You’ve probably heard it at a graduation, a church service, or maybe during the Super Bowl pre-game show. It starts slow. That low, steady build-up that makes the hair on your arms stand up before the choir even hits the first major chord. We’re talking about "Lift Every Voice and Sing." But if you’re sitting there wondering exactly what are the lyrics to the Black National Anthem, you aren't alone. A lot of people know the first few lines but get a little fuzzy once the song moves into the heavier, more visceral second and third stanzas.
It isn't just a song. It’s a history lesson set to music. Honestly, calling it an "anthem" is almost an understatement because it functions more like a communal prayer or a roadmap of where a whole group of people has been and where they’re trying to go.
The Full Lyrics to the Black National Anthem
Let's get right to it. Most people only sing the first verse, but the full power is tucked away in the parts we usually skip.
Verse 1
Lift every voice and sing,
Till earth and heaven ring,
Ring with the harmonies of Liberty;
Let our rejoicing rise
High as the list’ning skies,
Let it resound loud as the rolling sea.
Sing a song full of the faith that the dark past has taught us,
Sing a song full of the hope that the present has brought us;
Facing the rising sun of our new day begun,
Let us march on till victory is won.
Verse 2
Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat,
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?
We have come over a way that with tears has been watered,
We have come, treading our path through the blood of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.
Verse 3
God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears,
Thou who hast brought us thus far on the way;
Thou who hast by Thy might,
Led us into the light,
Keep us forever in the path, we pray.
Lest our feet stray from the places, our God, where we met Thee,
Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee;
Shadowed beneath Thy hand,
May we forever stand,
True to our God,
True to our native land.
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Where Did This Song Even Come From?
It wasn't written in a studio or for a Broadway play. It started as a poem. James Weldon Johnson, who was a total powerhouse—think writer, diplomat, and civil rights activist—penned the words in 1900. He was the principal of the segregated Stanton School in Jacksonville, Florida. He wanted to honor Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.
His brother, John Rosamond Johnson, set the words to music.
Funny thing is, James Weldon Johnson actually thought the song would be a one-hit-wonder for a specific school assembly. He wrote it, the kids sang it, and he kind of moved on with his life. But those 500 school children kept singing it. They took it home. They taught it to their friends. By 1919, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) officially dubbed it the "Negro National Anthem."
It’s wild to think about. In a time when Jim Crow laws were suffocatingly tight, Black communities adopted their own anthem because the "Star-Spangled Banner" didn't exactly feel like it was written for them. You have to remember that Francis Scott Key, who wrote the US national anthem, was a slaveholder. The contrast between the two songs is night and day.
Breaking Down Why These Words Matter
The second verse is the one that usually makes people pause. "Stony the road we trod." It’s not a happy-go-lucky lyric. It’s gritty. It talks about the "blood of the slaughtered." James Weldon Johnson wasn't interested in sugarcoating the American experience for Black folks.
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The lyrics acknowledge a "dark past." It’s basically saying, Yeah, this has been incredibly hard, but we are still here. Then you get to the third verse. It’s a pivot. It turns into a plea for the future. There’s this specific line: "Lest our hearts drunk with the wine of the world, we forget Thee." It’s a warning against complacency. It suggests that even if things get better or "the wine of the world" (success, money, comfort) comes along, the struggle and the history shouldn't be forgotten.
The Controversy That Shouldn't Be
In recent years, you’ve probably seen the headlines when "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is performed at major sporting events. Some people get really worked up. They say it’s "divisive" or that we only need one national anthem.
But here is the thing.
The song has been sung in Black churches and schools for over 120 years. It’s not new. It’s not a "protest song" designed to replace the official US anthem. It’s a cultural hymn. When Alicia Keys or Andra Day sings it, they aren't trying to start a fight; they’re acknowledging a specific heritage that is woven into the fabric of the country.
Rep. James Clyburn actually introduced a bill a few years back to make it the "National Hymn" of the United States. He argued that while the "Star-Spangled Banner" is the anthem for the government, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is the hymn for the people's soul.
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How to Respect the Moment
If you find yourself in a room where this is being sung, there isn't a "rulebook" like there is for the official anthem (hand over heart, hat off). However, most people stand. There is a deep, reverent silence usually. People don't cheer mid-verse. They listen.
In many Black communities, there is a physical reaction to the music. You’ll see people close their eyes or sway. It’s an emotional experience.
Real-World Impact and Modern Context
We saw a massive resurgence of the song in 2020. After the murder of George Floyd, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" became a staple at marches and vigils. It provided a vocabulary for grief that people were struggling to find on their own.
Even in pop culture, it’s everywhere. Beyonce incorporated it into her legendary Coachella performance (Beychella). By doing that, she introduced the lyrics to the Black National Anthem to a global audience that might never have heard it in a Florida schoolhouse or a South Carolina church.
Actionable Takeaways for Engaging with the Anthem
If you want to truly understand the depth of this song beyond just reading the lines on a screen, here is how you can actually engage with it:
- Listen to different versions. Compare the Clark Sisters’ gospel rendition to a classic choir version or a solo R&B take. The "vibe" changes, but the weight of the words stays the same.
- Read James Weldon Johnson’s autobiography. It’s called Along This Way. He talks about the day he wrote the poem and how he felt the "spirit" moving through him as he paced his porch.
- Study the Second Verse. Don't just skim it. Think about what "bitter the chast’ning rod" meant in 1900 versus what it means in a modern context of social justice.
- Share the history. Next time you hear it, or see someone complaining about it on social media, you have the facts. It’s a song of resilience, not a song of separation.
Understanding the lyrics is just the entry point. The real value is in recognizing that "marching on till victory is won" isn't just a catchy ending—it's a continuous process that has been happening for over a century. The song is a living document of survival.