell me I'm unpatriotic

I deserve an explanation

I can't help but wonder if you really got it

It's just my soul responding

Soul responding, soul responding

This land once belonged to my father

And to his father before him too

Let me tell you now, I'm on a reservation

Living in a state of degradation

What's a soul suppose to do?

'Cause I'm out, pushing, right?

I'm not in doubt

When it's just my soul responding

To seeing little hungry children

In the land of plenty

Just my soul responding

To doing lots of deeds

But never having any

It's just my soul responding

Soul responding, soul responding

I was born and raised in the ghetto

On the run down side of the track

And there are forces who do everything they can do

To hold me back because my skin is black

Oh, but more and more I mind

Hell, it's about time

It's just my soul responding

To being second-class in a land I helped to form

Just my soul responding

To too many roaches and not enough heat

To keep my babies warm

In this land I helped to form

I've got too many roaches and not enough heat

To keep my babies warm

It's just my soul responding

Soul responding, soul responding