Float Like A Butterfly, Sting Like A

All Black Americans Have Slave Names. They Have White Names; Names That The Slave Master Has Given To Them.

I Came Back To Louisville After The Olympics With My Shiny Gold Medal. Went Into A Luncheonette Where Black Folks Couldn't Eat. Thought I'd Put Them On The Spot. I Sat Down And Asked For A Meal. The Olympic Champion Wearing His Gold Medal. They Said, "we Don't Serve Niggers Here." I Said, "that's Okay, I Don't Eat 'em." But They Put Me Out In The Street. So I Went Down To The River, The Ohio River, And Threw My Gold Medal In It.

You Could Be The World's Best Garbage Man, The World's Best Model; It Don't Matter What You Do If You're The Best.

So I Didn't Pass. It Was The Army's Decision That They Didn't Want Me To Go Into The Service. They're The Boss. I Don't Want To Say No Whole Lot About It.

You Can Do What You Want. But It's Nature To Be With Your Own. I Want To Be With My Own.