Amandla! Songtext

There was a time, beautiful Africa Children ran free, learning your strangeness Where to find food, where to find shelter Part of your being, children of Africa Out from the sea, onto your beaches Came the pale stranger, wide-eyed with wonder Helpless, within your wildness they floundered Until we fed them and showed them your mystery Clutching their cross like the spear of a warrior Into our country, bible in hand But while we were praying, strange things were happening We got the bible, and they got the land Preaching of love in the harsh voice of hatred Preaching of peace behind cannon and rifle Praising their god with the point of a bayonet Shackles and crucifix, slave ship and bible They gave us Christ, we gave them shelter We sang of living and they sang of death We gave them food, they gave us the crucifix Gave us their God and took everything else The ghosts of the past walk daily in Africa Bearing the memory of murder and slavery Millions were taken and bound down in fetters And sold off like beasts to make wealthy men wealthier How many prayers have we cried out in suffering? How many rivers of blood have we sacrificed? How many years have we prayed for deliverance? The white God's answer we heard at Soweto The white god of Mammon won't listen to Africa Sends no Messiahs to set the world right If there's a god, he's not in Johannesburg Prayers haven't worked - what's left but to fight? Spear of the nation, herald of liberty Arm of the people, strike true and fast Smashing apartheid, the voice of the future Is crying Amandla! Amandla! Amandla!