Lyrics

[Chorus] When will we be paid for the work we've done? When will we be paid for the work we've done? [Verse 1] We have worked this country from shore to shore Our women cooked all your food and washed all your clothes We picked all your cotton and laid the railroad steel Worked our hands to the bone at your lumber mill, I said [Chorus] When will we be paid for the work we've done? When will we be paid for the work we've done? [Verse 2] We've fought in your wars in every land To keep this country free, y'all, for women, children, and men But anytime we ask for pay alone That's when everything seems to turn out wrong We've been beat up (Beat up), called names (Called names), shot down and stoned But every time we do right, someone say we wrong [Chorus] When will we be paid for the work we've done? When will we be paid for the work we've done? [Verse 3] We have given our sweat and all our tears We stumbled through this life for more than 300 years We've been separated from the language we knew Stripped of our culture, people, you know it's true, tell me now [Chorus] When will we be paid for the work we've done? When will we be paid for the work we've done? [Outro] Will we ever be proud of "My country, 'tis of thee?" Will we ever sing out loud, "Sweet Land of Liberty?" When will we be paid for the work we've done? Tell me now, for the work we've done Will we ever have peace and harmony? I wanna know, will we ever be paid? When will we be paid for the work we've done?