(1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4) Pardon me, your epidermis is showing, sir I couldn't help but note your shade of melanin I tip my hat to the colorful arrangement Cause I see the beauty in the tones of our skin We've gotta come together And thank the Maker of us all We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace (1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4) A piece of canvas is only the beginning for It takes on character with every loving stroke This thing of beauty is the passion of an Artist's heart By God's design, we are a skin kaleidoscope We've gotta come together, Aren't we all human after all? We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace Ignorance has wronged some races And vengeance is the Lord's If we aspire to share this space Repentance is the cure (1, 1, 1, 1... 2, 2, 2, 2... 3, 3, 3, 3... 4, 4, 4, 4) Well, just a day in the shoes of a color blind man Should make it easy for you to see That these diverse tones do more than cover our bones As a part of our anatomy We're colored people, and we live in a tainted place We're colored people, and they call us the human race We've got a history so full of mistakes And we are colored people who depend on a Holy Grace We're colored people, and they call us the human race (Oh, colored people) We're colored people, and we all gotta share this space (Yeah we've got to come together somehow) We're colored people, and we live in a tainted world (Red and yellow, black and white) We're colored people, every man, woman, boy, and girl (Colored people, colored people, colored people, colored people, yeah)