Everyday People
By Sly & The Family Stone
Sly Stone (March 14, 1943 – June 9, 2025)
[Verse 1] Sometimes I’m right and I can be wrongMy own beliefs are in my song
The butcher, the banker, the drummer and then
Makes no difference what group I’m in [Chorus] I am everyday people,
yeah, yeah [Verse 1] There is a blue one who can’t accept the green one
For living with a fat one, trying to be a skinny one
Different strokes for different folks
And so on and so on and scooby-dooby-dooby [Refrain] Ooh, sha-sha
We got to live together (Ooh, sha-sha) [Verse 2] I am no better and neither are you
We are 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 [Chorus] I am everyday people, yeah, yeah [Verse 3] 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 and scooby-dooby-dooby [Refrain] Ooh, sha-sha
We got to live together (Ooh, sha-sha) [Verse 4] 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 [Chorus] Ooh, sha-sha
I am everyday people (Ooh, sha-sha)
Produced by Playing For Change in partnership with Turnaround Arts.
Turnaround Arts works with students and educators at struggling schools using arts as a strategy for reform. The program was founded by President Obama’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities and is now run by the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. This video features Turnaround Arts students alongside artists including Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, Paula Abdul, Misty Copeland, Elizabeth Banks, Keb’ Mo, Forest Whitaker, Yo-Yo Ma, and many others.
“Everyday People” is a hit song written by the ‘60s band Sly & The Family Stone. The lyrics carry a timely message of equality and peace that was reflected by the diverse makeup of The Family Stone itself, including both Black & white, female & male members of the band. They showed the interconnectedness and integration of races, when this concept was fairly new during that timeframe in America.
The song has since been covered by many different artists from Maroon 5 to rocker Joan Jett. The 90’s rap collective Arrested Development used the tune’s chorus to anchor their hit song “People Everyday”.
