Up North

Up north I hear the buildings go to heaven
And you can make five dollars a day
Up north I hear there’s a place called Harlem
Where the Duke plays night and day
Up north I hear if a white man beats you
The police will haul him away



Up north I hear there’s no floods or boll weevil
To drive the crops away
Up north l hear black is beautiful
Or that’s what Bessie says
Up north is where lady liberty lives
And she says she’s there to stay


Bones

Why don’t we all just go around in our bones?
Then white would be black
And black would be white
Eyes
Teeth
Nose
Lungs
Heart
We would all be the same
So why don’t we peel off our skin
And go around in our bones