What Color (Is A Man)

(album: Talk Me Some Sense - 1966)

One day a little boy climbed up on his daddy's knee
With picture and crayons in his hand
He said, "When I grow up this is a man I want to be.
Daddy, what color is a man?"

"When I'm a man I want to be happy
I want to be strong and free
I want to be brave like a soldier
What crayon should I use to color me."

If you color him blue son he may not be a happy man
If you color him red son someone may steal his land
If you color him green or yellow he may be jealous and cowardly
If you color him black son he may never be free.

He told him, "Son put your crayons away
And try your best to understand
Man's never made of any color my boy
Color never made any man, any man..."