Why? (The King of Love Is Dead) | Nina Simone
Every Martin Luther King Jr. day.
…
Once upon this planet earth
Lived a man of humble birth
Preaching love and freedom for his fellow man
He was dreaming of a day
Peace would come to earth to stay
And he spread this message all across the land
Turn the other cheek, he’d plead
Love thy neighbor was his creed
Pain, humiliation, death, he did not dread
With his Bible at his side
From his foes, he did not hide
It’s hard to think that this great man is dead (Oh yes)
Will the murders never cease
Are they men or are they beasts?
What do they ever hope, ever hope to gain?
Will my country fall, stand, or fall?
Is it too late for us all?
And did Martin Luther King just die in vain?
’Cause he’d seen the mountain top
And he knew he could not stop
Always living with the threat of death ahead
Folks, you’d better stop and think
’Cause we’re heading for the brink
What will happen now that he is dead?
He was for equality
For all people, you and me
Full of love and goodwill, hate was not his way
He was not a violent man
Bigotry had sealed his fate
We can all shed tears, but it won’t change a thing
Teach your people, will they ever learn?
Must you always kill with burn and burn with guns
And kill with guns and burn
Don’t you know how we gotta react?
Don’t you know what it will bring?
Well, see, he’d seen the mountaintop
And he knew he could not stop
Always living with the threat of death ahead
Folks, you’d better stop and think
’Cause everybody knows we’re on the brink
What will happen now that the king of love is dead?
’Cause see he’d seen the mountaintop
And he knew he could not stop
Always living with the threat of death ahead
Folks, you’d better stop and think (and feel again)
For we’re headed for the brink
What’s gonna happen now? In all of our cities?
My people are rising; they’re living in lies
Even if they have to die
Even if they have to die at the moment they know what life is
Even at that one moment that ya know what life is
If you have to die, it’s all right
Cause you know what life is
You know what freedom is for one moment of your life
What’s gonna happen now that the King is dead?