Jack Daniel's Real Secret

Sobering claims of Jack Daniel Whiskey
Slaves masterminded distilling
Without celebration
Blacks ran operations
But never received proper billing

Jack Daniel secrets are chilling
Hear me if you are willing
Slaves made it all happen
While massa was nappin'
White owners made a real killing

We have been told a big lie
For year they have just let it fly
Legend has been told
With deception so bold
It went to the grave when he died

Daniel family had a big coronation
Truth was pushed aside in damnation
Black dream dried up like a raisin
Cover-up was so brazen
May never see proper verification

At the center of all this Nearis Green
From who distilling secrets were gleaned
Never got formal credit
Historical mention - forget it
Crucial role washed away in a stream

150 years can make details fuzzy
But Daniels' wasn't honest. Was he?
Made a grand fortune
Green never was auctioned
His skills were worth way too much money

Whiskey framed as a lily-white affair
Hard truth just got a cold stare
Euros lived the dream
Shut out men like Nearis Green
With neither a sigh or a care

Daniel slaves more than labor fold
Their skill-sets played a crucial role
Black cook recipes
Appropriated for free
On payday left out in the cold

Millennials won't let story miss you
They love social justice issues
Step up to the plate
Set record straight
This is more than historical miscue

They claim it was never a conscious decision
Leaving Green out was not the mission
Had to maintain the show
Made Blacks stand in back row
Other thoughts not much more than wishin'