Lyrics What's Going On - Live at The Bitter End 1971 - Donny Hathaway

Mother, mother
There′s too many of you crying.
Brother, brother, brother, there's far too many of you dying.
You know we′ve got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today, yeah!

Picket lines and picket signs, don't punish me with brutality;
Talk to me so you can see; oh, what′s going on.
What′s going on yeah, what's going on, oh, what′s going on.
Ah ah, ah, ah.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya.
She de doot do do de doot ba do be do be do bu bu bu bu bu do.

Father, father we don't need to escalate
You see, war is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate
You know we′ve got to find a way to bring some lovin' here today.

Picket lines and picket signs, don′t punish me with brutality;
Talk to me so you can see; oh, what's going on.
What's going on yeah, what′s going on, oh, what′s going on.
Ah ah, ah, ah.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya.
She de doot do do de doot ba do be do be do bu bu bu bu bu do.

Father, father everybody thinks we're wrong
Oh but, who are they to judge us simply because our hair is long?
Oh you know we′ve got to find a way bring some understanding here today.

Picket lines and picket signs, don't punish me with brutality;
Talk to me so you can see; oh, what′s going on.
What's going on yeah, what′s going on, oh, what's going on.
Ah ah, ah, ah.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya.
I yi, yi, yi, yi, yi, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya, ya.
She de doot do do de doot ba do be do be do bu bu bu bu bu do.