I am helpless in my defense
what they do is such a crime.
They whip us until our skin is scars
and beat us all the time.
The things I always hear at night
are the white men laughing near. 
If we talk then we're in trouble
it makes me live in fear.
They are always overworking us
until it's dark outside. 
When we are there sleeping
we always try to hide. 
You'll never want to see my back
it's full of nasty scars.
They say if I don't work again,
I'm living behind bars. 
I lived that way all my life 
until the yankee soliders came.
Then we all became free 
and the white men lived in shame.