My knuckles all bruised up from knocking on heaven’s door
My body still aching from sleeping on cement floors
I was taught to be non-violent when I’m at war
But it’s so hard to move in silence when the lions roar

Cuz I was born in shackles (you protected my soul, you left me)
All alone in shackles (oh, went through it all, you blessed me)
You lift me up when I was down, no hope, no vision
Lift me up when all of y’all were against me, were against me
Now you’d come back to scarlet, the dark days
They’d all illuminate, yeah
We miss you, Mandella, we miss you, Mandella

Suffering no more, oh yes, a fight and I fight and I fight until I can’t no more,
You see these whips and these chains around my neck just might be my flaw,
But these whips on my back represent what I endured

Cuz I was born in shackles (you protected my soul, you left me)
All alone in shackles (oh, went through it all, you blessed me)
You lift me up when I was down, no hope, no vision
Lift me up when all of y’all were against me, were against me
Now you’d come back to scarlet, the dark days
They’d all illuminate, yeah
We miss you, Mandella, we miss you, Mandella

Freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom
You gave me my freedom
Freedom, freedom, freedom
And I will never surrender, I won’t surrender
No surrender, no no
And I will never surrender, I won’t surrender
No surrender, no no

You lift me up when I was down, no hope, no vision
Lift me up when all of y’all were against me
Now you’d come back to scarlet, the dark days
They’d all illuminate, yeah
We miss you, Mandella, we miss you, Mandella