Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta,
Well-a, down in Georgia, well,you better live right
Down in Atlanta
Well-a, down in Georgia, well,you better live right
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, down in Georgia, say,you better live right
Lord,you better not gamble and you better no fight,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta,
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Down in Atlanta
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Down in Atlanta town
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Well, he locking up the niggers,let the white folks go,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
That spells Atlanta,
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
That spells Atlanta town
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
Capital G-E-O-R and G-I-A
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta
Well,early in the morning when the ding dong ring,
Down in Atlanta,
Well,early in the morning when the ding dong ring,
Lord ,you go to the table,see the same old thing,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
Down in Atlanta,
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
“ Mr. A. Tyree, Lord, I want my child ”.
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Down in Atlanta ,
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Lord, I know my gal by the dress she wore,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand
Down in Atlanta town,
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand
Down in Atlanta town,
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand.
“ Lord, Mr.E.J. Weed, Lord , I want my man “ ,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well-a, down in Georgia, well,you better live right
Down in Atlanta
Well-a, down in Georgia, well,you better live right
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, down in Georgia, say,you better live right
Lord,you better not gamble and you better no fight,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta,
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Down in Atlanta
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Down in Atlanta town
Well, it's Charlie Bird running from door to door
Well, he locking up the niggers,let the white folks go,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
That spells Atlanta,
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
That spells Atlanta town
Well, A-T-L-A-N-T-A,
Capital G-E-O-R and G-I-A
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta
Well,early in the morning when the ding dong ring,
Down in Atlanta,
Well,early in the morning when the ding dong ring,
Lord ,you go to the table,see the same old thing,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
Down in Atlanta,
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, yonder come my mama with a laugh and smile,
“ Mr. A. Tyree, Lord, I want my child ”.
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Down in Atlanta town
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Down in Atlanta ,
Well-a, yonder come my gal , boy, how do you know ?
Lord, I know my gal by the dress she wore,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand
Down in Atlanta town,
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand
Down in Atlanta town,
Umbrella on her shoulder, pocket book in her hand.
“ Lord, Mr.E.J. Weed, Lord , I want my man “ ,
Niggers ain't got no justice in Atlanta.
Contributed by Pluck - 2022/7/26 - 17:30
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NEGRO GOT NO JUSTICE
Canta un detenuto,probabilmente del carcere di Greenville,South Carolina, registrato da Lawrence Gellert, 1933-1937: LP Negro Songs of Protest.
Del tutto eccezionale l'esplicita denuncia contenuta in questo brano,come in altri raccolti da Gellert
Le strofe 1-4-5-6-7 costituiscono la classica sequenza utilizzata normalmente dai carcerati del Texas nella loro esecuzione del “ Midnight Special “
Il ritrovarla da un capo all'altro degli stati del sud ci indica l'enorme rilevanza che questi versi dovevano avere per le comunità dei detenuti neri.
Ancora più diffuso , anche al di fuori di questa sequenza, il motivo della donna che va in carcere o dal giudice per chiedere la liberazione del proprio uomo ( il quale, nelle versioni dei forzati, normalmente la riconosce dal vestito, dall'ombrello , etc. )
Testo e note tratti da :
“ Blues,ballate e canti di lavoro afroamericani”
a cura di Alessandro Roffeni
Newton Compton Editori - 1976
Negro Got No Justice - In Atlanta, Georgia - Mr.Tyree - There Ain’t No Heaven