How Long

(album: Universal James - 1993)

Destruction!
Reluctance
We fail to see
Can't see the light

I heard the news
And it's no surprise
There's a moment of sadness
Another brother died
By the hands of the culture
Or one of his own
Children having babies
Before they're fully grown

How long?
(How long will it carry on?)
Tell me, how long?
(How long will it be this way?)
Oh-oh-oh, wait a minute!

I read the news once more
It's the same ol' story
People out of work
Can't get no money
And they say it can't
Buy you everything
But no-one's giving
Giving anything for free

How long can I?
(Ooh, how long can I carry on?)
I'd like to know, y'all
How long?
(Ooh, how long will it be this way?)
Tell me! Please, please, please...
(How long will it carry on?)
(How long will it be this way?)
Where?

You can run
but you can't hide
You say you got problems
we got problems worldwide
War or hunger
Natural disasters
And man-made destruction
With a race moving faster
Faster, faster, faster!

Is it forever?
How long, how long?
Well, bring it down
In the soul
I'm hurting, please, I'm hurting
Please, please, I'm hurting
Please, I'm hurting
Please, oh!

We got to come together
Make it better
Have a little faith
And respect each other
So that we can
Work these problems out
See the light of the day
And make it turn about

Oh, how long, yeah
(How long can we carry on?)
I got to know, y'all
(How long can it be this way?)
Oh, oh! How long?
(How long can we carry on?)
Oh, oh, oh!
(How long will it be this way?)
Wait a minute!

You can run, huh
You can't hide
So check yourself
And the feelings inside
If they're bad
You gotta find a way
To make it feel good
Or we'll have a high price to pay

We got to come together
Make it better
Have a little faith
And respect each other
So that we can
Work these problems out
See the light of the day
And make it turn about

All around about, yeah
Oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh
Brother, please
Sister, please
Brother, please
Daddy, please
Brother, daddy!

(We gotta work, we gotta work) We gotta work these problems out, y'all
(We gotta work these problems out)
(We gotta work, we gotta work) We gotta work these problems out, y'all
(We gotta work these problems out)
(We gotta work, we gotta work) Work these problems out!
(We gotta work these problems out)
No more guns! (Work it, work it!)

(We gotta work, we gotta work) Try a little love
(We gotta work these problems out) Love won't hurt you
(We gotta work, we gotta work) Try a little love
(We gotta work these problems out) Love won't hurt you
(We gotta work, we gotta work) Try a little love
(We gotta work these problems out) Put a little love
(Work it, work it!) Aah...

(We gotta work, we gotta work) In your heart
(We gotta work these problems out) In your heart, y'all
(We gotta work, we gotta work,
We gotta work these problems out)
(We gotta work, we gotta work) Man-made disaster
(We gotta work these problems out) Massive [?] destruction
(Work it, work it!)

(We gotta work, we gotta work) No more, no more
(We gotta work these problems out) No more...
(We gotta work, we gotta work) No more, no more
(We gotta work these problems out) No more...
(We gotta work, we gotta work) No more, no more!
(We gotta work these problems out) No more...