Look here, I'm in Augusta, Georgia.
My hometown, you know.
On the auditorium steps
where I used to shine shoes.
Now I go there, Jack, fill up the joint.
Don't sing a thing
but rhythm and blues.
You see, I kept the faith
because I believed that I could succeed.
And now I'm a proud member
of the brand new breed.
You can make it, Jack, if you try.
Like a good friend of mine,
Jim Allison, said, if you make it,
you can make it if you try.
Just keep on pushing, Jack.
That credit may feel an impression.
Don't give up. Now dig this.
Quit dreaming all night.
And stop pitying yourself,
or set back, get up and fight
See a cat can make a jump
if you get up and try to do something
Don't worry about them handouts,
go out there and earn it yourself
Don't be telling a cat
to give you nothing, be a man
Like I said before, this is a man world
I didn't have nothing,
I had to go out and get it
But thanks to all you people
because you made me what I am
But I showed some initiative,
you seen that I was trying
to do something
I was trying to be a man,
and when a cat is trying to make it
You gotta give him a hand
But the catch is not trying to make it,
don't be holding other people back,
get out the way
and let somebody do it again.
But be ready,
that's when I want the kids to stay in school
and get a good education
so you'll know what
you're talking about.
You don't have to say what
I think
and scratch your head
and go through that routine,
don't go through that thing.
Know what you're talking about,
turn your back and say
I know I'm right, you know,
that's the way I feel.
When I hit that bandstand
and started singing and dancing,
I might not be the best
but I know I know what
I'm doing at that time.
I'd have to ask somebody
if I'm doing the right thing because I know I'm
trying to entertain young people
because they come to see the show
and that's what I'm going to give them,
a show.
Now remember this. All right.
Now, the band, myself,
the Flames, the dancers,
our whole entourage of people,
we've got tours from Florida to Rome,
but we won't forget one thing.
The United States of America
is still our home.
Now, hit it one more time,
man. You hear that?
Don't send me no other place,
I don't know nothing.
Talk about my home,
just give me some Georgia,
some Alabama,
some Mississippi,
some New York, and some California.
Checkin' some from
North Carolina
and some South Carolina and Virginia
Some Illinois and some West Virginia
Some Dakota, South Dakota, North Dakota
You see, I can't name all
the different places now
If I leave anybody out,
don't get mad because I just, you know
Just a cat tryin' to keep it goin'
Some Ohio too, yeah
Some Indiana, Michigan
Yeah, I'm comin' from the good Kentucky,
Tennessee
I'm getting it together, you know,
just give me a little time.
Y 'all can check it out when
you get ready fellas,
I done said what I had to say.
Hey, don't forget Washington D .C.
James Brown 
