James Brown & The Famous Flames — America Is My Home Pt. 2

Looka here In Augusta, Georgia, my hometown, you know On the auditorium steps where I used to shine shoes Now, I go there, Jack, fill up the joint Don't sing a thing but Rhythm & Blues You see, I kept the faith Because I believed that I could succeed And now I'm a proud member of the brand new breed You can make it, Jack, if you try Like a good friend of mine, Gene Allison, said If you make it—you can make it if you try Just keep on pushin', Jack, like Curtis Mayfield and The Impressions Don't give up Now dig this Quit dreaming all night and stop pitying yourself Don't sit back, get up and fight See, a cat can make it if he get up and try to do something Don't worry about them handouts, go out there and earn it yourself Don't be telling a cat to give you nothing, be a man Just like I said before, this is a man's world I didn't have nothing, I had to go out and get it But thanks to all you people because you made me what I am But I showed some initiative You seen that I was trying to do something, I was trying to be a man And when a cat is trying to make it, you've gotta give him a hand A cat that's not trying to make it, don't be holding other people back Get out the way and let somebody else make it But be ready That's why I want the kids to stay in school and get a good education So you'll know what you're talking about You don't have to say what I think and scratch your head And go through that routine, don't go through that thing Know what you're talking about Turn your back and say, "I know I'm right" You know, that's the way I feel When I hear that fan standing in the party singing and dancing I may not be the best, but I know I know what I'm doing at that time I don't have to ask nobody if I'm doing the right thing 'Cause I know I'm trying to entertain the people Because they come to see the show And that's what I wanna give 'em, a show Now remember this, all right Now, the band, myself, The Flames, the dancers, a whole entourage of people We got tours from Florida to Rome But we won't forget one thing, ha: The United States of America is still our home Now hit it one more time, band\ You hear that? Don't send me no other place, I don't know nothin' Talking about my home, just give me some Georgia, some Alabama Some Mississippi, some New York, and some California Some Texas and some North Carolina, some South Carolina and Virginia Some Illinois and some West Virginia, some Dakota—South Dakota, North Dakota See, I can name all these different places now If I leave anybody out, don't get mad because I, you know Just a cat trying to keep it going—some Ohio, too, yeah Some Indiana, Michigan, yeah, I'm coming pretty good Kentucky, Tennessee, I'll get it together, you know Just give me a little time Y'all can take it out when you get ready, brothers I done said what I had to say (Hey! Don't forget Washington, D.C.!)