Curtis Mayfield

Sourced

• "Our purpose is to educate as well as to entertain. Painless preaching is as good a term as any for what we do. If you're going to come away from a party singing the lyrics of a song, it is better that you sing of self-pride like 'We're a Winner' instead of 'Do the Boo-ga-loo!'"
  • quoted in The Sociology of Rock by Simon Frith, 1978, ISBN 0094602204

Lyrics

Now is always the right time

With something positive in your mind

Whenever someone pulls you down

Just get back up and hold your ground.

...

Summer, winter, fall just go

Through the rain and through the snow.

Just get on back to living again...right on.

'Back to Living Again', New World Order, 1996

Don't worry - if there's a hell below, we all gonna go.

'(Don't Worry) If There's Hell Below We're All Going To Go', Curtis

Move on up

towards your destination

Though you may find

from time to time

Complications

'Move On Up', Curtis

We'll all turn black

So who's to know

As a matter of fact

Color, creed and breed must go

There will be no light

So there can be no sight

And you'll judge your fellow man

Understand bout what is right

A million music, a million sound

There's neutral thoughts

For the underground

'Underground', Roots

Oooh, Superfly

You're gonna make your fortune by and by

But if you lose, don't ask no questions why

The only game you know is do or die

'Superfly', Superfly

I was someone more

Because I was no one poor

To find that I too was down on my knees.

I'm just homeless.

'Homeless', Take It To The Streets

Why can't we brothers

Protect one another?

'Freddie's Dead', Superfly