Was it Cesar Chavez? Maybe it was Dorothy Day

Some will say Dr. King or Gandhi set them on their way

No matter who your mentors are it's pretty plain to see

That, if you've been to jail for justice, you're in good company


Have you been to jail for justice? I want to shake your hand

Cause sitting in and lyin' down are ways to take a stand

Have you sung a song for freedom? or marched that picket line?

Have you been to jail for justice? Then you're a friend of mine


You law abiding citizens, come listen to this song

Laws were made by people, and people can be wrong

Once unions were against the law, but slavery was fine

Women were denied the vote and children worked the mine

The more you study history the less you can deny it

A rotten law stays on the books til folks like us defy it


The law's supposed to serve us, and so are the police

And when the system fails, it's up to us to speak our peace

It takes eternal vigilancefor justice to prevail

So get courage from your convictions

Let them haul you off to jail!