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Took the Children Away
Archie Roach
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๐ฌ๐ง English ยท Original
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Lyrics
Original
Translation
Bilingual
This story's right, this story's true
I would not tell lies to you
Like promises they did not keep
And how they fenced us in like sheep
Said to us, "Come take our hand"
Sent us off on mission land, they
Taught us to read, to write and pray
Then they took the children away
Took the children away
Yeah, the children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said, "This is for the best"
Took them away
Took the children away
Yeah, the children away
Breaking their mother's heart
Tearing us all apart
Took us away
Welfare and the policeman
Said, "You've got to understand"
We'll give to them what you can't give
Teach them how to really live
"Teach them how to live," they said
Humiliated them instead
Taught them that and taught them this
And others taught them prejudice
You took the children away
Yeah, the children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said this is for the best
Took them away
Took the children away
Yeah, the children away
Breaking their mother's heart
Tearing us all apart
Took them away
ย
One dark day on Framingham
Came and didn't give a damn
And my mother cried, "Go get their dad"
He came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears were falling down
My dad shaped up and stood his ground
He said, "You touch my kids and you fight me"
But they took us from our family
Took us away
Yeah, they took us away
Snatched from our mother's breast
Said, "This is for the best"
Took us away
Oh, they took us away
Yeah, they took us away
Breaking their mother's heart
Tearing us all apart
Took us away
They told us what to do and say
Told us all the White man's way
Then they split us up again
And gave us gifts to ease the pain
Sent us off to foster home
As we grew up, we felt alone
'Cause we were acting White yet feeling Black
And one sweet day all the children came back
The children came back
Yeah, the children came back
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong
The children came back
I said the children came back
Yeah, the children came back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother land
The children came back
Back to their mother
Back to their father
Back to their sister
Back to their brother
Back to their people
Back to their land
All the children came back
The children came back
Yes, I came back
ย