Lyrics What If - India.Arie

What If

What if Martin didn’t stand up?
What if Rosa didn’t sit down?
What if Malcolm didn’t man up?
Where would we be now?
What if Marley didn’t get up, stand up?
What if Du Bois didn’t come to advance us?
And Mandela didn’t come to teach us?
Where would we be now?
We are the ones we’ve been waitin' for
We can change the world
We can change the world
With our love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
'Cause it is up to us…
We are the ones we’ve been waitin' for
We can change the world
Our love can change the world
We can change the world
With our love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
Our love can change the world
What if Maya didn’t speak out?
What if Langston Hughes didn’t write it down?
What if Josephine Baker didn’t dance it out?
(No)
Tell me where would we be now?
What if Sojourner never told the truth?
Ida B. Wells never printed the news?
Harriet never went underground?
Where would we be now?
We are the ones we’ve been waitin' for
We can change the world
We can change the world
With our love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
'Cause it is up to us…
We are the ones we’ve been waitin' for
We can change the world
Our love can change the world
We can change the world
With our love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
Our love can change the world
Me too, I matter, you matter, we matter
Together we are love
Me too, I matter, you matter, we matter
Together we are love
It’s gotta be all of us
Stand up and speak up
With all of our love
Love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
'Cause it is up to us…
We are the ones we’ve been waitin' for
We can change the world
Our love’ll change the world
We will change the world
With our love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
Our love can change the world
Oprah, Kamala, Ava, Tarana and Lena
Serena, Viola, Opal, Patrisse and Alicia
You and me, are the chosen, right now, this is our moment
We are a people of motion
Our love’s gonna change the world