Open the Door

Lyrics

[Verse 1] You drew a line across the doorway Said, “Know your place and wait your turn” But we have carried every brick here And watched your borrowed towers burn Mama kept a jar of pennies For the bus fare home at night Now she spends her Sunday savings On a sign that reads, “Equal right” [Pre-Chorus] If one voice starts a river Let a thousand voices rise No more asking for permission To stand beneath the same wide sky [Chorus] Open the door, open the door We’re not outside anymore Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder Every heart becomes a soldier Open the door, open the door What were we waiting for? We were born with the same promise We are worthy, we are honest Open the door [Verse 2] There’s a teacher with a folder Full of names they wouldn’t call She keeps every child’s tomorrow Pinned in colors on the wall There’s a worker at the factory With a lunch pail by his side He says, “The hands that make this living Should not have to beg to thrive” [Pre-Chorus] If one voice starts a river Let a thousand voices rise No more asking for permission To stand beneath the same wide sky [Chorus] Open the door, open the door We’re not outside anymore Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder Every heart becomes a soldier Open the door, open the door What were we waiting for? We were born with the same promise We are worthy, we are honest Open the door [Bridge] Not for one color, not for one name Not for a crown, not for a claim Bread on the table, books in the school A fair day’s wage and a fair set of rules If justice knocks, don’t make her wait Love is the lock and truth is the gate [Final Chorus] Open the door, open the door We’re not outside anymore Hand in hand, shoulder to shoulder Every heart becomes a soldier Open the door, open the door Hear the whole town roar We were born with the same promise We are worthy, we are honest Open the door [Outro] Open the door Open the door For every daughter, every son The work is hard, but it’s begun Open the door