Colours

The lyrics describe people suffering from hunger, thirst, violence, and the loss of basic rights. The speaker moves from showing their daily hardship to directly challenging those who have power but appear indifferent. The repeated claim that nothing changes expresses anger and frustration, while the questions about blame and responsibility make the song sound like an urgent appeal to the listener.

Several images make the suffering vivid: children break bread “with a stone,” suggesting that even eating is difficult, and a dry well shows how severe the lack of water has become. The mother whose tears feed her son conveys both grief and desperate care. “Like a mirror you see yourself” suggests that the people in the scenes are not distant strangers; their humanity reflects our own. The “toy soldiers” may represent military or political forces used to enforce racial separation.

The song’s criticism is forceful, but its exact target is not fully specified. It seems to accuse people in authority of excusing injustice or judging others while failing to protect their freedom. The repeated sense that efforts bring no change may express despair, or it may be meant to provoke action by making inaction feel unacceptable. The lyrics leave open how responsibility should be shared, but insist that suffering must not be treated as anonymous or invisible.