What Have They Done To My Song, Ma

(album: A Message From The People - 1972)

Hello mama, hello mama, it's me
How you feeling, mama? Mhm, that's alright
I've got something I wanna talk to you about, if you don't mind
And I ain't mad, mama, no, no, no, no
Wait a minute, listen, mama

Look what they done to my song, mama
(Wait, what's the matter, son?)
Look what they done to my song, mama
The only thing I get to have right and nice
Turning out all wrong, mama
Look what they done to my song
Now listen, if you please

Wish I could find a good book (Good book)
I'd like to live in the thing now (I wanna live in it)
Wish I could find a good book, Lord, hey, hey, hey, hey
If I could find a real good book, you know I'd (Never)
Never have to come out and look at, uh
What they done to my song
Alright, girls, come on and help me here

Look what they done to my brain, ma
Hey mama, look what they done to my brain
Oh mama, it's a shame, you won't believe this but it's true
They picked it like a chicken bone and I'm just about to go insane, ma
Look what they done to my brain
Now girls, if you don't mind, I'd like to hear this in French

[*French*]
Ooh, not bad (Ma), hey, yeah
[*French*]
Uh-huh, let me see here, uh, uh
[*French*] (Say it, say it)
[*French*] Ma
[*French*]
My French must be pretty bad, I better do this in English

Look what they done to my song (Look at it, look at it), mama
Hey ma, look what they done to my song, mama, now, oh Lord, Lord
Put it in a plastic bag, then they turned the bag upside down
Look what they done to my song

Maybe it's alright, maybe it's okay, I don't know
But I tell you, if my kids are money, I'd be a millionaire today
You know, the only thing I get to have right
Now it's turning out all wrong, mama
You can't believe what they done to my song, ma, that I wrote myself
You put it in a plastic bag and they turn the bag upside down, ma
Lord, if I could find a good book, I'd never have to come out and look at the
What they trying to do to my brain, it's a shame, mama, you see they
They done picked it like a chicken bone and I'm just about to go insane
I'm insane, insane, mama, I'm going crazy, mama, that's what it is
Lord knows I don't care what they done to my song, ma
No, I don't care 'bout that but see
The main thing, mama, what they trying to do to me
You see, they, they, they, well, they stole everything I had, mama
And they made a million with it, and you know that hurts
But oh, I'm gon' keep on working on the feeling, just like you taught me, mama
Oh, yes, I will, oh, yes, I will, yeah
Doo-doo-doo-doo, doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo
Doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo-doo, hoo-hoo-hoo
Lord, Lord, whoa, mama
Mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama, mama