A Rumblin' and a Rollin'

RILEY: You hear a rumblin' and a rollin'?

It's comin' down from the North.

It's comin' up through the ground,

And it's a funny ol' sound,

'Cause it's a rumblin' and a rollin'!

ANGELA: And I bet I know why -

See 'em on the train,

See 'em on the bus -

They never cared much about folks like us!

RILEY: But now they're gonna pay attention.

Sure they gonna ask, "Why? Why? Why?"

ANGELA: They gonna say, "I don't know what,

I don't know how!"

BOTH: Well, they are gonna find out now.

They're gonna pay attention.

RILEY: They gonna yell, "Set that man free!"

NEWT LEE: Well, they sure ain't talkin' 'bout me.

ALL THREE: Now there's a rumblin' and a rollin'

Here come the Yankee Brigade!

NEWT LEE: They gonna come through this town -

We better keep our heads down:

RILEY AND NEWT LEE: We better start mumblin' and shufflin':

ALL THREE: We better polish our smiles.

CONLEY: Old Black Joe at your service,

Won't do nothin' that'll make you nervous.

Won't do nothin' worth a look or a mention.

ALL FOUR: And they won't never pay attention!

CONLEY: They never say, "My! My! My!"

RILEY: They gonna say, "Bring me my boots!"

ANGELA: "Bring me my tea!"

NEWT LEE: I betcha thought the slaves were free.

ANGELA: Mister Frank, good for you.

Lotta folks comin' to get you through.

Mister Frank, ain't that grand?

Lotta folks comin' to take a stand.

Mister Frank, knock on wood.

It ain't gonna do you no goddamn good!

CONLEY: I can tell you this, as a matter of fact,

That the local hotels wouldn't be so packed

If a little black girl had gotten attacked.

NEWT LEE, RILEY AND ANGELA: Go on, go on, go on, go on.

RILEY: They're comin', they're comin' now, yessirree!

NEWT LEE: 'Cause a white man gonna get hung, you see.

CONLEY, RILEY AND NEWT LEE: There's a black man swingin' in ev'ry tree.

ALL FOUR: But they don't never pay attention!

ANGELA: Oh, no.

CONLEY: Hell.

ALL FOUR: They never say, "Why? Why? Why?"

RILEY: But if a Yankee boy flies.

CONLEY: Surprise!

ANGELA AND CONLEY: Surprise!

NEWT LEE: Surprise!

ALL FOUR: They gonna pay attention!

They gonna yell "Set that man free!"

CONLEY: Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee.

Dee dee. Dee dee.

Dee dee dee dee dee dee dee.

Dee dee dee dee.

NEWT LEE, RILEY AND ANGELA: Oh, there'll be a rumblin' and a rollin', yeah, yeah.

There'll be a rumblin' and a rollin', yeah.

There'll be a rumblin' and a rollin', yeah.

There'll be a rumblin' and a rollin', yeah.