Lyrics 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 Dubois 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
Or 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

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