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The Souls of Black Folk Lyrics by Timothy Welbeck

No City for Young Men

2016

[Verse 1: Timothy Welbeck]
How does it feel to be a problem
How does it feel to be the least of these--beneath all of the begotten
To be down trodden, to feel you are forgotten
To live within the margins
A life filled with hardships
A path watered with the sobbin' of the brokenhearted
To walk a path that is cobbled with losses
To walk the "stony road" that your ancestors trod
How does it feel to be a problem when you feel this way often
The U.S. "launched its experiment in democracy"
And pawned us off as its most virulent property
Its original text denied its seminal bequest
To the sons of Ham, Cush, Nubia, Egypt
But I suppose, that is how experiments go
The problem with them though is someone must be the control
Someone must be the tape by which other men measure their souls
And when you look at the probed, you'll see the souls of black folk
[Hook: Dozzy Daniel]
You have seen our children dying
You have heard their mothers crying
Lord, have mercy on the souls of black folk
You have seen our spirits striving
You have heard our fathers sighing
Lord, what ever will become of our souls
[Verse 2: Timothy Welbeck]
How does it feel to be a problem, I answer seldom a word
There's sufficient rancor there to observe
250 years of slavery, ninety of Jim Crow
Separate but equal, it will sear men's souls
So when they lifted their voices, You could hear their moans
Ten generations born under the rattle of chains
Who had nothing more than the refrain of their clang
This is the battle of those living in the shadow of chattel
Who feel like the depths of their hopes are shallow
Who have seen pastoral scenes morph to scaffolds
And you don't believe that we're heavy laden by Satan
When the States treat us like apes whose fur has been shaven
We behave in ways that holds that in high regard
It's like folly has overtaken that mind of ours
And that folly has done all types of harm
[Hook: Dozzy Daniel]
You have seen our children dying
You have heard their mothers crying
Lord, have mercy on the souls of black folk
You have seen our spirits striving
You have heard our fathers sighing
Lord, what ever will become of our souls
[Bridge Dozzy Daniel]
Help the babies
This world is crazy
You are the only one that we can lean one
[Verse 3: Timothy Welbeck]
How do we see beyond these problems
From what "the dark past" taught us, it would seem the task is arduous
But, "If there is no struggle, there is no progress"
We have to fight to see these things the way that our God does
But for now, we see through a glass darkly
The flask we grasp blurs the view of our feet
Yes, we partly, but we see hardly
We don't see the path that we are embarking
But if we are to rise up above the color line, and above it rise
There must come a time we see the truth as self-evident and otherwise
Live the true meaning of our creed, and let the struggle die
One day, we'll let the struggle die
Maybe, we'll let the struggle die
Credits
Timothy Welbeck

Timothy Welbeck

About “The Souls of Black Folk” by Timothy Welbeck

Read the complete lyrics to "The Souls of Black Folk" by Timothy Welbeck from the album "No City for Young Men" in 2016. 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 Rap.

"The Souls of Black Folk" is performed by Timothy Welbeck. from the album "No City for Young Men" in 2016 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 "The Souls of Black Folk", explore more songs by Timothy Welbeck 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

"The Souls of Black Folk" is credited to Timothy Welbeck. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Souls of Black Folk" appears on "No City for Young Men" in 2016.

Visit the Timothy Welbeck artist page at /artist/timothy-welbeck for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.