Brother Will Hairston
The Alabama Bus
Brother Will Hairston, also known as the "The Hurricane of the Motor City," was gospel singer and preacher from Detroit, Michigan.
William Hairston was born in 1919 in Brookfield, Mississippi. Both of his parents died when he was young and he moved up to the midwest, where he took a job as a hi-lo driver at a Chrysler plant. While working in the automotive industry, he recorded over 27 songs, and sold his records himself. This song, inspired by the Montgomery Bus Boycott, was recorded in Detroit in 1956.
Stop that Alabama bus, I don’t wanna ride (3x) Lord, an Alabama boycott, I don’t wanna ride. Lord, there come a bus, don’t have no load, You know, they tell me that a human being stepped on board. You know they tell me that the man sat on the bus, You know, they tell me that the driver began to fuss. He said: “look here, man, you’re from the Negro race,” And don’t you know you’re sitting in the wrong place?” The driver told the man: “I know you paid your dime, But if you don’t move you gonna have to pay a fine.” The man told the driver: “My feets are hurtin'” The driver told the man to move behind the curtain” Stop that Alabama bus, I don’t wanna ride (3x) Lord, an Alabama boycott, I don’t wanna ride. I wanna tell you ‘bout the Reverend Martin Luther King, You know, they tell me that the people began to sing. You know, the man God sent out in the world, You know, they tell me that the man had the mighty nerve. You know, the poor man didn't have a bus to rent, You know, they tall me, great God, he had the mighty strength. And he reminded me of Moses in Israel land. He said: "A man ain't nothing but a man.“ He said: "Look here, Alabama. don't you see?” He says: “All of my people gonna follow me.” You know, they tell me Reverend King was very hurt, He says: “All of my people gonna walk to work” They said: “Look here, boy, you hadn't took a thought, ‘Cause don ‘r you know you brake the anti-boycott law?” They tell me Reverend King said: “Treat us right," You know, in the Second World War my father lost his sight. You know, they tell me Abraham signed the pledge one night, He said that all of these men should have their equal rights. You know, they had the trial and Clayton Powell was there. You know, they tell me Clayton Powell asked the world for prayer. You know, Diggs went down there to go his bail, You know, they put Reverend King in an Alabama jail Stop that Alabama bus, I don’t wanna ride (6x) Lord, an Alabama boycott, I don’t wanna ride. You know, they tell me Reverend King was a Bible inspired, When all the buses was passin’, nobody would ride. You know, they tell me that the Negroes was ready to go. They had-a-walked along the streets. until their feet were sore. You know, they tell me Reverend King had spreaded the word, At an Alabama bus stop, so l heard. You know, they sent a lot of money, saying: “King go on," You know, in nineteen and twenty-nine that man was born. You know, the five hundred dollar fine was very heavy, You know, the poor man was born the fifteenth of January. Stop that Alabama bus, I don’t wanna ride (3x) Lord, an Alabama boycott, I don’t wanna ride.