On a rainy Sunday morning in 1942
A mother was blessed with a son who grew up to be
Young, gifted, and brown

With the strength to tear a mountain down
With a voice so young and clear
A chance for everyone to hear
Yeah

(Young, gifted, and brown)

And as he grew up umm and learned his ABC's
He found out very soon he was destined to be
Young, gifted, and brown
With the chance to change the world around
With a beat so fresh and clear
A chance for everyone to hear

Conquered the impossible and captured his fears
He found out his reward was a huge crowd of cheers
And all too soon he found out he was getting no where
'Cause' the only thing that mattered was someone who cared
He gave up his heart, the music he loved
And he took his place amongst the stars up above
And from this day forward till the end of time

He was young, gifted, and brown
Oh with the chance to change the world around
He was young, gifted, and brown
Oh with the chance to change the world around

Get up, ha, huh

So the moral of the story which began in '42
Was a mother and her child which we all knew grew up to be
Young, gifted, and brown
Yeah with the strength to tear a mountain down
He was young, gifted, and brown
With the chance to change the world around
He was young, gifted, and brown
With the chance to change the world around
Here we go
Hands to the sky, get, get wild