Ruby's Shoes

Ruby's shoes would take her

A mile or so to school every day

Where the white people hated her

They'd scream and hold signs and tell her to go away

But Ruby's will was stronger

Than the bigots with the signs could ever know

She stopped every morning on the corner

And prayed that someday the pain would go

And she'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Ruby sat alone in the classroom

She never dreamed the other children wouldn't come

They hated her for the color of her skin

Well color is such an amazing illusion

She'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Now Ruby knew about Dorothy

And the ruby shoes that she wore

She wondered about Oz sometimes

Well, well no other child ever walked her shoes before

And she'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Ruby, if birds can always fly

Why oh why can't you and I?

Ruby's shoes would take her

A mile or so to school every day

Where the white people hated her

They'd scream and hold signs and tell her to go away

And she'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She'd stop and she'd pray

That no other children would be raised this way

Ruby's shoes

If birds can fly

Then why oh why

If birds can fly then why oh why can't I