Amandla

1960 and the people fell.
Sharpeville makes world news.
As the .303 bullets
Ripped through the backs
Of children as they turned to run.
And the people watched on
Their little television sets
And listened on their radios
As the numbers were given.
10,000 minds dead
10,000 minds buried
And all the world could do
Was say, "Ach shame"

1977 and the people fell.
Steve Biko makes world news.
As the men beat and whipped
Black consciousness into oblivion
And the people watched on
Their little television sets
And listened on their radios
As the details were given.
"Brain damage from inflictions to the head."
That's all they could say.
Steve Biko is dead.
And what is left?
2 young orphans created by the SAP.

But every day we see
The signs at children's parks
That say "White children only"
The signs on restaurant doors
That say "No dogs and blacks allowed"
We hear the voices that call African man "Kaffir"
That call African woman "Whore"
Voices that know nothing
They don't know the power.
They don't know Amandla.

The power is ours.
Amandla Nkhawethu
Because we break free.
Because we are the spear of the nation.
We are Umkhonto we Sizwe.
We fight.
We die.
But the spear will never rest.
We will break free
Your ropes will fall away
And Amandla will be ours
Because time is longer
Than your ropes that tie us down.

We are Umkhonto we Sizwe
We are the spear
That will break you down.
We are Amandla.

Amandla Nkhawhethu.