Lyr Add: Took The Children Away (Archie Roach)

Subject: ADD: Took The Children Away (Archie Roach)
From: GUEST,DWR
Date: 04 Mar 09 - 02:36 PM

The ongoing thread on Political songs on Aboriginal rights mentions Took The Children Away by Archie Roach. I figured this would be a good time to post it.

TOOK THE CHILDREN AWAY
Archie Roach, 1990

This story's right, this story's true
I would not tell lies to you
Like the promises they did not keep
And how they fenced us in like sheep
Said to us "Come take our hand "
Set us up on mission land
Taught us to read, to write and pray
Then they took the children away
Took the children away
The children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said this is for the best
Took them away

The welfare man, 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
They took the children away
The children away
Breaking their mother's heart
Tearing us all apart
Took them away

One dark day on Framlingham***
Came and didn't give a damn
My mother cried go get their dad
He came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears were falling down
Dad shaped up and stood his ground.
He said "You touch my kids and you fight me"
Then they took us from our family.
Took us away
They took us away
Snatched from our mother's breast
Said this is for the best
Took us away.

Told us what to do and say
Taught us all the white man's ways
Then they split us up again
And gave us gifts to ease the pain
Sent us off to foster homes
As we grew up we felt alone
Cause we were acting white
Yet feeling black
One sweet day all the children came back
The children came back
The children came back
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong
The children came back

Said the children came back
The children came back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother's 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
The children came back
Yes I came back.

*** Framlingham http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Framlingham,_Victoria was an Aboriginal reserve in Victoria from 1861-1971

Sound Samples:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Charcoal-Lane/dp/B001F3APLA/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1236058105&sr=8-8 on his Charcoal Lane album available on Amazon.com.uk now and available on Amazon.com starting March 7, though they don't show any mp3 downloads at the moment. http://www.amazon.com/Charcoal-Lane-Archie-Roach/dp/B00005073B/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1236058580&sr=8-6

Also recorded by Melinda Schneider http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001ASI4LI/ref=dm_sp_alb?ie=UTF8&qid=1236056398&sr=8-2 on her Hits And Rarities album. Her version is all third person, while Archie's shifts back and forth from first to third person.

Archie Roach Live Performance https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_DBNkkcSE

Studio Performance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcHC6stIu2A