I saw a black man hanging on a tree
burnt by the sun as black as black can be
What can I do to set you free?
I asked and his white bones answered me
called to me
to me
Don't send your ships to us across the sea
Don't buy our food or sell your cars to me
If you're afraid then please don't say,
you pity me
you pity me
you pity me
A thousand million pounds invested in my land
in trade and investment that's a million grand
Take it away, oh take it away
If you won't then please don't say,
you pity me
you pity me
you pity me
If you make money from Verwoerd, how can you tell him that he's wrong?
If you prefer to make your money then don't sing my freedom song
You say that you want to make me free
Then don't trade with the men who are killing me
Or don't you say, you pity me
And don't you say "it's a risky thing to do
I'm worried that a boycott might be bad for you"
I know how to live on nothing much better than you
So don't you say
Oh, please don't say,you pity me
So now you can choose, but oh don't wait too long
For my brothers they will fight and their freedom wish is strong
Your leaders say that they pity me,
but your thousand million pounds are the seed of the tree
On which they're hanging
hanging, hanging
On which they're hanging me
Oh, my loving friends I can't get from my mind
those white bones in the sun
that whispered on the wind
If there's no help soon then hanging from this tree
will be thousands and thousands like you and like me
No money making then and no ships upon the sea
Just white bones in the sun hanging, hanging,
hanging on a tree
burnt by the sun as black as black can be
What can I do to set you free?
I asked and his white bones answered me
called to me
to me
Don't send your ships to us across the sea
Don't buy our food or sell your cars to me
If you're afraid then please don't say,
you pity me
you pity me
you pity me
A thousand million pounds invested in my land
in trade and investment that's a million grand
Take it away, oh take it away
If you won't then please don't say,
you pity me
you pity me
you pity me
If you make money from Verwoerd, how can you tell him that he's wrong?
If you prefer to make your money then don't sing my freedom song
You say that you want to make me free
Then don't trade with the men who are killing me
Or don't you say, you pity me
And don't you say "it's a risky thing to do
I'm worried that a boycott might be bad for you"
I know how to live on nothing much better than you
So don't you say
Oh, please don't say,you pity me
So now you can choose, but oh don't wait too long
For my brothers they will fight and their freedom wish is strong
Your leaders say that they pity me,
but your thousand million pounds are the seed of the tree
On which they're hanging
hanging, hanging
On which they're hanging me
Oh, my loving friends I can't get from my mind
those white bones in the sun
that whispered on the wind
If there's no help soon then hanging from this tree
will be thousands and thousands like you and like me
No money making then and no ships upon the sea
Just white bones in the sun hanging, hanging,
hanging on a tree
Contributed by dq82 - 2016/11/1 - 15:02
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Where Have all the Flowers Gone/ Hanging On A Tree
Pubblicato su Broadside #42, march 1964
This song comes from Britain and is, of course, about South Africa.