C (x32010@1)                            Am (x02210@1)          GHave (320003@1)you heard about Jack Johnson, hes a hero in this land.
          C (x32010@1)                            C (x32010@1)            GI (320003@1)don't like to sing about boxing but I hope you'll understand.
            C (x32010@1)                                G (320003@1)       
It was the 1st year they gave the heavyweight title to a black man,
         C (x32010@1)             G (320003@1)   C (x32010@1)G (320003@1)C (x32010@1)Gand (320003@1)in 1908 it ain't so easy.

        Am (x02210@1)                     G (320003@1)   Am (x02210@1)              GHe (320003@1)was born right after slavery died, right after reconstruction died,
        Am (x02210@1)             F (133211@1)                       Ghe (320003@1)was born right after none of that stuff really died.
          C (x32010@1)     G (320003@1)  C (x32010@1)  GIt (320003@1)never died at all

          D (xx0232@1)                           G (320003@1)         
He would walk down the streets wearing gold and diamonds,
        D (xx0232@1)              Galways (320003@1)hold his head up high.
         C (x32010@1)                 G (320003@1)                   Am (x02210@1)       
And he never had to say yes sir or no sir to the white folks as they passed 
     Ghim (320003@1)by,
   C (x32010@1)               G (320003@1)   C (x32010@1)   Gor (320003@1)as he passed them by.

         FSo (133211@1)the great white hope was pulled out of retirement
               Gto (320003@1)nurse the bruised and damaged white pride.
           C (x32010@1)             Am (x02210@1)               D (xx0232@1)  G (320003@1)            C (x32010@1)G (320003@1)C (x32010@1)GAnd (320003@1)when Johnson beat him down there wasn't a man around at his side.

     GAnd (320003@1)when the fight was over, there was beatings and murders.
      C (x32010@1)            Am (x02210@1)             GThe (320003@1)worst race riot this country has seen.

     C (x32010@1)                           GAnd (320003@1)all because they didn't want a black man.
 C (x32010@1)                            AmAll (x02210@1)because they didn't want a black man.
       C (x32010@1)                     G (320003@1)                       C (x32010@1) G (320003@1) C (x32010@1) GThey (320003@1)couldn't stand to see a black man winning in their ring.

       D (xx0232@1)                    G (320003@1)      CYeah, (x32010@1)who said heroes have to be role models?
 D (xx0232@1)                    G (320003@1)      CWho (x32010@1)said heroes have to be role models?
 D (xx0232@1)                    G (320003@1)      C (x32010@1)    G (320003@1) CWho (x32010@1)said heroes have to be role models, anyway?