Sly and the Family Stone – Everyday People

“Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone is a groundbreaking 1968 song that champions equality, unity, and acceptance across racial, social, and personal differences. Released during a time of social unrest in the United States, the song delivers a powerful message through its simple yet profound lyrics, emphasizing that no one is better than anyone else—“I am no better and neither are you / We are the same whatever we do.” The phrase “different strokes for different folks,” popularized by the song, became a lasting expression of tolerance. Musically, it blends elements of funk, soul, and pop, showcasing the band’s signature upbeat yet socially conscious style. As one of the first major integrated bands in rock and soul, Sly and the Family Stone used “Everyday People” to promote inclusivity, making it an enduring anthem of peace and civil rights.

Sly and the Family Stone – Everyday People Lyrics

Sometimes I′m right and I can be wrong

My own beliefs are in my song

The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then

Makes no difference what group I'm in

I am everyday people, yeah, yeah

There is a blue one who can′t accept

The green one for living with

A fat one tryin' to be a skinny one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby

We got to live together

I am no better and neither are you

We're all the same, whatever we do

You love me, you hate me

You know me and then

You can′t figure out the bag I′m in

I am everyday people

There is a long hair

That doesn't like the short hair

For being such a rich one

That will not help the poor one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on, scooby-dooby-dooby

We got to live together

There is a yellow one that won′t

Accept the black one

That won't accept the red one

That won′t accept the white one

Different strokes for different folks

And so on and so on and

Scooby-dooby-dooby

I am everyday people