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What Is Black Lyrics by Billy Proctor

The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 12B: 1972

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[Intro]
I wanna tell you about my little brother
His eyes have never seen the light of day
He's never seen the world that we all know
'Cause my little brother was born that way
He asked me a question not long ago
That kinda set me back
He said, "Tell me brother, tell me please
Tell me, what is black?"
[Verse 1]
I told him, "Black is the good smell of our mama's cooking
Black is you, boy, and you're so good looking
You don't have to see it, you can feel it deep inside (Deep inside)
It's burning in your veins, filling you with pride"
[Chorus]
The blacker the brown, the richer the earth
The blacker the pearl, the more that it's worth
The blacker the brown, the the richer the earth
I said the blacker the pearl
What is black?
(What is black?)
[Verse 2]
"Black is your birthright, a gift you've been given
Cherish it, brother, as long as you are living
It's the cries of a baby, it's our tears and misery (Misery)
It's names like "King" and heavens, he died for you and me"
[Chorus]
The blacker the brown, the richer the earth
The blacker the pearl, the more that it's worth
The blacker the brown, the richer the earth
I said the blacker the pearl
[Verse 3]
"God really loves you 'cause in his image, you were made
Then he painted you black, and that's it baby, sing"
[Chorus]
The blacker the brown, the richer the earth
The blacker the pearl, the more that it's worth
The blacker the brown, the richer the earth
I said the blacker the pearl
[Outro]
"Pick up your head, your head little brother
You can feel it, it's in the air, everywhere
So praise to the sun
Let no man keep you down
Your blackness is a blessing, wear it like a crown
Your head, little brother, don't let no one take it from you"
Credits
Billy Proctor

Billy Proctor

About “What Is Black” by Billy Proctor

Read the complete lyrics to "What Is Black" by Billy Proctor from the album "The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 12B: 1972". On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Motown, Pop.

"What Is Black" is performed by Billy Proctor. from the album "The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 12B: 1972" This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "What Is Black", explore more songs by Billy Proctor using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"What Is Black" is credited to Billy Proctor. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"What Is Black" appears on "The Complete Motown Singles | Vol. 12B: 1972".

Visit the Billy Proctor artist page at /artist/billy-proctor for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.