Justice

Justice Song Lyrics

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COALHOUSE
We'll see justice, Sarah
And plenty of men
Who will stand up and give us our due!

TOWN HALL BUREAUCRAT
Well, you can sign another complaint, Mr. Walker, but volunteer firemen are not municipal employees, and therefore do not
come under the jurisdiction of the city. I'm sorry.

SECOND BUREAUCRAT
I'm still tracing your first complaint, Mr. Walker. Are you sure you filed it with this office. Let me look again.

COALHOUSE
Justice, Sarah.
This is America.

MOTHER
I am ashamed that our community is represented in his mind by that bunch of toughs.

FATHER
Let me talk to my lawyer.

YOUNGER BROTHER
That's all it will be: talk, talk, talk!

COALHOUSE
The law's the law.
The law's been broken
Why should I turn the other cheek?
What about justice!

PEOPLE OF HARLEM
The bureaucrats and bunglers
The attorneys who smiled

WHITE ATTORNEY
My advice is recover your car and forget the whole matter.

PEOPLE OF HARLEM
The clerks and the officials
And the forms that were filed

CLERK
This is to get a place on the court calendar. This for change of venue...

PEOPLE OF HARLEM
So many roads to justice
Around the bend

BLACK LAWYER
I want justice for our people so bad I can taste it. But I won't waste my time on a mere case of vandalism when I have real
injustices to take to the courts.

PEOPLE OF HARLEM
And every road a new dead end!

COALHOUSE
I will not move
From where I'm standing
Till what's mine is restored to me
I'm not some fool
I'm not their nigger!
I will have what's fairly owed me!
And till then, I will not marry...

(MOTHER approaches SARAH.)

MOTHER
We understand Mr. Walker's outrage. We share it. All decent people do.

SARAH
He said, "Wheels are turning for us, girl."

MOTHER
But I'm sure there's some way to settle this affair without calling off the wedding.

SARAH
He said, "Times are starting to roll."

MOTHER
To be so close to the happiness you both deserve and have it come to this!

(SARAH moves away from MOTHER.)

SARAH
Well, I know he'll get where he wants to
'Cause he's got that fire in his soul
Said, "There's justice, Sarah,
And plenty of men who will stand up and give us our due."
Well, you'll have your due, Coalhouse,
Yes, you'll have your due.

[Thanks to Yehuda Alexander for lyrics]