If I'm caught at a dance party without my dancin shoes And everybody dances on my bare feet Shame on me If I'm mindin my business just doin the right thing And you try to front me off in the street Shame on you If a family's waiting for that special blessing to come their way But they ain't tryin to get on their knees and pray Shame on them And if we live in a time where every nation's fightin 'round the world Yet we can't all agree that peace is the way
Shame on us Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us [repeat] So what the fuss
If I gotta get up early in the morning for a job interview And I forget to set the stupid alarm Shame on me If my children are playin outside like little children do And you come 'round there tryin to bring them some harm Shame on you Should I be drivin thru a klantown, find a restaurant to get me some food And someone says "hey boy, we don't serve your kind" Shame on them And if we live in a democracy and you don't use your power to vote Knowin some would like to turn back the hands of time
Shame on us Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us [repeat] So what the fuss
If I'm hooked on a habit knowin damn well it could cost me my life Yet I keep doin what I should do without Shame on me If you're locked in a marriage and your other half just gives you abuse Yet you've convinced yourself that there's no way out Shame on you If we're jammin the music and somebody's got the audacity To say that they can jam it better than us Shame on them And should there be just a handful that believe that we are totally free And there's no need to fight for equality
Shame on us Shame on me, Shame on you, Shame on them, Shame on us [repeat] So what the fuss