Still I Rise

You may write me down in history
       With your bitter, twisted lies,
                You may trod me in the very dirt
                       But still, like dust, I'll rise.

Does my sassiness upset you?
        Why are you beset with gloom?
                  ’Cause I walk like I've got oil wells
                           Pumping in my living room.

Just like moons and like suns,
           With the certainty of tides,
                     Just like hopes springing high,
                                                                                 Still I'll rise.

Did you want to see me broken?
             Bowed head and lowered eyes?
                         Shoulders falling down like teardrops,
                                  Weakened by my soulful cries?

Does my haughtiness offend you?
         Don't you take it awful hard
                ’Cause I laugh like I've got gold mines
                          Diggin’ in my own backyard.

You may shoot me with your words,
           You may cut me with your eyes,
                     You may kill me with your hatefulness,
                              But still, like air, I’ll rise.