Took The Children Away

This story's right, this story's true
I would not tell lies to you
Like the promises they did not keep
The way they fenced us in like sheep
Said to us come take our hand
And set us up on mission land

Taught us to read, to write and pray
And then they took the children away
Took the children away
Yeah, they took the children away
Snatched from their mother's breast
Said it was for the best
And they took them away

The welfare and the policeman
Said you've got to understand
Wе'll give what you can't give
Teach thеm how to really live
Teach them how to live they said
Humiliated them instead
They taught them that, and taught them this
And others taught them prejudice
And you took them away
Yeah, you took the children away
Breaking their mothers heart
Tearing them all apart
You took them away

Oh, one dark day on Framlingham
They came and they did not give a damn
My mother cried "Go get their dad!'
He came running, fighting mad
Mother's tears, they were falling down
Dad shaped up and stood his ground
He said 'You touch my kids and you're gonna fight me'
And then they took us from our family
Yeah, they took us away
Oh, they took the children away
Oh, snatched from our Mother's breast
Said this was for the best
Took us away

Told us what to do and say
They 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 the foster homes
As we grew up, we felt alone
'Cause we were acting white
And feeling black
One sweet day the children came back

Yeah, the children came back
Oh, the children came back
Back where their hearts grow strong
Back where they all belong
The children came back
Said the children came back
Oh, the children came back
Back where they understand
Back to their mother's land
The children came back, oh

Back to their mother
Back to their father
Back to their sister
Back to their brother, oh
Back to their people
And back to their land
All the children came back
Oh, the children came back
Yeah, the children came back

Yes, I, I came back