Cotton Comes to Harlem

Ain't now

but it's gonna be

black

enough for me

ain't now

but it's gonna be

black enough to see

to see red

when the song is wrong

to see blue

when the fear is gone

to see green

on the pea-green sea

of humanity

in the wide, wide light?

Of the night

ain't now

but it's gonna be

black enough to be

black enough to see

black enough for me

to see red

when the song is wrong

to see blue

when the fear is gone

to see green

on the pea-green sea

of humanity

in the wide, wide light?

Of the night

ain't now

but it's gonna be

black enough to be

black enough to see

black enough for me

ain't now

but it's gonna be

man:

Come see what I got for ya!

Come on, deke, come on!

Aah!

I thought we told you

to stop working our

precinct, early riser.

We got bigger fish

to fry.

You do your trickin'

somewhere else.

Is that my-

deke!

Deke!

Is everybody here

having a good time?

How about

that weather up there?

Is it fine enough for you?

How about me?

How about deke, your man?

How about me?

How about me?

How about me?

Yeah!

Yeah!

Am I big enough for you?

18 months ago...

I was down on my knees in

the white man's jailhouse.

Mmm!

Yes!

I wasn't down on my knees

in the jailhouse to pray.

No!

No!

I wasn't even down on

my knees to shoot craps.

Ha ha!

Ha ha!

Deke o'malley

was down on his knees

in the white man's jail

cleaning out the

white man's toilet bowl!

No!

No!

All right!

So l-i asked the lord

to help me!

To show me the way!

And bless my soul, he did!

Yeah!

He did!

The lord come to me

in a dream!

He said,

"deke, I want to use you

like I used noah of old!"

He said, "deke, I want you

to build an ark

and sail my people home!"

Yeah!

Yeah!

And there she is,

black beauty!

Are you black enough

to hear me?

Amen! Amen!

For 3 months now,

in detroit, chicago,

los angeles,

baltimore, washington,

people have been

standing in line,

waitin' and waitin'

for a chance to get

on boardblack beauty.

'Cause, brothers,

we are going home.

Good-bye, rats and roaches!

Good-bye being

kicked and low-rated!

Good-bye getting

robbed and cheated!

Good-bye having to live

on the white man's welfare!

Right on, brother!

We are going home.

Come on! Next!

What's your name, miss?

You'll find salvation.

How the hell did he

get a permit for this?

Lieutenant says

it's a race leap.

It's doing good

for his people.

Thank you, reverend o'malley,

thank you.

We're going home

all going home

we're going home

we're going home

going home

we're going home

there you go.

Thank you.

But, sir, the minimum

down payment is $100.

Oh, please, ma'am.

You don't want to break ol'

uncle budd's heart, do ya?

$20. count it. It's all I

got in the world right now,

but give me a chance.

Please, ma'am.

O'malley:
Why not?

Yeah, sure.

Uncle budd?

Uncle budd.

Yeah, uncle budd.

There you go.

Okay, step right up!

God bless you, brother.

God bless you, brother.

Well, if it ain't king

kong and frankenstein.

Hey, ed, I didn't know these

cats was going back to africa.

They ain't. They're going right back

across the street where they come from.

Only thing I hate worse

than a honky pig cop,

and that's

a n*gger pig cop.

What kind of talk

is that, soul brother?

Don't you know that

black is beautiful?

Fly, baby.

Just cool it.

O'malley?

Yes.

We're from the d.a.'s

office. He wants to see you.

D.a.'s office?

Well, I'm busy.

Now! Let's go!

Wait a minute, buddy!

Let's see

your credentials.

Quit stalling, o'malley.

Black judas!

That's what you are!

Honky!

Now, now. I'm going

downtown right now

and tell that white man's

district attorney

that deke o'malley's gettin' sick

and tired of being pushed around.

Keep it black

till I get back.

Ok, let's go.

John! John!

John!

Get in!

Don't you step on my ribs!

Whoo! Hey, sister,

come here!

No, no, no, no!

Ok, what do you want?

Deke o'malley.

Yeah? And what's that

got to do with me?

We ain't got o'malley.

We sure as hell got you.

Which means that sooner

or later, we got o'malley.

Is that black enough

for ya?

What do we got here?

We know how finicky the good

reverend is about his wardrobe,

so he oughta be scootin' up

here any minute to change.

Hey, ed,

dig these fine vines.

Mmm! And on your po' policeman's

salary, you can't afford it.

Ain't that awful?

What a shame. Not a single one your size.

Now, wait a minute. I think this

italian suit here'll work for me.

Thing of beauty.

What's this here?

Bless jesus.

A silk hat for occasions.

My, my.

What sacrifices he makes

for his po' starvin' people.

He sure do.

Now, somebody shot up

o'malley's barbecue

and made off with 87 grand

of poor people's money.

Who?

The question is... who?

Whoever it was

just missed.

Another couple of inches, and we would've

brought you his brains in a saucer.

Oh, yeah? Who did it?

I just asked you that.

O'malley

ratted on the mafia.

Remember?

Could've been them.

Them boys

don't never forget.

Could be

his number's up,

unless digger and me

get to him first.

Where is he?

Well, how about it?

Hidin' out,

he ain't got a chance, iris.

Deke o'malley

always has a chance.

Hello, betty?

Give me that!

All right, o'malley, do

yourself a favor and come in-

you b*tch!

God damn it, ed,

cool it!

He's crazy.

He's crazy. That son of a b*tch

is crazy! I want him out!

I got him, iris.

2 days, 2 weeks,

2 months.

It's all the same.

I'm nailing his ass

to the wall.

Be smart, iris.

Get off the boat

before we sink it.

Ed. Digger.

Something new on the o'malley squeal. What?

They found the meat truck and the

golden money wagon all smashed up.

One got killed.

O'malley?

No.

Lieutenant wants you two

guys up there right away.

Where?

Harlem river yard.

Oh, by the way, what's with her? She talk?

No, but she's our main lead

to o'malley, so watch her.

Be cool, brother.

Jarema is hep.

She's a stone fox.

Watch your ass.

No sweat there.

Found some confetti.

Where's the loot?

Ask o'malley.

I know how you feel about o'malley. Do you?

You make him?

Yeah. He's a pickpocket

named early riser.

He was at the rally.

He works with a partner

named lo boy, a junkie.

They worked

the holy dream.

Could be the militants, ed.

They hate o'malley's guts.

No. They wouldn't

pull a job like this.

It ain't their style.

Hey, ed!

What is it?

Look at this.

Cotton from inside

the meat truck.

It ain't drugstore cotton.

What is it?

It's raw,

unprocessed cotton,

like from a bale.

Ah. It's a long time

since I seen cotton like that.

Digger, you ain't never

seen no raw cotton before.

You was born and raised right

here in new york, just like me.

What the hell

are you two doing here?

Digger found

a hidden drop slot.

This was in it.

It's full of trash.

The syndicate.

When o'malley was with 'em, he

talked, and they threatened to get him.

Why'd they wait?

White guns comin' up here,

trying to knock off

reverend o'malley, you think?

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