African Homeland
Cynthia Erivo"African Homeland" is a song by Cynthia Erivo, released in 2016 in the Pop genre. The song is 7:52 long and contains 139 lines and 722 words.
0:07Dear Celia oh I love you
0:14Years go by and still you're with me
0:21All we share is one big sky
0:27I pray for your reply
0:35When mister threw me out that day I was so mad
0:38I ran straight to the church
0:40But when the reverend's wife opened the door
0:42She had two little children with her
0:44And something about those children made my mad go away
0:49So I asked her if they needed help with those children
0:52And they told me they were going to Africa as missionaries
0:55And maybe I could come with them
0:57Nettie a missionary
0:59And then one day on that boat over here
1:02The reverend asked me about my family
1:04So I told him about you and everything that happened to ya
1:09And he told me Celia he's the one pa gave your babies to
1:14Adam and Olivia are right here with me
1:17My babies
1:19I teach your children abcs
1:24For a missionary family
1:29These babies sent by god are yours
1:33Adam and Olivia
1:37Alive
1:39Alive
1:45I vibrated like a bell when I saw the African coast
1:49And I kneeled down and thanked god
1:51Thank god
1:53Thank god
1:56For letting us see the land
1:58Where our mothers and fathers died
2:00African homeland
2:03Homeland
2:04Land of my people people
2:07People
2:11We are going to be working with a tribe called
2:14The olinka
2:18Linga
2:18Linga
2:18Oba
2:19Oba
2:19Batuwanga
2:20Ada doon da yay
2:21Linga
2:22Linga
2:22Oba
2:22Oba
2:23Batuwanga
2:24Ada doon da yay
2:25Linga
2:25Linga
2:26Oba
2:26Oba
2:26Batuwanga
2:28Linga
2:29We are
2:29Oba
2:30Happy
2:30At the center
2:31Of the universe
2:32Linga
2:32We are
2:33Oba
2:33Happy
2:34At the center
2:35Of the universe
2:40Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
2:44Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day
2:47Oh yoo doh doo day
2:48Oh yo oon daday
2:49Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
2:51Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
2:52Oh yo oon daday
2:53Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay
2:55My people
3:04Eeleeyah ooday
3:14It was like black seeing black for the first time
3:23Shiny blue black people looking real fine
3:32In brilliant blue robes that fly on the winds
3:39Like a beautiful quilt stitched together by friends
3:52You could put everything I knew in a thimble
4:00What we're taught to be don't resemble
4:08The kings and queens who for thousands of years
4:16Ruled magnificent cities washed away by tears
4:27Celie Celie
4:32Ee yea ahn ya
4:36Ee yea ahn ya
4:44Celie what are you doin'
4:45Nothin'
4:45Well I ain't never seen you just sit
4:48Look
4:49Good mornin'
4:51Y'all want some breakfast
4:52I wish I could but I got to go
4:54Take this on outside to the car
4:57Soon as he get back from town I think I'm gonna kill him
4:59No bible says don't kill
5:01Nope I think I feel better if I kill him
5:04No you won't nobody ever feel better for killin' nothin'
5:07Think of me think of Nettie
5:11Goodbye
5:22Celie I've been teaching the olinka children to read
5:27But some of the women have become very suspicious of me
5:32Because girls have never been taught to read here
5:36Girls have never been taught anything at all
5:39I don't understand everything they're saying
5:42But what it sounds like to me is
5:44What this mess you been preachin'
5:46Why you tryin' to change us
5:48They think I should be married
5:50Girl ain't nothin' with no man
5:52Why you makin' a big fuss
5:54Need a husband and children
5:56Or you're gonna be nothing
5:58I am nobody's mother
6:02But I am somebody
6:04Girls don't need education
6:06Sound like the white folks back home
6:09Best be knowing your station
6:10But not my Olivia
6:15Magenta
6:21Our village was destroyed by the soldiers
6:25So now we have walked with so many other refugees
6:30To a tent camp across the border
6:34We walk away from this ravaged land
6:45With courage deep in our hearts
6:52To face the unknown
6:54Together
6:57We'll find a place where we can be
7:02Where spirit rise and soul is free
7:08Our people my people
7:20I have faith that god will let us see
7:23Each other again before we die Celia
7:26And you must have faith too
7:29I only hope that when that day comes
7:32We're not too old to recognise each other
7:41We walk away
7:47We walk away
7:52We walk away
Dear Celia oh I love you Years go by and still you're with me All we share is one big sky I pray for your reply When mister threw me out that day I was so mad I ran straight to the church But when the reverend's wife opened the door She had two little children with her And something about those children made my mad go away So I asked her if they needed help with those children And they told me they were going to Africa as missionaries And maybe I could come with them Nettie a missionary And then one day on that boat over here The reverend asked me about my family So I told him about you and everything that happened to ya And he told me Celia he's the one pa gave your babies to Adam and Olivia are right here with me My babies I teach your children abcs For a missionary family These babies sent by god are yours Adam and Olivia Alive Alive I vibrated like a bell when I saw the African coast And I kneeled down and thanked god Thank god Thank god For letting us see the land Where our mothers and fathers died African homeland Homeland Land of my people people People We are going to be working with a tribe called The olinka Linga Linga Oba Oba Batuwanga Ada doon da yay Linga Linga Oba Oba Batuwanga Ada doon da yay Linga Linga Oba Oba Batuwanga Linga We are Oba Happy At the center Of the universe Linga We are Oba Happy At the center Of the universe Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day Oh dee dee oo day oo day oo dadoo day doo da day Oh yoo doh doo day Oh yo oon daday Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay Oh yo oon daday Oh yoo doh doo day ay ay My people Eeleeyah ooday It was like black seeing black for the first time Shiny blue black people looking real fine In brilliant blue robes that fly on the winds Like a beautiful quilt stitched together by friends You could put everything I knew in a thimble What we're taught to be don't resemble The kings and queens who for thousands of years Ruled magnificent cities washed away by tears Celie Celie Ee yea ahn ya Ee yea ahn ya Celie what are you doin' Nothin' Well I ain't never seen you just sit Look Good mornin' Y'all want some breakfast I wish I could but I got to go Take this on outside to the car Soon as he get back from town I think I'm gonna kill him No bible says don't kill Nope I think I feel better if I kill him No you won't nobody ever feel better for killin' nothin' Think of me think of Nettie Goodbye Celie I've been teaching the olinka children to read But some of the women have become very suspicious of me Because girls have never been taught to read here Girls have never been taught anything at all I don't understand everything they're saying But what it sounds like to me is What this mess you been preachin' Why you tryin' to change us They think I should be married Girl ain't nothin' with no man Why you makin' a big fuss Need a husband and children Or you're gonna be nothing I am nobody's mother But I am somebody Girls don't need education Sound like the white folks back home Best be knowing your station But not my Olivia Magenta Our village was destroyed by the soldiers So now we have walked with so many other refugees To a tent camp across the border We walk away from this ravaged land With courage deep in our hearts To face the unknown Together We'll find a place where we can be Where spirit rise and soul is free Our people my people I have faith that god will let us see Each other again before we die Celia And you must have faith too I only hope that when that day comes We're not too old to recognise each other We walk away We walk away We walk away
Translation
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