I'm Still Here

Left my home in North Augusta at the age of three

My mother, three brothers, two sisters and me

She brought us to New York City to set herself free

From all the fightin', screamin' and misery, yeah

But New York in 1960, no peace to be found

Segregation, drugs and violence was all around

But I'm still here, yeah

But I'm still here, mmm, yeah

All the things I've been through just to sing this song

All the people I've seen come and go as I kept pushin' on

I had to work as a prison guard tellin' men to do what they're told

'Cause some record label told me I was too fat, too short, black and old

I had to direct the choir to let my voice out

'Cause that the only place that I could sing and be proud

'Cause I'm, I'm still here, yeah

I said, I'm still here

From the ghetto to The Garden, from the ballrooms to The Bow

From Down Under to Great Britain, I played so many drinkin' holes

Then the big sea crashed down on me

Tried to take it all away

And I didn't know if I would live

Live to see another day

But I'm still here, yeah

I said, I'm still here

(I'm still) I'm still here

(I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still here)

I'm still here

(I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still here, I'm still here)

I didn't let nothing get me down (I'm still here)

Sometimes you got to let those little things go (I'm still here)