Little Old Letter lyrics

It was yesterday morning

I looked in my box for mail.

The letter that I found there

Made me turn right pale.

Just a little old letter,

Wasn’t even one page long -

But it made me wish

I was in my grave and gone.

I turned it over,

Not a word writ on the back.

I never felt so lonesome

Since I was born black.

Just a pencil and paper,

You don’t need no gun or knife -

A little old letter

Can take a person’s life.

• Artist:Langston Hughes